2020 NFL Scouting Combine | Defensive Preview

Miami Dolphins football. And on today's show, we're gonna get you prepped for this week in Indianapolis, going under the hood on the defensive side of the ball today and talk about the top players descending on Indianapolis this week. We'll get you caught up on the workout changes, scheduled events, and everything we're going to be bringing you this week live from Lucas Oil Stadium as we have troops on the ground at the mecca of an NFL event in Indie.

And we'll cover the Dolphins coaching staff changes and announcements from late last week here on this edition of the Drivetime Podcast. And that's where we start today. Per the Miami Dolphins official website Miami Dolphins dot com, the Dolphins officially announced former Cal defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander and if you guys don't follow coach on Twitter, rectify that immediately. He is a high energy, fun follow on Twitter and of course a great football coach as well. Anthony Campanelli

is the new linebackers coach. He was previously with the Michigan Wolverines and those names were out there a while back onto Twitter verse and otherwise. But we have some

newer ones entering the fold. Lemuell Jean Pierre was hired as an assistant offensive line coach as he will join and assist new offensive line coach Steve Marshall, and the Brian Flores coaching tree is growing already in your number two, as Carl Durrell has taken the head coaching job at the University of Colorado, so he gets the recognition for

a great job done. In twenty nineteen, of course, under his watch, Davante Parker broke out as a dominant number one receiver and slute Pro Bowl snub, and Preston Williams was also on track to break the undrafted free agent rookie record for receiving yards prior to his injury in week number nine. We of course had contributions from Albert Wilson late in the season once he got back and recovered from the hip injury. Isaiah Ford had a big

end of the season as well. Alan Hearns was part of that mix as the Dolphins receivers got the job done in twenty nineteen. Other coaching news, Josh Grizzard is the assistant wide receiver coach for coach Durrell and Rob Leonard will serve as an assistant defensive line coach. Now back to the scouting combine, and if you missed yesterday's edition of the Drivetime podcast, go back and check that out.

We covered the offensive side of the ball, and today we move over to the defensive side and these players are gonna work out on Saturday, February twenty nine. Will be the defensive line and linebackers. Like the first two days of the combine, that will occur at four o'clock Eastern on Saturday, February twenty nine. Sundays moved up a little bit earlier in the day March. The first will be the defensive backs and that kicks off at two

o'clock Eastern and one o'clock local time in Indianapolis. There's gonna be some more changes to the combine in terms of the on fill drills. The defensive line is going to add a figure eight drill and they're going to time it. Jordan Read of the Draft Network you can find him on Twitter at j Reid NFL. He shared a clip of Cam Wake at a Dolphins practice years ago running the figure eight, and essentially what you have are two giant hula hoops that serve as a circle.

To put together one giant figure eight, the defensive end has to corner around those edges and pick up something, some type of item off the ground to basically learn how to dip and rip the edge and get to the quarterback and flatten that angle. And you can basically picture Cam Wake coming off the edge all those years in his prime as a Miami Dolphin. That four point stands load of the ground, fires off and puts guys

like Tom Brady on their back in the backfield. They're also gonna time the defensive back w drill this year, and this is essentially a real that exposes tightness and players hips and has done so for years and years and years. Your back pedal, the coach flips the football to one side, you open up your hips and drop that direction. He flips it back to the other side, and you turn your hips around and shuffle that way.

They are now going to time this drill and put a clock on the players interviews that happened after the workouts. They're going from sixty slots per team down to forty five, and some scouts say this is not a huge change because not every team used all sixty interviews to begin with.

But those interviews will remain fifteen minutes in length, and of course for your Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores and Chris Greer will have media availability on Tuesday, I'll be there in full force to get you guys covered on all the things they have to say about the scouting combine,

the draft and every question they get asked. We'll seek some interviews with some of the heavy hitters and the draft around the combine in Indianapolis, like Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network, Todd McShay of ESPN, and so on and so forth. Now, yesterday we talked ab at the

offensive players. Let's get into the defensive side. And Brian Flora's a specialty as a defensive assistant for years and years and years in New England, but luckily he is ours now and the Dolphins have a chance this offseason.

With more draft capital than anybody else and just about more cap space than anybody else number two on that list currently before player cuts occur, the Dolphins have the chance to roll that five and four finish from last year and all that momentum built up with coach Flora's into a strong offseason into a strong season in and that all begins this week in Indianapolis, and we're covering those players on the field for you right now on

the Drivetime podcast, your host, Travis Wingfield, part of the Miami Dolphins podcast network. And with three picks in the first round and three more picks after that in the top seventy, giving them six total, the Dolphins have the benefit of ultimate flexibility in April's draft and a laundry list of good, good college football players on the defensive

side to choose from. And we start on the defensive line the interior with Derek Brown from Auburn, and his production doesn't scream top five talent, but his tape certainly does. You apply context to his four sacks and eleven and a half tackles for loss, it becomes even more impressive when you consider that he faced constant double and sometimes

triple teams down there. At Auburn, he picked up fifty four total tackles, He forced two fumbles and recovered two of them four passes defense, and that was enough to earn unanimous All American honors. He's huge, six ft five twenty five pounds, heavy handed, plays with his hair on fire. He's more than just a power player. His get off is electric. He is a black hole against the run as then he absorbs everything and shuts it down immediately,

and he's an impact interior rusher. He can play anywhere from the nose tackle all the way out to your big end as a five technique, a role they had Christian Wilkins and Divon got Shaw and John Jenkins and so many others playing last season. Whether it's an odd front, even front penetration scheme, two gap scheme, whatever the defense calls for, you can bet that Derek Brown will excel in that area, staying in the SEC on the interior

defensive line. The Senior Bowl standout Javon Kinlaw the Draft networks number two rated player, and once again, as we did on yesterday's podcast, we're going down off the Draft Network's top three players by position, taking a look at their play and what they do on the football field and their character off the field. And that was where javon Kinlaw shined both off the field and on the field.

In mobile at the Senior Bowl, he spoke about growing up homeless and the passion and motivation to become the best defensive tackle of all time. He's big, six ft six ten pounds has similar versatility to his contemporary and Derrick Brown, as he can wreck shop from any position on the defensive line. He was unblockable in those practices, which came as no surprise to those that saw him On Saturday down at South Carolina, he wrapped up six sacks six tackles for loss in his final season there.

He was the focal point of the oppositions game plan, drawing double teams with regularity, fires off the snap, and converts his speed into a power rush that overwhelms blockers. He was a twenty nineteen first team All American by the Associated Press. Ross Blacklock is number three on this list for the Draft Network. He comes from Texas Christian University. One of the better two gap options in this class.

He is a powerful puncher with his heavy, heavy hands, the ability to strike the target, and Lockout allows him to both defend the run and get to the quarterback. Missing all delayed his development one year, but he defended multiple gaps in Gary Patterson's defense there at TCU and offers such a force as a power rusher that he'd

fit perfectly in a rush contained scheme. It was an achilles injury that held blacklock out for the teen season, and that type of injury usually requires two years before the player returns to his full strength. As a result, someone likely we'll get to steal on this guy early on day two because he has day one ability, and perhaps missing that full season gave him some perspective and a new mindset. Quote. I had a whole year taken away from me that I'll never be able to get back.

But I just play every game like it's my last end quote. Black Block had three and a half sacks and nine tackles for loss last season off the edge. Everybody knows about Chase Young from Ohio State, the number one player on most big boards and of course, on the Draft Networks big board. He is highlight real season and pass rush production had the attention of college football fans everywhere. A lean muscular two and sixty five pounds. He's regarded as the best edge rusher in recent draft memory.

He took over crucial moments for the Buckeye defense, had a big four sack day against the Michigan Wolverines and route to a sixteen and a half sacks season, twenty one tackles for loss and seven forced fumbles. He's not losing many battles for the right to be the first player getting off the bus. That's the scouting term for the player with the most impressive body and build. He has filled out both in his upper body and lower half.

He's long, he's powerful, he features rare, rare athletic traits. He's more than capable of stacking the edge and working underneath to contribute in the running game. And a Hio State head coach Ryan Day, who was there during Nick Bosa's time, says that he prefers Chase Young. Quote his get off, his speed. It's unbelievable. It's like nothing I've ever seen before. End quote. The number two edge rusher on the Draft Network Big Board is Calevan Chason from l s U and this guy checks every box on

the list of desired edge player traits. He should hear his name called sooner than later. On Night one in the draft, the production didn't match the profile. He only had six and a half sacks and l s US Championship winning season, but he did make thirteen and a half tackles for loss, which showcases his ability to play as a three down guy at the next level. He's explosive, he's twitched up as all get out, and as passable

as a certified judo practitioner. Because he has some of the most active, physical and violent hands in this year's class, he projects better as a pro than a college player, in my opinion. At six ft four eight pounds, Chason can rush off the edge as a four point player and even fronts, or he can stand up as an on ball linebacker and on fronts. He missed almost all

of the eighteen season. Just twelve months removed from major reconstructive surgery, Chase On showcased his rare movement skills on a weekly basis, and in addition to his game as a pass rusher and defending the run, Chason is comfortable

working backwards and coverage. In the epic twenty nineteen Alabama game, he played coverage twenty one snaps compared to just eighteen pass rush reps, so he is versatile that way, and like we mentioned on yesterday's podcast, Lloyd Cushenberry got the eight teen jersey on the offensive side of the ball. Chase on War on defense again, that distinction given to the two Tigers players who best exemplify a selfless attitude and represent success on and off the field. Up next

a j Epanessa from Iowa. He was an impact player from the moment he arrived in Iowa City, and he's the most imposing edge option in this entire class. At six ft six two eighty pounds, Epanessa overwhelms tackles with sheer strength and length, and he developed a variety of counter moves during his time in college. He enters the draft up with a chance to make an immediate impact.

Playing a variety of positions along the defensive front. He had twenty six and a half sacks and thirty and a half tackles for lost combined in his final two seasons at Iowa. He quickly realized the talent that made him a five star recruit. In fact, he was Iowa's first five star player since two thousand five. And Hawkeyes coaches were so impressed with him, both from his ability

and humility standpoints. Quote, what a humble kid, what a hard working kid, A guy that's had all the notoriety that he's had, It would be pretty easy to be self centered, but he's totally the opposite of that end quote that comes from his d line coach Reese Morgan. There at Iowa, we moved now back to the linebacker position, and Isaiah Simmons the number one player on the Draft

Networks linebacker rankings from Clemson. You take a picture of this guy because you're not gonna see someone like him coming into the league for a long long time playing deep safety, edge rusher, slot, cornerback, off ball linebacker. He does it all, and does it all often, and does it all well. He is the prototype pical modern day

football player. There was a video that surfaced last summer showing him racing Clemson running back Travis e t N, who has clocked forty times in the low four threes, and Simmons went step for step and a foot race with e t N and his stat sheet is also absurd. His junior season alone, he made sixteen and a half tackles, for loss, eight sacks, two forced fumbles, picked off three passes,

and had a hundred and four total tackles. Unanimous All American and former national champion three consecutive trips to the College Football Playoff. He's going to pace linebackers in every single testing metric we watched this week in Indianapolis, he was a high school track star and other players referred to Simmons as Lebron. Of course they did. From an ESPN article, quote, you can't really work around him because

he's everywhere an opposing coach. Set of Simmons, it felt like he was playing defensive line, linebacker, and safety all in the same play. He is a problem and quote the number two linebacker on the Draft Networks Big Board, Kenneth Murray from Oklahoma, and in any the class, this guy would set the standard and speed testing, but of course with Simmons there, that's not gonna happen. He's a rocked up two d and thirty five pounds. He has elite range and closing speed, and he pairs that explosive

nature of his game with quality instincts and processing. He can single handedly destroy any given play. He piled up two hundred and fifty seven tackles his final two years in Norman, twenty nine and a half of those occurring behind the line of scrimmage for tackle for loss. Oklahoma operates primarily in zone coverage, but Murray's skill set translates well as a potential matchup eraser and man coverage at

the next level. And the third linebacker on the Draft Networks big board at the position is Patrick Queen from L s U, and following the trend of the modern day linebacker, Queen runs, he hits, and he covers with the best of them. He's often the first of the football and his instincts in coverage translates so well to the next level. He always seems to be around the ball. A very quick trigger allows Queen to knife into gaps and make game changing plays regularly. Queen's down fall, though,

is taking on blocks. He's not a power player that will frequently disengage from blocks. Getting the best out of Patrick Queen will likely come from playing in an open defense that allows him to key and diagnose without fighting

through traffic. From a production standpoint, Queen kind of a one year wonder, and during his junior season he made just forty six total tackles, five for loss in one sack, and this year in the championship season, he racked up eighty five tackles, twelve of those for a loss with three sacks and one pick. Going back to the defensive backfield for Brian Flores and Josh Bowyer and Gerald Alexander looking to get their hands on this exciting group of

defensive backs. First up on the Draft Network's Cornerback big Board Jeff Okuda from Ohio State. Okuda is gonna draw comparisons to the best cornerback prospects in the history of this draft, and he's every bit deserving. He has the best feet and man coverage skills in the entire class. He can press, he can mirror, he can drive out of a zone turn as well as anybody, and the former Buckeye checks all the athletic measurable box is and

should pace the cornerback testing metrics. Accordingly, he added ball production to his resume this season with three picks nine passes defense. He was a consensus All America and we talked about the fluid hips and the w drill. This guy's gonna kill that drill because of his change of direction and the recoverability. On the rare occasion where he

initially does lose a rep. The knock on Okuda is a perceived unwillingness to tackle, but his Ohio State film When You Asked Me, is littered with open field stops. Playing for a school rich and defensive backlore, Okuda stayed grounded through all of his success, saying, quote, you know what you sign up for when you come here. I work every day to be the next one, but I won't be unless I prove it on the field. I haven't made it yet. End quote. That's the right mindset

for that young man. The number two quarterback on the draft Networks Big Board Jeff Gladney out of TCU, competing with Okuda for the best feet in the entire class. Gladney glides about the field with eye popping explosiveness. He can flip that trigger like that, flipping his hips, running vertically, or driving on a play in front of him. Everything

Gladney does is rapid. He plays a physical brand of man coverage that can cause issues against bigger receivers, and as glad he goes just six ft one three, sometimes he does get beat, but he will never back down from a challenge, and his speed pairs exceptionally well with his studious nature. You go back and watch his tape, Most of his picks occur in the second half of games, and that's kind of a nod to his preparation, skill

set and his ability to adjust throughout the game. He devours film throughout the week, which takes him to the football one beat sooner, and that makes all the difference. He picked off five passes and broke up thirty one of them in his final three years at TCU. The number three cornerback another Ohio State product coming out of d BU up there, Damon our Nett from Ohio State. He played perhaps the most physical brand of press coverage among all cornerbacks this year and has a tendency to

frustrate his opponent. To me, our Net is one of those guys that when you're playing pick up basketball, you just hate to see it when he picks you to cover because you know you're not gonna get free all game. He plays a variety of techniques and leverages. He's a master of impacting the receiver's footwork and keeping his eyes in the backfield to help beat his man to the

football and get some ball production. Everything he does is aggressive, from his feet to his inside hand jam off the line at the top of the route at the catchpoint. His style, however, could result in a flurry of flags at the professional level, but his temperament and ball skills will make up for the occasional penalty. He's as patient as he is explosive at the catchpoint, with an innate ability to separate the football from the receiver's hands. Going backwards.

Our final position group here and these defensive backs will work out on Sunday at two o'clock Eastern time, one o'clock in Indianapolis, and again we'll have you covered on Miami Dolphins dot com as well as on the official Miami Dolphins podcast network. We start here with the Draft networks number one safety on their big board, Xavier McKinney from Alabama. He is such a versatile piece in Nick

Saban's defense. He lined up all over the formation. He's a tremendous athlete with instincts and football i Q. He makes a number of plays both in the box as well as in coverage. He's an exceptional tackler and even better blitzer. His final two years in Tuscaloosa produced six sacks,

five picks, six forced fumbles, and fifteen passes defended. The knock on McKinney is maybe a lack of center field range, but playing him back there takes away one of your most capable tacklers, so that might not be the smartest way to play him anyway. He made one hundred and sixty nine total tackles those combined two seasons. The All American safety was the captain of Saban's defense. Quote, He's

an alpha dog on the team. He's a special player, not only his play, but when he talks on the field, you know it brings the other guys to step up their play as well. That is a quote from Patrick Surtan, the second son of former Dolphins great Patrick Surtan. Grant Delpit is our number two safety on the Draft Network. And you can empty the clip of scouting buzzwords with this dude, because it's totally acceptable to describe his game. He plays with his his hair on fire every single snap.

He's a leader who changes the temperature of the locker room whenever he steps in it. The unquestioned alpha dog presence of this l s U defense. He was the engine that drived the decorated Tigers defense. The term click and close refers to a defensive back's ability to hang back in zone or an off coverage for a cornerback, key the passing concept, and drive on the football to

prevent completions. These anticipatory skills, paired with his quick twitch athleticism, allows Delpit to make plays on the football just about every single game. He plays with confidence, versatility, and the swagger to elevate the attitude of his teammates around him. When asked about Delpits versatility, l s U defensive coordinator Dave Randa like in Delpits game to former Tiger Jamal Adams quote, to be honest, Jamal could have impacted the

game in a multitude of ways. But we were so early with installing this defense and the stuff that we just weren't ready to do some of the stuff like we've been doing this year. Grant Delpit can do it end quote. And to finish up our safety position group and the entirety of the defensive combine preview here on

the Drivetime podcast. Antoine Winfield from Minnesota. He is the son of former Bills and Vikings star cornerback Antoine Winfield senior, and he finished fourth in college football with seven I N T s in nineteen Junior plays a different position than his dad, but the apple does not fall far from the tree here with his diverse skill set and

focused temperament. In addition to the interceptions, Winfield Jr. Made three and a half tackles for loss, three sacks, he forced two fumbles, and he piled up one hundred and seventy two combined tackles. He had six pass breakups and scored two return touchdowns in his thirty game Gopher career, just eye popping production. Minnesota head coach P. J. Fleck praised his star safety both on and off the field. Quote, he is one of the best athletes and I think

one of the best people. He is an unbelievable young man, and he can do a lot of things. End quote. Flex last mentioned there about the versatility refers to his jack of all trades capabilities. He played off the ball as a deep safety, he creeps up close to the

line of scrimmage as an ex straw box defender. He displayed super man coverage skills as a slot defender, and reportedly he once ran a four point to seven forty yard dash his freshman year at Ohio State where Pops went and all eyes are gonna be on this decorated safety prospect on Sunday when the defensive backs hit the field at Lucas Oil Stadium. But asked for today's podcast Here on the Drivetime Podcast, that is going to be

my time you all. Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast from. Go ahead and leave us a rating, leave us a review. Follow me on Twitter at Wingfield NFL. Follow the Dolphins at Miami Dolphins. Of course, check out our other Dolphins podcast, The Audible and the fish Tank Podcast, and we'll have you covered all week long from Indianapolis at the Scouting Combine. But ask for today's time. That's it,

signing off for the Drivetime Podcast. Fins Up Podcast, fins Up Podcast