The 2017 NFL Scouting Combine will kick off this weekend in Indianapolis with over 300 prospects headed to converge on the city with the common goal to do as much as possible to impress NFL scouts, coaches and general managers before the draft.
With a plethora of star players and a sheer high amount of prospects in the player pool, there is an inevitability of players falling through the cracks to become sleepers at the combine. The goal of everyone involved in the scouting process is to find those players and to turn them into the next late round steals for their franchises. Following is a look at four names who are definite sleepers to monitor entering the events in Indy.
Jeremy McNichols
An undersized back from a non-major conference with ball security issues in a class loaded with great athletes from some of the biggest programs in the nation, it makes clear sense why Boise State’s Jeremy McNichols is a draft sleeper entering Friday’s running backs session in Indianapolis. After all, it is hard to pay much attention to a guy like McNichols with racehorses such as Leonard Fournette, Dalvin Cook D’Onta Foreman, Joe Mixon and Christian McCaffrey all in the mix with Day 1 or Day 2 draft grades.
https://twitter.com/JeremyMcNichols/status/835632658998669315
McNichols is likely a firm third-day option for NFL general managers and scouts in a loaded running back class, but he does have the speed and the agility to impress at the combine. With the Broncos proud tradition of producing running backs to go on to have great success in the NFL in the 2000s, McNichols is an overlooked name to keep an eye on in Indianapolis and come the draft weekend later this spring.
Adam Shaheen
Declaring early for the draft out of little known Ashland and as expected, a former standout high school basketball player, tight end Adam Shaheen is hyped to the point where he wouldn’t be a sleeper if the 2017 tight end class weren’t incredibly deep.
The most mainstream sleeper entering proceedings in Indianapolis, it is hard to avoid becoming enamored with Shaheen’s story. It is also impossible to not be excited about Shaheen’s potential once brought into a situation with NFL level coaching after a collegiate career spent at a smaller than small program.
https://twitter.com/goashlandeagles/status/834448434753060865
First, Shaheen will have to exhibit his athletic tools and his fundamental abilities in route running before he is brought into a team’s plans to develop him into a polished product. With limited knowledge comes the hype of expected unlimited upside or hidden value, so it is required to but Shaheen on this list as the ultimate sleeper because we just don’t know how good this unknown cult draft hero is at this point in his career.
Jalen Myrick
Jalen Myrick ranks 24th on Bleacher Report draft expert Matt Miller’s cornerback draft rankings, but the former Golden Gophers standout possesses blinding speed that will make him appointment viewing in the 40-yard dash. An event where Myrick is expected to have a chance to pursue a sub 4.3 time in the chase of the holy grail that is Chris Johnson’s record time.
JALEN MYRICK! https://t.co/WZAo6S8kz9
— Very Tall Zubaz Mask (@GoAUpher) November 15, 2014
Beyond the track star speed, Myrick has some real production as the Gophers shutdown corner where he thrived in his senior season with 41 tackles, and a team-leading 12 passes defended. That senior year play from Myrick combined with an expected showcase performance at the combine with his blazing speed should give the former Georgia state high school track standout an opportunity to help his case during his time in Indianapolis. If Myrick can get himself close to Johnson’s record 40-yard dash time, there is a distant possibility that he could talk himself into third round status on some scouts draft boards. An NFL career is likely, but Myrick should enjoy some time in the spotlight in Indianapolis for exactly just over 4.2 seconds due to his well-documented speed at the cornerback position.
Greg Ward
After Terrelle Pryor’s breakout season with the Cleveland Browns after a failed stint as an NFL quarterback with the Oakland Raiders, Houston Cougars star dual-threat passer Greg Ward should get an extended look from NFL scouts in Indianapolis when he looks to follow a similar path. Especially when you consider that Ward has collegiate experience at the receiver position before he took the quarterback job simply due to how dangerous of an offensive weapon he was and the need his team had to ensure he touched the ball on every single snap to maximize his playmaking.
Houston's Greg Ward Jr. going through sprint drills. pic.twitter.com/VHRW7OensB
— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) February 22, 2017
With the way Ward tore up defenses as the catalyst for the Cougs high-tempo attack, he will be assured to have a place at an NFL training camp this summer on a team that will hope to find a place for the game-breaking ability he showcased at Houston. Ward has 41 non-throwing touchdowns in his collegiate career, a number that proves he can make an impact without throwing the football for a player that never truly made his biggest impact via the aerial attack when at his peak.
The fact Ward has run little routes and hasn’t caught a pass in a game since his sophomore season in 2014 will makes his route running drills in Indianapolis paramount to his quest to get drafted. Ward’s likely to land on Day 3 of the draft, but how early his name is called on the final day will be relevant to how polished he looks when he runs routes and catches passes in front of scouts after a considerable shift of attention for the past two seasons.
