Georgia Pro Day: Whose NFL Draft Stock Is Rising & Falling?

The last chance we were able to see the members of the historic Georgia defense on the field together, the Bulldogs’ Pro Day was able to provide a unique glimpse into two players with entirely different draft trajectories heading into the spring.

For Channing Tindall, his stock is soaring after what was one of the more impressive combine workouts of any player at any position. While teammate Jordan Davis stole the show for all the former Bulldogs in attendance, the 6-foot-2 linebacker in Tindall, a true sideline-to-sideline defender, proved to teams he’s everything defensive coordinators look for to counter the speed of NFL offenses at the second level. A scheme fit within any defensive and an athletic profile that presents teams with a chess piece to use at their disposal in man, zone, or as a wide-nine blitzer, continuing to showcase that athletic profile during Wednesday’s pro day has identified a player teams are quickly moving up their draft board.

After running the 40 and jumping in the vert and broad in Indianapolis, Tindall saved arguably his top performance for last in the 20-yard short shuttle. A drill showcasing lateral agility and the ability to plant your foot in the ground and quickly accelerate, Tindall’s blazing time of 4.03 would have finished as the top time among all linebackers at the combine, and the second-quickest mark of all participants.

As offenses continue to get faster and deploy unique offensive concepts to put defenses in precarious matchups, a talent like Tindall fits everything coordinators desire at second level. Whether you are asking him to fill gaps in the run or mirror running backs and tight ends in open space, a fluid athlete with the prowess to do-it-all, and do it well, has become a necessity for NFL teams to counter the high-octane, pass-happy offenses in today’s game.

On the other side of the coin, corner Derion Kendrick—a Clemson transfer—has seen his stock fall significantly since the Senior Bowl, combine, and after today’s pro day performance. While some just flat out don’t test well, and athletic measurables don’t always mean a prospect can or can’t succeed at the next level, for Kendrick, however, it’s ugly.

At 6-foot flat and after weighing in 11 pounds heavier (205 pounds) in Athens on Wednesday morning than he did in Indianapolis (194), Kendrick’s 40 times of 4.75 and 4.78 will see teams rapidly move him down draft boards considering his lack of pop shown on film this fall and an underwhelming pre-draft circuit. A 31-inch vert and a 9-foot-8 broad won’t make things better, and considering the depth of corners in the class, don’t be surprised if Kendrick both slips out of our TD100 and into the backend of Day 3.