A very long time ago, your boy Bo was a defensive lineman. To get a sense of how ancient I am, they called my position “nose guard” at the time. My playing days are long over, which is fine because they were full of broken noses, groin shots, and trampled fingers. There is still an innate appreciation for the trenches that persists to this day.
Day 1 of the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine is in the books. It featured the biggest, nastiest athletes along the defensive line and linebacker crew. The staggering advancement in athletic ability among giants was the story yet again. The NFL is not for the feeble, mainly because the men chasing down the big-money skill guys are terrifying.
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2023 NFL Scouting Combine: Day 1 Recap
Among my brethren along the interior defensive line, there were a couple of combine performances that threw Indianapolis into a furious buzz. Future Hall of Fame defensive tackle Aaron Donald has apparently cloned himself because the University of Pittsburgh has another stocky defensive tackle with explosive athleticism ready to take the league by storm. Calijah Kancey measured at an AD-esque 6-foot-1 and 281 pounds. That Stonehenge pillar of a man ran the 40-yard dash in 4.67 seconds today. It was the record for the fastest 40-time for any player over 280 pounds since 2003…for a few minutes. Kancey was already highly touted as a probable first-round pick in the upcoming draft. Now there’s little doubt his name will be called very early on.
Adetomiwa “Tom” Adebawore from Northwestern blew that time completely out of the water, blistering the turf at Lucas Oil Stadium with an official time of 4.49 seconds. Not a prototypical edge rusher, Adebawore will likely move around the line as a three-technique rusher at the professional level. He also tied for the fourth-best vertical jump on Day 1 with an impressive 37.50 inches.
The 2023 edge rusher class is outstanding. Yet again, the University of Georgia is churning out some absolute freaks at the position. Nolan Smith was the headliner on Day 1. The 6-foot-2, 238-pound athlete made up for his below-average stature for the position with a ridiculous official 40-time of 4.39 seconds. As if that wasn’t impressive enough already, Smith nearly scraped the ceiling at Lucas Oil Stadium with a 41.5-inch vertical jump.
Other notable edge rushers from Day 1 were Georgia’s Robert Beal Jr and Tennessee’s Byron Young. Unlike Smith, Beal is cut from the create-a-freak edge rusher mold at 6-foot-4 and 247 pounds. He has freakishly long 34 5/8-inch arms and huge hands. He also raised eyebrows with a 4.48-second 40-yard dash. Young ran a faster 40 at 4.43 seconds, and his 11-foot broad jump tied Iowa State edge rusher Will McDonald IV for the top mark on Day 1.
The one edge rusher I was most tuned into on Day 1 of the combine was Iowa’s Lukas “Hercules” Van Ness. His measurable traits confirmed the accuracy of his nickname. Van Ness is 6-foot-5 and 272 pounds with 34-inch arms and 11-inch hands. He also ran an impressive 4.58-second 40 to pair with modest jumping ability. His 7.02-second 3-Cone drill was the fourth-best on Day 1.
Van Ness’ Hawkeye teammate Jack Campbell set the tone for the off-ball linebackers. He was the fastest at the 3-Cone at 6.74 seconds and at 6-foot-5, also was among the top jumpers of the day with a 37.5-inch vertical jump and 10-foot, 8-inch broad jump. His only modest performance was in the 40, with a time of 4.65 seconds.
The fastest linebacker in the 40 was Auburn’s Owen Pappoe, who tied Nolan Smith’s mark of 4.39 seconds. Pappoe is an undersized prospect at 6-feet and 225 pounds, so it will be interesting to see if his stock rises as a result of his speed.
Among the most coveted linebackers in the 2023 class, Clemson’s Trenton Simpson was the most explosive in Indianapolis on Thursday. He was already the top LB prospect on many big boards, but his 4.43-second 40 is an exciting confirmation of his physical traits. The 6-foot-2, 235-pound weakside backer is exactly what NFL teams will be looking for to spy on mobile QBs and chase down ball carriers in space.
Day 1 was incredible. There were plenty of future NFL stars on display, with more to come. Day 2 will feature the 2023 class of defensive backs, including highly-touted prospects Christian Gonzalez from Oregon and Devon Witherspoon from Illinois. There will undoubtedly be more that spark interest after their performance on Friday, so join me again for that report.
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