Tag: 2014 NFL Draft

Video: Taylor Lewan’s 40-yard dash

NFL Combine Results: Michigan

Jeremy Gallon

Only three Michigan players were invited to the NFL Combine this winter, but all three had pretty good showings that seemed to meet or exceed expectations. Here are their results, with the top performer in their position and category listed in parentheses.

WR Jeremy Gallon: Gallon measured in at 5’7″ and 185 lbs. with an arm length of 29.5″ and a hand size of 9 3/8″. He ran an official time of 4.49 in the forty yard dash (Oregon State’s Brandin Cooks, 4.33). He also put up 15 reps on the 225 lb. bench, which tied him for 13th (Indiana’s Cody Latimer, 23). NFL.com rates Gallon as a 5.02, which means he has “a better than average chance to make an NFL roster.”


OT Taylor Lewan: Lewan measured in at 6’7″ and 309 lbs. with an arm length of 33 7/8″ and a hand size of 9 1/4″. He ran an official time of 4.87 in the forty yard dash, which made him the fastest offensive lineman at the Combine, and his broad jump of 117″ was #1 in his position group. His 4.49 shuttle time placed him 9th (Oklahoma’s Gabe Ikard, 4.37), and his . He did 29 reps on the 225 lb. bench (North Carolina’s Russell Bodine, 42). Lewan had a vertical jump of 30.5″ (Boston College’s Matt Patchan, 33″), which tied him for 3rd. NFL.com rates Lewan as a 6.18, which means that he “should become an instant starter” in the NFL.

OT Michael Schofield: Schofield measured in at 6’6″ and 301 lbs. with an arm length of 34″ and a hand width of 9 5/8″. He was 6th in his position group with a 5.01 time in the forty. He was #11 in the 20-yard shuttle with a 4.57 time, and he was #13 in the three-cone drill with a time of 7.62. He also had a 24″ vertical and a 93″ broad jump. NFL.com pegs Schofield as a 5.2, which suggests he’ll be a backup player.

I think the biggest surprise of the weekend was Gallon, whose time of 4.49 in the forty outstripped what most expected. The thing about Gallon’s speed is that he has always had good acceleration, but on long runs, he frequently seemed to tire or at least lose his running form, which allowed defenders to catch up to him. A 4.49 isn’t blazing speed, but it’s scootin’ pretty fast; I would probably be more surprised if he turned in a top-notch time in the 100 meters. Also notable is his hand size, which is nearly as big as 6’6″ offensive tackle Schofield and bigger than All-American tackle Lewan.

Lewan’s mobility has always been one of his biggest assets (the other being his nasty disposition), and I remember watching film of him at Scottsdale (AZ) Chaparral and being impressed with how well he moved. He put up solid numbers all around, but nothing else was as impressive as that forty time, which looked pretty smooth on video.

The wild card is Schofield, whose time in the forty was pretty solid, but otherwise, he doesn’t stick out in regard to measurables or on film. I think all three of these guys will get drafted, with Lewan going in the top 20 picks and Gallon going somewhere around the 4th or 5th round. Schofield, however, could end up anywhere from the tail end of the 2nd round to the 6th, from what I’ve read.

Video: Taylor Lewan – “I hit all the marks I wanted to hit”

Sports Illustrated: 2014 NFL Mock Draft

To go along with yesterday’s post on the top prospects for 2014, this takes things one step further and drafts them.  In this version’s outcome, Taylor Lewan would be the second offensive lineman drafted, behind Jake Matthews of Texas A&M.  After the 2013 NFL Draft, in which so many offensive linemen went early, it would be a bit of a surprise if only two linemen went in the top twelve.  Barring injury or an unexpected decline, I think Lewan will probably be picked within the top seven or eight spots.

Anyway, the following guys might be of interest to Michigan fans, either because the Wolverines play(ed) them or recruited them.

1. Oakland Raiders: Jadeveon Clowney – DE – South Carolina
3. Jacksonville Jaguars: Tajh Boyd – QB – Clemson*
4. Cleveland Browns: Marqise Lee – WR – USC*
5. New York Jets: Sammy Watkins – WR – Clemson*
7. Buffalo Bills: C.J. Mosley – LB – Alabama
8. Kansas City Chiefs: Louis Nix – DT – Notre Dame*
9. Philadelphia Eagles: Brett Hundley – QB – UCLA*
11. Detroit Lions: Bradley Roby – CB – Ohio State
12. St. Louis Rams: Taylor Lewan – OT – Michigan*
13. Miami Dolphins: Stephon Tuitt – DE – Notre Dame
17. Dallas Cowboys: Cyrus Kouandjio – OT – Alabama*
20. Chicago Bears: Anthony Barr – OLB – UCLA*
29. Houston Texans: Christian Jones – LB – Florida State*
31. Denver Broncos: Ha’Sean Clinton-Dix – S – Alabama*
32. San Francisco 49ers: Timmy Jernigan – DT – Florida State*

*Offered by Michigan

CBS Sports: 2014 NFL Draft – Early top 50

Taylor Lewan

CBS Sports put out its top 50 prospects for the NFL Draft class of 2014.  Lots of these guys were pursued by Michigan coming out of high school, and several more are relevant simply because they’re guys Michigan has played or will play in the upcoming season.

1. Jadeveon Clowney – DE – South Carolina
4. Taylor Lewan – OT – Michigan*
5. Marquise Lee – WR – USC*
6. Stephon Tuitt – DE – Notre Dame
8. Bradley Roby – S – Ohio State
9. Anthony Barr – OLB – UCLA*
10. Tajh Boyd – QB – Clemson*
11. Louis Nix – DT – Notre Dame*
13. Sammy Watkins – WR – Clemson*
14. Cyrus Kouandjio – OT – Alabama*
17. Aaron Lynch – DE – South Florida
18. Christian Jones – LB – Florida State*
21. Ryan Shazier – LB – Ohio State*
29. A.J. Johnson – LB – Tennessee*
32. Jackson Jeffcoat – DE – Texas*
33. A.J. McCarron – QB – Alabama
35. Dominique Easley – DE – Florida*
37. Timmy Jernigan – DT – Florida State*
39. Chaz Sutton – DE – South Carolina
43. Bennett Jackson – CB – Notre Dame
44. Ka’deem Carey – RB – Arizona
45. Anthony Chickillo – DE – Miami*
46. Odell Beckham – WR – LSU*
48. Karlos Williams – S – Florida State*
49. Seantrel Henderson – OT – Miami*

*Offered by Michigan