NFL Combine Buzz 3.0: Ikem Ekwonu, Evan Neal battle for No. 1 pick
On Sunday, the NFL Combine will call it quits in Indianapolis. KSR wrapped up its on-location coverage with both Marquan McCall and Josh Paschal fielding questions from the media.
After taking some time to digest, what the Jacksonville Jaguars need to do is starting to become obvious. Elsewhere, Josh Paschal’s football intelligence should get him a spot sometime in day two, and Georgia’s defense was unbelievably freaky.
Ikem Ekwonu vs. Evan Neal
For the second consecutive seasons, the Jacksonville Jaguars are picking No. 1 overall as Doug Pederson takes over for the AFC South franchise. The top goal will be to surround franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence with supporting pieces with the draft capital and large cap space accumulated.
Due to that, the Jags are in BPA (best player available) mode. That player is anyone’s guess as there is not a clear No. 1. However, there are two top offensive line prospects and that is who Jacksonville should be choosing from.
NC State’s Ikem Ekwonu checked in a bit short at the position (6-4, 310), but the athletic testing was off the charts. Ekwonu ran a 4.97 forty-yard dash with some positive agility and explosion scores. The ACC product has a high floor thanks to the ability to slide to guard, but a high pick would be banking on him being a long-term solution at left tackle.
Alabama’s Evan Neal did not test, but the former top-five recruit checked every other box. Neal checked in at 6-foot-7 and 337 pounds with a 6-foot-11 wingspan. Add those measurements with the tape, and this looks like the clear top left tackle in the class who holds that weight very well.
When discussing best players, Kyle Hamilton (Notre Dame), Aidan Hutchinson (Michigan), and Kayvon Thibodeaux (Oregon) are all in the mix, but each is on the defensive side of the ball. The Jaguars need to get Lawrence right, and the best way to do that is to give him a trustworthy left tackle that he can grow with for a decade.
There are two quality candidates there for the Jaguars.
Josh Paschal’s podium performance
In the Governor’s Cup victory over Louisville, Josh Paschal suffered an injury and that forced the redshirt senior defensive end to miss the Citrus Bowl over a month later. A month after that, Paschal withdrew from the Senior Bowl as he attempted to heal from what appeared to be a groin injury.
Paschal is now fully healthy and will look to impress NFL folks when he tests on Saturday evening. However, his meetings with teams might be the most important thing he’s done this week.
The elite run-stuffer has met with most of the AFC North and a few other franchises. In each, Paschal has elaborated on his high football IQ. The DMV native knows how to diagnose run schemes in pre-snap alignment and had great scheme knowledge at Kentucky knowing what each position group was responsible for on every play.
That intelligence played out on the field as it increased his anticipation skills and allowed Paschal to earn first-team All-SEC honors in 2021. Expect that to pay off in the draft as Paschal should be a third-round pick in a draft loaded with defensive line talent.
Kenneth Walker III makes case for RB1
Wake Forest transfer Kenneth Walker III had an outstanding season in his only year at Michigan State. The 5-foot-9, 211-pound tailback led the FBS in rushing yards (1,634) and forced an astounding 89 tackles according to PFF. Walker won the Doak Walker Award as the top running back in college football and averaged 6.2 yards per rush as the Spartans went 10-2 in the regular season.
Walker has backed up that strong season with a strong performance at the combine.
Walker’s 4.38 forty-yard dash was elite for the running back position to go along with excellent spits in both 10-yard (1.52) and 20-yard (2.55). The tailback did not participate in the bench press or any of the agility tests, but a strong broad jump of 10’02”.
The best part of Walker’s game on tape was the explosiveness, and that ability was confirmed in Indianapolis. However, there was a level of inefficiency for the tailback as Walker’s rushing success rate of 43 percent will be one of the lowest in the draft.
If a team was high on Walker, that likely didn’t change. We are still looking for the top tailback in the draft. Expect those running backs to begin coming off the board in the second round.
Georgia was just absurd in 2021
At the combine, Georgia led all colleges with 14 invitations. Seven of those players were on defense, and five of those individuals were in the front seven. Kirby Smart’s team fielding one of the best defenses college football has seen in at least a decade is starting to make more sense now.
Nose tackle Jordan Davis just put together the best individual performance the combine has seen since Calvin Johnson solidifying his status as a first-round prospect. Travon Walker checked in with a wingspan over 7-feet and also had some big-time athletic scores. DeVonte Wyatt, Channing Tindall, and Quay Walker all produced big numbers. The Bulldogs could see up to 10 players drafted in the first two rounds.
That Georgia defense was a special unit, and we probably won’t see anything else like that in college football for a while.
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