NFL Scouting Combine Notebook: Day 1 Winners, Rumors & More

Day 1 workouts are in the bag and the assembled media in Indianapolis made it through the night without a fight at Starbucks or Steak-and-Shake. But the real movers and shakers were on the newly installed turf at Lucas Oil Stadium.

This morning we’ll take a look at the top performers from the defensive line and linebackers groups as well as updating you on all the latest around the league. In yesterday’s morning notebook we told you Trey Smith wasn’t leaving the Kansas City Chiefs hours before that news broke—so keep coming back for the best intel.

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Day 1 Winners — Defensive Line

James Pearce Jr., Tennessee — We knew Pearce was fast, so his running a 4.47-second time in the 40 doesn’t elevate his stock, but it does confirm just how much twitch and burst he has coming off the edge. The reason it’s a win for him is because there was so much chatter about his lack of work ethic and drive. But he’s clearly kept himself in shape since the season ended to be able to perform like that. Pearce needs to ace his interviews here, but his burst and speed were easy boxes to check after this blazing 40 time.

Ty Robinson, Nebraska — Robinson is a top 65 player for us but has flown way under the radar. That should change after he showed remarkable athleticism. Robinson ran a position-best 4.83 in the 40, had a 4.50-second short shuttle and a 7.58 3-cone time. He did all this at 6-foot-5 and 288 pounds. He’s a big-time riser this week.

Derrick Harmon, Oregon — All Harmon really needed to do was run a good 40-yard time and then kick off his cleats. The 40 time was really good—a 4.95 second time at 6-foot-4 and 313 pounds—but he wasn’t done there. Harmon moved effortlessly through bag drills and has secured a Round 1 grade. He could very well be the second defensive tackle off the board, behind Mason Graham of Michigan, given off-field concerns surrounding Ole Miss’ Walter Nolen.

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