Winners and losers from the third day of workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine

Anyone who’s been paying attention to the 2019 NFL Draft knew that the headliners of the class were in the front seven.

That came to fruition on Sunday, as the defensive lineman and linebackers exceeded the already high expectations they had coming in with some mesmerizing results.

Here’s who raised their stock and who hurt themselves the most.

Winners

Quinnen Williams, DL, Alabama

Williams came into Indy as the top interior defensive lineman in a loaded group and lived up to the hype in a major way. What stood out most was his 40-yard dash, where Williams ran an absurd 4.83, one of the four fastest 40-yard dashes by a 300-pound defensive lineman in combine history. At his size, his jumps were quite impressive as well.

As a penetrating interior lineman with great size, natural leverage, and stout run defense, Williams is the whole package and fits in any scheme. While there were plenty of other standouts on the day, the Alabama stud just about guaranteed he’d be the top defender taken in 2019 with his performance.

Shout out to Notre Dame lineman Jerry Tillery too, who at 6-foot-6 and 295 pounds didn’t break any records but posted very similar numbers to Williams’ with a whole lot less buzz.

The Devin’s are divine

The two best interior linebackers in the draft came out swinging in a head-to-head battle for the ages, as LSU’s Devin White and Michigan’s Devin Bush matched one another’s numbers every step of the way.

Bush started things off by running an absurd 4.43 40, which White bested with a 4.42. Bush then jumped an NBA dunk champion worthy 40.5-inch vertical, which White fell an inch short of. Bush preceded to beat White on the broad jump and three-cone drill by the slightest margin. Oh, and White benched 225-pounds 22 times, just one more than Bush.

The two put on a show after measuring in with almost identical size, and even have the same first name. White helped consolidate his status as the top linebacker in the class and as a top-10 talent, but Bush helped his stock the most moving firmly into the top-20 conversation.

Either would fit Vic Fangio’s scheme to perfection and could turn into absolute stars under one of the all-time great linebacker coaches in NFL history. Bush is the safer pick and can be had at a better value, while White has a recklessness and violence to his play that is unmatched, with a higher ceiling to boot.

The battle between the two stud linebackers has only just begun.

Rashan Gary, DL, Michigan

Is Gary an edge rusher or an interior penetrator? That was the big question coming into Indy. The answer; he’s a freak and can play wherever you’d like.

Gary was said to be this athletic but who could’ve imagined a 4.58 at 277 pounds, the kind of time that would’ve made most running backs or tight ends happy. He then jumped a 38-inch vertical, which—at his size—shouldn’t be humanly possible unless you’re Zion Williamson. Those are numbers that elite edge rushers post when measuring in 20-pounds lighter.

The only slightly disappointing thing Gary did was a run 7.26 three-cone drill, which would signify he might not have the bend required to rush tackles off their outside shoulders. Regardless, Gary will go very high in the draft, and at this point will likely be gone before Denver picks at 10. 

John Cominsky, DL, Charleston

A Senior Bowl stand out, Cominsky was amazingly in the same league as the aforementioned Gary, which is saying something. The yoked up d-lineman actually bested Gary’s three-cone with an insane 7.03 at 283 pounds.

He also ran a 4.69 40 and had some fine jumps. His raw talent is as high as anyone’s in this 2019 class, and if he’s put in the right hands, he could turn out to be one of the draft’s best players. He put the NFL on notice with his performance.

Montez Sweat, EDGE, Mississippi State

Sweat being so low on the list is a testament to how ridiculously talented this group was, as the Bulldogs edge rusher broke the modern combine record for a d-lineman with a 4.41 40.

Sweat is a close to perfect prospect for the position, with superb length at 6-foot-6 with 35 3/4 inch arms, great production in the SEC and now this ridiculous speed and get off. He did well in jumps, too, and even posted a reasonable 7.0 three-cone drill. Considering his bend and agility where his biggest questions marks, that three-cone should help quell any of those questions.

There’s no telling how high Sweat could go at this point, but the top 10 seems well within reach.

Florida State’s Brian Burns wasn’t quite at Sweat’s level but put on a show himself with a 4.53 40 and outstanding jumps. In an edge-rush class with plenty of first-round contenders, Burns and Sweat helped separated themselves in a significant manner.

Drue Tranquill, LB, Notre Dame

Outside of the two Devin’s, there were a few other inside backers who helped themselves and would fit perfectly in Denver, the first of which was Tranquill, with an all-around great showing.

Stanford’s Bobby Okereke and North Carolina State’s Germaine Pratt also looked athletic and smooth on the day.

Losers

Jachai Polite, EDGE, Florida

As an undersized edge rusher with a whole lot of competition to go in the first round, Polite lost some ground running a 4.84 and posting a 32-inch vertical. Both are acceptable numbers but not what you’d expect when watching the quick-twitch athlete on tape.

Dre’Mont Jones, DL, Ohio State

On a day where other interior lineman showed off unprecedented athletic skill, Jones was only good, not great and certainly not an elite athlete.

Given how raw he is on tape, a big combine showing could’ve really helped his stock. The talent remains and his ability to create pressure up the middle is still among the best in the class, but his stock fell on the day.

Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State

Bosa’s 10-yard split of 1.55 was outstanding, and for the most part, he put up numbers that were better or just slightly worse than his brother Joey. Generally speaking, he consolidated his stock, but in a week where Kyler Murray going first overall has become more realistic, and Williams put up historic numbers, Bosa lost a bit of ground to others contending for the top-three picks.

This isn’t just about on-field workouts, it’s about who hurt and who helped their stock the most. Bosa should still be a lock for the top-five, but he lost some ground on the first pick.