Scouting Combine notebook

Movin' on up: These prospects helped their case on Draft Day with impressive Combine performances

By Dan Arkush and Michael Lev
As published in print Feb. 28, 2000

• OG Leander Jordan (6-4, 330) of Indiana (Pa.) showed he could move around quite well for a guy his size. Brad Meester of Northern Iowa showed that he could play center on the next level. Hawaii’s Adrian Klemm, who had a really good senior season after moving to left tackle, came across well in interviews. Like Jordan, Michael Thompson (6-4½, 305) of Tennessee State moved around well and showed good athleticism.

• Florida State PK Sebastian Janikowski reinforced what scouts thought of him and was especially impressive on kickoffs, displaying excellent hang time.

• Texas Tech’s Sammy Morris, who has very good size for a tailback (6-0, 220), moved into the echeleon below the top tier of running backs with his Combine performance. Shyrone Stith of Virginia Tech isn’t the biggest guy at 5-9, 207, but he worked very hard at the Combine. Scouts consider him a good football player. He was also impressive in the way he handled himself in interviews.

• UCLA WR Danny Farmer displayed a good combination of size (6-3, 217) and athleticism. Three other receivers who impressed scouts with their quickness in and out of breaks, their route-running and body control were Florida’s Travis Taylor, USC’s Windrell Hayes and Richmond’s Muneer Moore. Like Stith, Arizona’s Dennis Northcutt isn’t the biggest guy, but he made all the catches, and PFW’s source feels he can help a team in the return game.

Here are some other lesser-known Combine stars who scored points with NFL scouts inside the RCA Dome with some eye-opening individual performances.

• DT Leif Larsen of Texas-El Paso, a 6-4, 305-pound dead ringer for Dolph Lundgren of "Rocky IV" fame, ripped off an uncanny 45 reps in the 225-pound bench press.

• DT-NT Chris Hovan (6-2½, 290 pounds) of Boston College, who liked to decorate his mug with eye-black — a la John Randle — impressed the troops with 35 reps.

• You could be hearing a lot more about James Madison RB Curtis Keaton (5-10, 210), a transfer from West Virginia who was aced out in Mountaineer country by Amos Zereoue after missing an entire season with meningitis. Keaton, who says he "ran a 4.2 40 consistently in the summer and one time got down to 4.1," registered a 41½-inch vertical jump (conjuring up memories of a similar measurement by Curtis Martin a few years back that boosted his stock big-time) and broad-jumped three inches farther than any running back in the Saturday-morning session. PFW’s source said Keaton showed a lot of in-line quickness and ability to make cuts and caught the ball well.

Editor's note: For additional notes from the Scouting Combine, plus Michael Lev's column on the importance given to a draft prospect's character, pick up a copy of the current issue of Pro Football Weekly in Print at your local newsstand or call to subscribe now.

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