The big men in the trenches didn't match the wide receivers in 40-yard-dash times, but this year's offensive line group set a record, with 12 logging sub-5.00-second times. On top of that, a few 300-plus-pounders stole the show Friday, and one of them may have put himself in the conversation for the No. 1 overall pick.
The running backs finished the day, and most of the prospects at the position have a chance to become three-down players. As a group, they caught the ball well in addition to a solid showing in the agility drills.
Starting with a trio of standout offensive linemen, we'll go through the shining stars from Friday's workouts at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
Cross recorded a sub-5.00-second 40-yard dash time with a 1.73-second 10-yard split, which showed the explosiveness out of his stance. That's important because offensive linemen must match the quickness of defenders who possess a sudden burst off the line of scrimmage after the snap.
Through the on-field drills, Cross showed great ankle flexion, lateral movement and the ability to shift his 6'5", 307-pound frame on a dime. The Mississippi State product looked fluid in the pass rush protection mirror exercise.
In head coach Mike Leach's Air Raid offense, Cross had a ton of pass-blocking snaps, which makes him a great fit for an offense that's designed to stress defenses through the air, but he moves effortlessly with a bit of a glide that will likely draw interest from teams with a run-heavy or balanced attack as well.
oday's league, the top running backs can threaten defenses on third down with their receiving skills, and creative offensive coordinators had to like what they saw in James Cook on Friday.
Cook ran a solid 40-yard time (4.42 seconds) and made seamless cuts with the ball in his hands during the on-field drills. He didn't stumble in space, bobble any passes and caught the ball with his hands like a natural receiver.
ESPN's Jordan Reid summed up Cook's traits with the best system fit for him on the pro level.
"Whether it's his feet, hands or acceleration, #UGA RB James Cook is so smooth. Put him in a wide/outside zone scheme and let him flourish. He's an off-tackle runner and receiving threat that can line up anywhere," Reid tweeted.
In four terms at Georgia, Cook only logged 230 carries, so he doesn't project as a featured ball-carrier primed to log 15-plus carries per contest. However, the pass-catching tailback can become a matchup nightmare in the slot or on short routes against linebackers in the middle of the field.
Leading up to the combine, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay thought Cook could be the third running back off the draft board (h/t Bleacher Report's Ian Kenyon). If his Friday outing moves the needle, that projection doesn't seem far off the mark
