Clemson defensive back Mario Goodrich skips combine drills after injury

Former Clemson defensive back Mario Goodrich withdrew from NFL Combine drills after running a 4.52 official 40-yard dash. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapaport, he continues dealing with bruised and broken ribs from the Senior Bowl and experienced pain following his run.

The report says the Mario Goodrich felt his ribs tighten up following the 40-yard dash, leading him to withdraw from the NFL Combine drills in favor of a healthy performance at Clemson’s Pro Day later this month.

Goodrich, a 6-foot, 176-pound cornerback, measured with 30 5/8-inch arms and 9 1/8-inch hands this weekend. The former four-star recruit played four seasons with the Clemson Tigers before choosing to forgo his free year of eligibility to enter the 2022 NFL Draft. The Kansas City, Missouri native ranked as the No. 129 player overall and No. 4 player in the state of Missouri coming out of the 2018 recruiting class.

Over four seasons at Clemson, Goodrich played in 47 games with 69 tackles. He posted a career-high 42 tackles with one forced fumble in 2021. The cornerback also has five interceptions, including a pick six, and 21 pass deflections over his career.

Another Clemson defensive back withdraws

Mario Goodrich was not the only Clemson player to not participate in all activities, with fellow defensive back Andrew Booth not participating in on-field drills and workouts at this week’s NFL Combine after suffering a quad injury, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The potential first-round draft pick reportedly strained the muscle while training for the 40-yard dash ahead of the combine.

Booth, a 6-foot, 200-pound cornerback, is a top-five prospect at his position following the senior bowl, according to Todd McShay. The junior from Atlanta is expected to be a first-round pick after earning first-team All-ACC honors this past season. He’s one of four Tigers that got invites to the combine, joining corner Mario Goodrich, receiver Justyn Ross and linebacker Baylon Spector.

The Georgia native had 39 tackles, three tackles for loss, five pass breakups and three interceptions while starting all 11 games he played in. He declared for the draft early, after just three seasons with Clemson.

Assuming that Booth and Goodrich’s injury are minor, they should be able to make up the drills at Clemson’s Pro Day later this month. The Tigers welcome their draft hopefuls back to campus on March 17 for measurements, drills and workouts in front of many league scouts.