2023 NFL Combine, Day 1 (DL, LB): Six for six
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Northwestern DE Adetomiwa Adebawore (No. 99 pictured) put together a strong week at the 2023 Senior Bowl and continued his hot streak at the NFL Combine.
The 2023 NFL Combine‘s opening act was highly-anticipated due to the bevy of talented defensive linemen, edge rushers and linebackers in this year’s draft. We highlight the movement of six prospects from Day 1 of this year’s combine.
Moving on up
Adetomiwa Adebawore 6’2 282 DL-Northwestern
Adebawore impressed at the 2023 Senior Bowl with his combination of energy, first-step explosiveness and overall strength. It was not a surprise to see the 280-plus pound defender excel in the jumps (37 1/2″ VJ, 10’5″ BJ), but he also flashed fine movement in positional drills. The versatile defensive lineman has shown the ability to lift through offensive guards as an interior defender in short yardage situations (1st QTR/5:51, Ohio State ’22) or throw around tight ends when on the edge (same quarter, Ohio State). His stack-and-shed capability (27 bench press reps at 225 pounds) complements the quickness. Running under 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash (4.49) only helps the former Wildcat’s cause.
Keeanu Benton 6’4 309 DT-Wisconsin
Benton, another 2023 Senior Bowl standout, used the NFL Combine to further enhance his burgeoning draft stock. Like Adebawore, he contains positional flexibility. Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing in the 310-pound range, he improved this past season from a footwork perspective against defenders attempting to reach or scoop block him (see Iowa ’22). That improvement was represented in the short-area change of direction testing, as he stood out in the three-cone drill with an excellent time (7.34 seconds) and also posted a respectable 4.65-second clocking in the all-important 20-yard short shuttle. Benton put up 25 bench press repetitions at 225 pounds.
Anfernee Orji 6’1 230 LB-Vanderbilt
The former safety represents the trend for today’s NFL linebacker. He built on a strong 2023 East-West Shrine Bowl week with a noteworthy combine performance. Orji posted a 4.53 40-yard dash, 38 1/2″ vertical and 10’2″ broad jump. He was solid in positional drills. If nothing else, those numbers will catch the eyes of NFL special teams coordinators looking for fast backup linebackers. He started the season strong and has now begun to reignite the steam this postseason.
Wait and see
Andre Carter II 6’6 1/2″ 262 OLB-Army
Carter stood to gain quite a bit with an eye-opening NFL Combine showing. He was just okay in 2022 while dealing with injury. A year ago, we spotlighted his emergence and versatility for one of the nation’s top defenses. After a less than stellar week at the 2023 Senior Bowl, he needed to show that his strength and explosion translates to the NFL. He passed on the 40-yard dash, impressed in the 20-yard short shuttle (4.36) and posted pedestrian numbers in both the vertical (30″) and standing broad (9’1″) jumps. In addition, he was only able to put up 11 bench press repetitions at 225 pounds. Carter II needs a strong Pro Day to reinvigorate his draft stock.
Myles Murphy 6’5 268 DE-Clemson
Murphy -who did 25 bench press repetitions at 225 pounds- had an opportunity to remind potential suitors of his strong upside with a signature combine Top Five-type showcase. By not going through an on-field, the element of recency comes back into play. He opted out of the team’s bowl game and has not been seen since the 2022 ACC Championship game. Clemson’s recent trend of defenders entering the NFL has been less than stellar. The talented first-team All-ACC defender is out to prove he stands as an outlier to the latest norms. Clemson’s Pro Day is scheduled for March 14th.
Ivan Pace, Jr. 5’10 1/2″ 231 LB-Cincinnati, Miami (Ohio)
We talked about the impact of Pace, Jr. last season for the Bearcats and, after a strong postseason thus far, the combine was an opportunity to further distance himself from question marks surrounding size. By declining to workout, he may get pushed into the pack with a number of linebackers lacking the AAC Defensive Player of the Year’s natural instincts and feel for the game. Cincinnati’s Pro Day on March 24th has now become a must-see event.
NOTE: Click into a player’s name in the table and scroll right for 20-yard short shuttle, 3-cone and 60-yard long shuttle times.
| 2023 NFL Combine, Day 1, 3-2-23 (DL, DE, LBs) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DL | |||||||||||
| Ht/Wt | Hand | Arms | BP | 10 yd | 40-yd | VJ | BJ | 3-Cone | 20-yd SS | 60-yd LS | |
| Adetomiwa Adebawore | EDGE | Northwestern | 6'2 282 | 10 1/2” | 33 7/8” | 27 | 1.61 | 4.49 | 37 1/2” | 10’5” | |||
| MJ Anderson | EDGE | Iowa State | 6'2 269 | 9 1/4” | 33 3/4” | 33” | |||||||
| Felix Anudike-Uzomah | EDGE | Kansas State | 6’3 255 | 9 5/8” | 33 1/2” | ||||||||
| Habakkuk Baldonado | EDGE | Pittsburgh | 6’4 251 | 10 1/2” | 33” | 21 | 1.67 | 4.78 | 35” | 10’0 | 7.11 | 4.44 | |
| Robert Beal Jr. | EDGE | Georgia | 6'4 247 | 10 1/8" | 34 5/8” | 1.62 | 4.48 | 30” | 10’3" | ||||
| Keeanu Benton | DL | Wisconsin | 6’4 309 | 9 3/4" | 33 7/8” | 25 | 1.79 | 5.08 | 29 1/2” | 9’3” | 7.34 | 4.65 | |
| Bryan Bresee | DL | Clemson | 6’5 1/2" 298 | 10 1/4” | 32 1/2” | 22 | 1.71 | 4.86 | 29” | ||||
| Jalen Carter | DL | Georgia | 6’3 314 | 10 1/4" | 33 1/2” | ||||||||
| Jerrod Clark | DL | Coastal Carolina | 6’4 334 | 9 3/4" | 33 3/4” | 1.82 | 5.25 | 27 1/2” | 8’6" | 7.6 | 4.83 | ||
| Keondre Coburn | DL | Texas | 6’2 332 | 9 1/8” | 31 1/2” | 1.82 | 5.22 | 27 1/2” | 8’5” | ||||
| Brenton Cox | EDGE | Florida | 6'4 250 | 9 1/4” | 33 1/8” | 24 | 1.65 | 4.82 | 33” | 9’7” | |||
| DJ Dale | DL | Alabama | 6'1 302 | 9 3/4" | 32 7/8” | 1.81 | 5.26 | 25 1/2” | 8’2" | 7.69 | 4.8 | ||
| Gervon Dexter | DL | Florida | 6’6 310 | 9 1/2” | 32 1/4” | 22 | 1.81 | 4.88 | 31” | 9’2” | 7.5 | ||
| YaYa Diaby | EDGE | Louisville | 6'3 263 | 10 3/8” | 33 7/8” | 1.56 | 4.51 | 37” | 10’0” | ||||
| Ikenna Enechukwu | EDGE | Rice | 6'4 264 | 9 5/8” | 33 5/8” | 1.66 | 4.7 | 31 1/2” | 10’0” | ||||
| Viliami Fehoko Jr. | EDGE | San Jose State | 6'4 276 | 9” | 33” | 24 | |||||||
| Isaiah Foskey | EDGE | Notre Dame | 6'5 264 | 9 7/8” | 34” | 22 | 1.66 | 4.58 | 34” | 10’5" | 7.28 | 4.41 | |
| Ali Gaye | EDGE | LSU | 6’6 263 | 9 1/2” | 34 1/4” | ||||||||
| Nick Hampton | EDGE | Appalachian State | 6'2 236 | 9 1/2” | 33 5/8” | 1.65 | 4.58 | 35 1/2” | 10’0” | ||||
| Zach Harrison | EDGE | Ohio State | 6'5 1/2” 274 | 10” | 36 1/4” | 25 | |||||||
| KJ Henry | EDGE | Clemson | 6'4 251 | 10” | 33” | 1.65 | 4.63 | 31 1/2” | 9’4” | ||||
| Dylan Horton | EDGE | TCU | 6'4 257 | 9 1/2” | 33 1/8” | 18 | 34” | 10’0” | |||||
| Siaki Ika | DL | Baylor | 6'3 335 | 10 1/4” | 32 3/8” | 1.88 | 5.39 | 7.8 | 4.99 | ||||
| Thomas Incoom | EDGE | Central Michigan | 6'2 262 | 8 3/4” | 33 1/4” | 23 | 1.65 | 4.66 | 30 1/2” | 9’10” | |||
| Calijah Kancey | DL | Pittsburgh | 6’1 281 | 9 1/8” | 30 5/8” | 1.64 | 4.67 | ||||||
| Tyler Lacy | DL | Oklahoma State | 6'4 279 | 10 7/8” | 33 1/4” | 30 | 1.72 | 5.11 | 28 1/2” | 9’8” | 7.6 | ||
| Isaiah Land | EDGE | Florida A&M | 6’3 1/2" 236 | 9 1/4” | 32 1/2” | 21 | 1.65 | 4.62 | 34 1/2” | 10’6” | 4.56 | ||
| Will McDonald IV | EDGE | Iowa State | 6'4 239 | 9 1/2” | 34 7/8” | 36” | 11’0 | ||||||
| Isaiah McGuire | EDGE | Missouri | 6'4 268 | 8 5/8” | 33 7/8” | 1.72 | 4.76 | 36 1/2” | 10’2" | 7.39 | |||
| Mike Morris | EDGE | Michigan | 6'5 275 | 10” | 33 1/2” | 22 | 1.72 | 4.95 | 28 1/2” | 9’2” | |||
| Caleb Murphy | EDGE | Ferris State | 6'3 254 | 10 1/4” | 32 3/4” | 1.65 | 4.81 | 28 1/2” | 9’11” | 7.28 | 4.45 | ||
| Myles Murphy | EDGE | Clemson | 6’5 268 | 8 1/2” | 33 3/4” | 25 | |||||||
| PJ Mustipher | DL | Penn State | 6'4 320 | 9” | 32 3/4” | 19 | 1.88 | 5.41 | 27 1/2” | 8’0" | 8.01 | 5.03 | |
| Moro Ojomo | DL | Texas | 6'3 292 | 10 3/8" | 34 1/2” | 29 | 1.77 | 5.04 | 33” | 9’4" | |||
| Zacch Pickens | DL | South Carolina | 6'4 291 | 10 3/8” | 34 3/8” | 22 | 1.74 | 4.89 | 30 1/2” | 9’8" | 7.45 | 4.62 | |
| Jose Ramirez | EDGE | Eastern Michigan | 6'2 242 | 8 3/4” | 32 3/4” | 21 | 1.63 | 4.73 | 34 1/2” | 9’10” | 6.95 | 4.3 | |
| Jalen Redmond | DL | Oklahoma | 6'2 291 | 10 1/8” | 32 5/8” | 27 | 1.71 | 4.81 | 34 1/2” | 9’8” | 7.3 | 4.51 | |
| Tavius Robinson | EDGE | Ole Miss | 6'6 257 | 9 5/8” | 33 3/4” | 1.64 | 4.66 | 33 1/2” | 10’0” | 4.62 | |||
| Jaquelin Roy | DL | LSU | 6'3 305 | 10 1/8” | 32 3/4” | 30 | 8.01 | 5 | |||||
| Nesta Jade Silvera | DL | Arizona State | 6’2 304 | 9 7/8” | 32 7/8” | 1.77 | 5.16 | 29 1/2” | 9’2” | ||||
| Mazi Smith | DL | Michigan | 6'3 323 | 9 3/4” | 33 3/4” | 34 | |||||||
| Nolan Smith | EDGE | Georgia | 6'2 238 | 9” | 32 5/8” | 1.52 | 4.39 | 41 1/2” | 10’8” | ||||
| Dante Stills | DL | West Virginia | 6'3 1/2” 286 | 9 5/8” | 32 3/8” | 20 | 1.72 | 4.85 | 28 1/2” | 9’5" | 7.38 | 4.61 | |
| Tuli Tuipulotu | DL | USC | 6'3 266 | 10 1/8” | 32 1/4” | ||||||||
| Lukas Van Ness | EDGE | Iowa | 6'5 272 | 11” | 34” | 17 | 1.64 | 4.58 | 31” | 9’10” | 7.02 | 4.32 | |
| Keion White | EDGE | Georgia Tech | 6'5 285 | 10 1/8” | 34” | 30 | 34” | 9’9” | |||||
| Tyree Wilson | EDGE | Texas Tech | 6'6 271 | 9 5/8" | 35 5/8” | 23 | |||||||
| Colby Wooden | EDGE | Auburn | 6'4 273 | 10 3/8" | 33 3/4” | 23 | 1.71 | 4.79 | 9’7” | 4.52 | |||
| Byron Young | DL | Alabama | 6’3 294 | 11” | 34 3/8” | 24 | 26” | 9’0 | 7.68 | ||||
| Byron Young | EDGE | Tennessee | 6’2 250 | 9 1/4” | 32 1/2” | 22 | 4.43 | 38” | 11’0 | 7.19 | |||
| Cameron Young | DL | Mississippi State | 6'3 304 | 10” | 34 1/2” | 1.8 | 5.1 | ||||||
| Linebackers | |||||||||||
| Ht/Wt/Wing | Hand | Arms | BP | 10 yd | 40-yd | VJ | BJ | 3-Cone | 20-yd SS | 60-yd LS | |
| Yasir Abdullah | LB | Louisville | 6'1 237 | 9 1/4” | 32 3/8” | 1.56 | 4.47 | 36 1/2” | 10’9” | ||||
| Will Anderson Jr. | EDGE | Alabama | 6'3 1/2" 253 | 9 7/8” | 33 7/8” | 1.61 | 4.6 | ||||||
| Jeremy Banks | LB | Tennessee | 6'1 232 | 9 1/2” | 32” | 1.56 | 4.53 | 37 1/2” | 10’6” | 7.27 | 4.38 | ||
| Micah Baskerville | LB | LSU | 6’0 1/2” 221 | 9 5/8" | 31 1/4” | 31” | 9’7” | ||||||
| Jack Campbell | LB | Iowa | 6'5 249 | 10 1/4” | 31 7/8” | 1.59 | 4.65 | 37 1/2” | 10’8” | 6.74 | 4.24 | ||
| Andre Carter II | EDGE | Army | 6'6 1/2” 256 | 9 3/8” | 33 3/8” | 11 | 30” | 9’1" | 4.36 | ||||
| SirVocea Dennis | LB | Pittsburgh | 6/0 1/2” 226 | 10 5/8” | 32 7/8” | 19 | |||||||
| Jalen Graham | LB | Purdue | 6'2 220 | 9 7/8" | 33” | 1.68 | 4.64 | 30 1/2” | 9’4” | ||||
| Derick Hall | EDGE | Auburn | 6'3 254 | 10” | 34 1/2” | 1.59 | 4.55 | 33 1/2” | 10’7” | ||||
| Daiyan Henley | LB | Washington State | 6'2 235 | 9 1/2" | 33” | 1.55 | 4.54 | 35” | 10’5” | ||||
| Nick Herbig | LB | Wisconsin | 6'2 240 | 9 1/4” | 31 1/4” | 25 | 1.59 | 4.65 | |||||
| Shaka Heyward | LB | Duke | 6’3 235 | 9 1/2” | 34” | 22 | 1.54 | 4.53 | 31” | 9’8” | 7.32 | 4.4 | |
| DJ Johnson | EDGE | Oregon | 6'4 260 | 9” | 33 1/4” | 28 | 1.59 | 4.49 | 32” | 9’2” | |||
| Andre Jones Jr. | EDGE | Louisiana | 6'4 1/2” 248 | 10” | 34 1/4” | 29” | 9’8” | ||||||
| Cam Jones | LB | Indiana | 6'1 226 | 9 1/2” | 31 1/4” | 17 | 1.62 | 4.69 | 33” | ||||
| Eku Leota | EDGE | Auburn | 6’3 252 | 9 1/2” | 33 1/2” | ||||||||
| Ochaun Mathis | EDGE | Nebraska | 6'5 250 | 10 3/4” | 35 1/4” | 21 | 1.64 | 4.74 | 33 1/2” | 9’10” | 4.38 | ||
| Ventrell Miller | LB | Florida | 6’0 232 | 9 1/8" | 32 1/2” | ||||||||
| Isaiah Moore | LB | NC State | 6'2 233 | 9 1/8" | 31 3/4” | 26 | |||||||
| BJ Ojulari | EDGE | LSU | 6'2 248 | 10 1/2” | 34 1/4” | 32 1/2" | 10'6" | ||||||
| Anfernee Orji | LB | Vanderbilt | 6'1 230 | 10 1/4” | 32” | 1.54 | 4.53 | 38 1/2” | 10’2” | 7 | 4.43 | ||
| DeMarvion Overshown | LB | Texas | 6'3 229 | 9 1/2” | 32 1/4” | 15 | 1.59 | 4.56 | 10’4” | ||||
| Ivan Pace Jr. | LB | Cincinnati | 5’10 1/2” 231 | 9 1/2” | 30 1/4” | ||||||||
| Owen Pappoe | LB | Auburn | 6’0 225 | 9 1/8" | 31 3/4” | 29 | 1.52 | 4.39 | 35 1/2” | 10’6” | |||
| Lonnie Phelps | EDGE | Kansas | 6'2 244 | 9 1/4" | 32 3/8” | 31 | 1.62 | 4.55 | |||||
| Drew Sanders | LB | Arkansas | 6'4 235 | 9 3/4” | 32 1/8” | ||||||||
| Noah Sewell | LB | Oregon | 6’1 1/2” 246 | 10” | 31 5/8” | 27 | 1.57 | 4.64 | 33” | 9’7” | |||
| Trenton Simpson | LB | Clemson | 6'2 235 | 10 1/4” | 32 3/8” | 25 | 1.55 | 4.43 | |||||
| Noah Taylor | EDGE | North Carolina | 6'4 238 | 8 5/8” | 32 5/8” | 22 | |||||||
| Charlie Thomas | LB | Georgia Tech | 6'3 216 | 8 1/2” | 31 1/2” | 19 | 1.55 | 4.52 | 32 1/2” | 10’4" | 7.09 | 4.34 | |
| Henry To'oTo'o | LB | Alabama | 6'1 227 | 10 1/4” | 32 3/4” | 1.57 | 4.62 | 32” | 9’8” | 4.4 | |||
| Tyrus Wheat | EDGE | Mississippi State | 6'2 263 | 9” | 32 7/8” | 1.59 | 4.65 | 28 1/2” | 9’5” | 4.54 | |||
| Dorian Williams | LB | Tulane | 6'1 228 | 10 1/4” | 33 3/4” | 1.54 | 4.49 | 33 1/2” | 10’0 | ||||
| Dee Winters | LB | TCU | 5’11 227 | 8 5/8” | 31 5/8” | 1.56 | 4.49 | 30 1/2” | 9’9” |
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