Most To Prove

This is the player who has the most to prove away from the field, whether it's during the interview process, medical examinations, or even the weigh-ins.

Brian Burns, Florida State

Burns is a really, really impressive pass rusher who should light up the athletic testing portion of this event. A loose-hipped, explosive pass rusher with great flexibility and twitch, Burns has been productive for the Seminoles since his true freshman year of 2016. He weighed around 220 pounds back then. He was listed at 235 pounds on the team's website this past season. What did he actually play at? What will he measure in at in Indianapolis? Will his lack of bulk scare teams away in April? The first two questions will get answered soon, but I can say this: His film is outstanding. It's rare to see a speed rusher come out of college with an understanding of how to set tackles up for failure like Burns does. Instead of relying purely on his quickness and speed turning the corner, Burns instead relies more on long-arm bull rushes to win low-side against tackles, as he transitions from speed to power much like Dwight Freeney did for years in the NFL. The weight will hold some people up, and there is a certain benchmark he'll have to hit for most teams, but he's a great player.

Most Productive College Player

This is the player who produced at the highest level, either in his final year in college or throughout his entire career.

Josh Allen, Kentucky

Allen was getting first-round buzz over the summer after an up-and-down junior season, but he brought the heat in his final year on campus and has now climbed up to the level where he is nearly a lock for the Top 5 picks in the draft. No edge rusher at the Combine from the FBS level has more sacks than Allen, who racked up an astounding 17 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss in his final season in Lexington. A Montclair, New Jersey native, Allen was a high school wide receiver who moved permanently to outside linebacker once he arrived on campus and never looked back.

Best Pro Comparison

Comparing draft prospects to NFL players is tough, but here's a player with the easiest picture to paint when looking at their NFL future through my eyes.

Charles Omenihu, Texas

I studied Omenihu over the summer coming off his junior season and I was pretty impressed with his film. Omenihu is a long, strong edge player who consistently did a good job in the run game and knew how to use his hands as a pass rusher. I wondered what his overall upside would be getting after the quarterback, but I thought he'd have the opportunity to slide inside and do some damage against guards in the NFL in different subpackages. These are some of the same things I thought about Trey Flowers coming out of Arkansas a few years ago, and since then he's become one of the best players on Bill Belichick's defense in New England as a versatile, inside-outside defensive lineman who can defend the run and disrupt the passing game as well. They're built very similarly and present similar skill sets as well.

Best Story

Let's face it, all of these players have great stories to tell, but which guy has taken the most unbelievable journey to get to this point in their career? Here's the one that has caught my eyes (and ears) the most.

Porter Gustin, USC

Gustin is, in the best way possible, a cross between a football player and a comic book character. Standing at 6-5, 265 pounds, Gustin will look really impressive upon first glance. That should be expected, considering the senior Trojan lives for improving his body. Without going too deep into the details, Gustin's diet, remarkable training regimen, and "mountain man" upbringing make him a true marvel to behold in the weight room. Injuries have been a big issue for the senior, however, as he's had each of the last two years cut short by different ailments. Whether or not he goes on to NFL stardom remains to be seen, but Gustin is definitely one of the more intriguing and fun players to read about in this draft class.

Small-School Standout

This is the player who comes from a lower level of competition (outside of the Power 5 conferences) but still has a very bright future in the NFL.

Oshane Ximines, Old Dominion

A very productive player in Conference USA for Old Dominion, Oshane Ximines is one of the more popular sleepers along the defensive line in this class. The multi-year captain finished with 32.5 sacks and 51 tackles for loss in four years as a starter, and what stands out most to me about him is the way he uses his hands to win at the top of the rush. At the Senior Bowl, I thought he had a bit of a slow start to the week but turned it on in the back half once he got adjusted, and I expect that he'll test fairly well in Indianapolis. In a way, Ximines is maybe a lesser version of Clelin Ferrell. With a strong week at the Combine, Ximines could hear his name called on the second day of the NFL Draft.

Philly Connection

This is the player with a special tie to the City of Brotherly Love or to the Eagles who you should keep a close eye on in Indianapolis.

Shareef Miller, Penn State

I asked Michigan offensive lineman Juwann Bushell-Beatty at the East-West Shrine Game who was the best player he faced in 2018, and he told me it was Shareef Miller. The Philadelphia native started for two seasons for the Nittany Lions, racking up 14.5 sacks in his career. A bull rusher who loves to get inside opponents' pads and drive them backward, Miller will certainly be a name to keep a close eye on at this event. Can he follow in the footsteps of other Penn State stars who have torn up the Combine in recent years? If so, that will really help his draft stock.

Mr. Average