NFL Combine roundup: Which Bruins are rising, falling?

Linebacker Anthony Barr
6’5, 255 lbs, 33 1/2″ arms, 9 3/8″ hands

Barr ran his 40-yard dash in 4.66 and 4.63 seconds on his two tries — not bad times by any means, but hardly close to the 4.46 he claimed last summer.

Far better was his 6.82-second three-cone drill, the third-best time among linebackers. That number may be a better measure of his pro potential anyway; rarely will a defender be asked to chase someone 40 yards, but short-area quickness and agility is crucial on nearly every play. He only mustered 15 bench reps, though players with longer arms usually don’t perform as well.

Right now, Barr’s top competition to be the first linebacker taken is Buffalo’s Khalil Mack, who has put up similar numbers at the NFL Combine.

“Barr’s a little bit longer,” NFL Media analyst Mike Mayock said. “I think (Mack is) more ready to play today.”

Offensive guard Xavier Su’a-Filo
6’4, 307 lbs, 33 3/8″ arms, 9 3/8″ hands

Su’a-Filo has been one of the NFL Combine’s risers, climbing up to what could be a first-round selection in May. One mock draft actually him going at No. 12 overall, while Barr falls to No. 20. While that still seems improbable at this point, he’s shown enough to be an immediate contributor in the pros.

The versatile lineman ran a 5.04-second 40-yard dash, top-ten at his position. He’s also did well in the 20-yard shuttle, with a 4.33-second showing that put him third among offensive linemen. A two-year Mormon mission set back his strength training — the biggest knock against him now — but SI.com’s Doug Farrar said Su’a-Filo could end up better than Stanford guard David Yankey.

Linebacker Jordan Zumwalt
6’4, 235 lbs, 31 1/4″ arms, 8 3/4″ hands

Zumwalt boosted his profile by knocking out Logan Thomas at the Sun Bowl, and hasn’t done much to hurt his stock since.

His drills were mostly a mixed bag. He ran a pedestrian 4.76-second 40-yard dash, one he was furious with before he even finished (video above). His 3-cone drill (6.99 seconds) and 20-yard shuttle (4.25 seconds) were much better, but not eye-popping.

What will land him on an NFL roster is his motor, one that prompted Senior Bowl coaches to ask him to ease back during practices. His interviews also impressed at least one reporter, and he’s shaping up to be a mid-round pick who could be effective immediately on special teams.

Defensive end Cassius Marsh
6’4, 252 lbs, 32 3/4″ arms, 9 1/2″ hands

Marsh is a tweener who is too small to play defensive end, but might not be fluid enough to move to outside linebacker. Of UCLA’s four NFL Combine participants, he was the only one not invited to the Senior Bowl.

His 14 bench press reps ranked dead last among defensive linemen, and his 40-yard dash was uninspiring at 4.89 seconds. He showed decent explosiveness with a 32-inch vertical and 108-inch broad jump, the former eking into the top 20. Marsh’s best showing was his 7.08-second three-cone cone drill, which would be an elite time for a larger defensive lineman.

Receiver Shaq Evans
6’1, 213 lbs, 32″ arms, 9 3/8″ hands

Evans is a well-rounded player who didn’t put up huge numbers at UCLA, and probably won’t be more than a late-round selection in a deep receivers draft. He did, however, put up some solid if unspectacular performances at the NFL Combine.

He isn’t known for his top-end speed, but managed a 4.51-second 40-yard dash — 0.01 faster than USC’s Marqise Lee. His 11.51-second 60-yard shuttle ranked 11th among receivers, while his 4.21-second 20-yard shuttle and 122-inch broad jump were just inside the top 20.