As
reported by
The
biggest story on Monday at the NFL combine was 6-foot-3½, 346-pound
Memphis DT Dontari Poe and his epic workout performance.
After
putting up 44 repetitions on the 225-pound bench press the previous
day (16 above the average for defensive tackles over the last four
combines), Poe went out and ran a ridiculous official time of 4.98
seconds in the 40-yard dash.
For
perspective, the four-year average for defensive tackles is 5.15
seconds at an average weight of 305.3 pounds.
Poe was
also above-average in the short shuttle (4.56 seconds) and vertical
jump (29.4), and he showed his explosiveness with an unofficial
1.68-second 10-yard split during the 40. Those numbers are inviting
comparisons to Baltimore Ravens DL Haloti Ngata, who came to the 2006
combine as a more polished player but had a similar workout.
Ngata:
6-4⅛, 338; 5.16 in the 40 (1.71 split); 4.65 short shuttle; 31.4
vertical; 37 reps Poe: 6-3½4, 346; 4.98 in the 40 (1.68 split); 4.56
short shuttle; 29.4 vertical; 44 reps
Ngata
has turned into an All-Pro player and his versatility is one of the
reasons the Ravens are so successful with their multiple and varied
defensive fronts. Poe has similar potential with the ability to play
the traditional tackle spot in a four-man front, nose tackle in a
three-man line, or even the 5-technique (DE) in a three-man front.
Poe is
skyrocketing up draft boards with his rare measurables, and he sits
somewhere in the middle of the first round at this point. If all goes
well during the pre-draft process, it wouldn't be a surprise to see
him go as high as No. 11 to the Kansas City Chiefs, who need a
versatile anchor in the middle of their defensive line.
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