The 2018 NFL draft's defensive linemen and linebackers went through workouts at the league's scouting combine on Sunday.
ESPN NFL draft expert Todd McShay recaps how the best prospects fared, while Scouts Inc. analyst Steve Muench breaks down the under-the-radar prospects who are rising up draft boards. We'll also look ahead to Day 4 of workouts, as the defensive backs will participate in testing and drills Monday.
Click the links below to skip to each section:
How best prospects fared | Biggest risers | What to watch for Monday | Day 2 notes | Day 1 notes
What was the biggest takeaway from workouts?
McShay: I've had the pleasure of getting to know LB Shaquem Griffin the past few years from calling some Central Florida games, and he's just a special dude. He had so many people tell him what he could and couldn't do with regard to life and football, and to ignore all of them and crush it in his workout is really special. He didn't initially get invited to the NFL combine, so he put on a show all week at the Senior Bowl, and then ran a 4.38 40-yard dash on Sunday, while putting up 20 reps on the bench press. Guys gravitate toward him, and he brings a lot of energy to the field. I think he has pushed his way into the first half of the Day 3 conversation.
How the top prospects fared
Here's how the potential first-round picks from this group performed on Day 3 of workouts:
Off-the-ball LBs
Tremaine Edmunds, OLB, Virginia Tech
Scouts Inc. overall rank: No. 5 (No. 1 OLB)
There were a lot of impressive showings on Sunday, but Edmunds won the day in my opinion. At only 19 years old and with a unique skill set, I can't think of a player with his measurables who can cover, rush and defend the run -- all at a high level. His field drills were impressive, and a 4.54 40-yard dash with a 9-foot, 9-inch broad jump at 6-foot-4, 253 pounds is outstanding. He has solidified himself as a top-10 pick. -- McShay
Roquan Smith, OLB, Georgia
Scouts Inc. overall rank: No. 11 (No. 2 OLB)
A rangy weakside linebacker, I thought he ran well (4.51 40) and looked smooth over the course of the drills Sunday. He didn't do the shuttle or jumps, so I'll be interested to see those at his pro day. -- McShay
Rashaan Evans, ILB, Alabama
Scouts Inc. overall rank: No. 13 (No. 1 ILB)
Evans had an excellent workout. Solid in coverage, he's a thumper of a run-stopper and an underrated pass-rusher. His field drills were also impeccable. He didn't run a 40 but had a three-cone drill time of 6.95 seconds, which is a strong indicator of edge-rushing success in the NFL. -- McShay
Leighton Vander Esch, ILB, Boise State
Scouts Inc. overall rank: No. 28 (No. 2 ILB)
Vander Esch continued to impress on Sunday with a ridiculous three-cone drill time of 6.88 and an elite 4.65 40-yard dash. Those numbers tell me he's capable of rushing the passer off the edge if he's asked to in the NFL. He also had a very good 20-yard shuttle time of 4.15, which has the strongest correlation of NFL success at inside linebacker of all these drills. -- McShay
Hybrid guys
Harold Landry, OLB, Boston College
Scouts Inc. overall rank: No. 39 (No. 4 OLB)
I finished his tape Saturday, and his 2016 film is much better than the 2017 version, although opponents definitely doubled him more this past season. That said, he looked really quick and fluid in drills on Sunday. He has an excellent first step and showed it off with a 4.64 40 and a 1.60 10-yard split. On tape, he's a Day 2 draft guy, but for a few 3-4 teams where he fits, he could be a late first-rounder. His workout definitely helped. -- McShay
Notes
I thought Lorenzo Carter had a good day, with a 4.50 in the 40 and outstanding jumps (10 feet, 10 inches in broad jump and a 36-inch vertical). There's a lot of buzz around him, and I wouldn't be shocked if he sneaks into the first round in April.
I wasn't a huge fan of Josh Sweat's tape, especially the 2017 film, but he is toolsy. His 4.53 40 should help him get into the Day 2 draft conversation.
Defensive ends
Bradley Chubb, DE, NC State
Scouts Inc. position rank: No. 1
The No. 1 defensive end did nothing to change that ranking Sunday. He has size at 6-4, 269, and ran faster than expected with a 4.65 40 and a 10-yard split of 1.65. He'll be the first defensive end off the board and checked all the boxes he needed to in Indy. -- McShay
Marcus Davenport, DE, UT San Antonio
Scouts Inc. position rank: No. 2
Davenport continued his momentum from the Senior Bowl with a strong combine showing. He's raw but extremely talented; I like the Ezekiel Ansah comp. Across the board, he was above average to outstanding, including a 1.63 10-yard split in the 40 -- which is tremendous for his size. He has solidified his place as a first-round talent. -- McShay
Defensive tackles
Da'Ron Payne, DT, Alabama
Scouts Inc. position rank: No. 2
Payne made his case for a top-20 pick. He played his best football in the biggest games during the season and constantly affected opposing offenses. It was important for him to put up numbers reflective of NFL pass-rushers, and that's what he did. His 1.67 10-yard split and 4.95 40-yard dash at his size (6-2, 311) were outstanding. -- McShay
Taven Bryan, DT, Florida
Scouts Inc. position rank: No. 4
His workout matched the explosiveness I've seen on tape. I think he's a three-technique in the NFL and a top-50 pick for scheme-appropriate teams. His first step quickness is tremendous, and he showed off his power with 30 reps on the bench. -- McShay
Notes
It was disappointing to see Vita Vea get injured, although his 41 reps and 5.10 40 at 347 pounds were outstanding. As ESPN's Adam Schefter reported, Mo Hurst (our No. 3 DT) was sent home with a heart condition and didn't participate. That's obviously something to keep an eye on.
Top risers
These are the under-the-radar prospects who opened eyes among scouts on Day 3 of workouts and should move up draft boards:
Ade Aruna, DE, Tulane
Scouts Inc. position rank: No. 19
The 40-yard dash, vertical jump and arm length are three keys when it comes to evaluating defensive ends. Aruna is 6-5 and 262 pounds with 34-inch arms, and ran the sixth-fastest 40 (4.60) and posted the second-highest vertical (38.5 inches) among the edge defenders. Those are all excellent numbers for a defensive end with his size. His broad jump (10 feet, 8 inches) ranked second among edge defenders and well above the five-year average for defensive ends. He didn't test as well in the short shuttle or three-cone, but he had a strong overall showing in Indianapolis. There's a lot to like about his upside. -- Muench
Harrison Phillips, DT, Stanford
Scouts Inc. position rank: No. 5
No one in Indianapolis benched 225 pounds more times than Phillips, who finished with 42 reps. For perspective, 32 is considered an excellent result for a defensive tackle -- and keep mind that his arms (33⅞ inches) are longer than the five-year average of 33¼ inches for defensive tackles. Thirty-three inches is considered an excellent vertical for a defensive tackle, and Phillips jumped 32. His 40 time is sixth-tenths of a second slower than the five-year average for defensive tackles, but the short shuttle is a better indicator for his position than the 40, and he ran it in 4.5 seconds, which is a very good time for a 307-pound defensive tackle. His weight room strength also showed up on the field, where he showed heavy and violent hands during bag drills. -- Muench
Leon Jacobs, OLB, Wisconsin
Scouts Inc. position rank: No. 16
Jacobs ran the second-fastest 40 (4.48) and tied for sixth with 26 reps of 225 pounds on the bench among the linebackers and edge defenders despite having long, 33-inch arms. Those are outstanding numbers for an outside linebacker. He also cracked the top 10 with a 10-foot, 2-inch broad jump, which is on the edge of outstanding. His three-cone time (7.14) is just average, and his short shuttle time (4.44) is a borderline red flag, but he projects as more of a 3-4 OLB who rushes more than he drops than a 4-3 OLB who has to be more effective in space. Plus, he moved well laterally and did an adequate job opening his hips during drills. -- Muench
Nathan Shepherd, DT, Fort Hays State
Scouts Inc. position rank: No. 14
At 6-4 and 315 pounds, Shepherd had a 31-inch vertical and ran a 4.53 short shuttle. While those results aren't as impressive as Phillips' were, they are still very good for his size and the position. Plus, he carries his weight exceptionally well and turned in one of the best on-field workouts among the defensive tackles. He broke his hand in the second practice of Senior Bowl week and didn't bench, which is notable because the bench is an important part of a defensive tackle's evaluation. However, he turned heads with how he played before the injury in Mobile, built on that momentum with a strong showing in Indianapolis and will continue to boost his stock if he's able to put up a strong number -- 28 or more reps -- on the bench. -- Muench
Genard Avery, ILB, Memphis
Scouts Inc. position rank: No. 21
At 248 pounds, Avery is close to nine pounds heavier than the five-year average for inside linebackers. He ran a 4.59 40, which is notable considering that 4.65 is an outstanding time for a linebacker. His 6.9 three-cone time is also an excellent result for a linebacker; it tied for eighth among linebackers and edge defenders. At 6-1, he did a pretty good job of sinking his hips and changing directions during drills. His 10-foot, 4-inch broad jump is considered an excellent result for a linebacker. His length (31-inch arms) is a concern. It's worth keeping that in mind when looking at the bench, but his 26 reps of 225 pounds are still considered a good performance. -- Muench
What is one thing you're looking for on Day 4 of workouts?
McShay: The past five years, there have been 36 corners and 58 defensive backs total invited to Indy; this year, it's 46 CBs and 70 DBs total. I think this class is a little underrated. Specifically, I'm interested in Josh Jackson's 40-yard dash time, along with Mike Hughes (Griffin's UCF teammate) and Denzel Ward's overall workouts. No position places as much emphasis on the 40 time as cornerback, for which there were only three sub-4.4 40 times last year; I believe we'll beat that number Monday. LSU's Donte Jackson said he could run a 4.34 "without stretching." Will he break a combine record?