2023 NFL Combine: Christian Gonzalez, Deonte Banks among winners and losers in defensive back group
second day of field exercises at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, quarterbacks took to the stage in Indianapolis, first cornermen, then guards. A handful of prospects increased their holdings thanks to good performances, while others sent scouts back to the tape, questioning their initial estimate.
Here are some of the winners and losers of Friday’s Indianapolis field drill, starting with some measurements of famous prospects:
| dash 40 yards | Bench press | vertical jump | long jump | 10 yard split | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Christian Gonzalez (Oregon) |
4.38 seconds |
— |
41.5 inches |
11 feet 1 |
1.54 seconds |
|
Keli Ringo (Georgia) |
4.36 |
— |
33.5 |
10 feet 2 |
1.55 |
|
Joey Porter, Jr. (Pennsylvania) |
4.49 |
— |
35 |
10 feet 9 |
1.50 |
|
Deonte Banks (Maryland) |
4.35 |
— |
42 |
11 feet 4 |
1.49 |
| Jartavius Martin (Illinois) | 4.46 | — | 44 | 11 feet 1 | 1.47 |
|
Jakorian Bennett (Maryland) |
4.30 |
— |
40.5 |
11 feet 1 |
1.48 |
| DJ Turner (Michigan) | 4.26 | — | 38.5 | 10 feet 11 | 1.47 |
| Sydney Brown (Illinois) | 4.47 | — | 40.5 | 10 feet 10 | 1.51 |
| Cam Smith (South Carolina) | 4.43 | — | 38 | 11 feet 2 | 1.49 |
| Emmanuel Forbes (Ms.) | 4.35 | — | 37.5 | 10 feet 11 | 1.48 |
Winners
Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon To put it simply, Gonzalez established himself as a CB1 in this class with his performance in Indianapolis. I mean most people and teams will have him as CB1 and he will most likely be the first cornerback off the board. At 6’1″ and 197 pounds, the former Colorado-turned-Oregon star ran 4.38 with a 41.5″ vertical jump and an 11’1 long jump. He compared Patrick Serten II to some analysts and did a more thorough testing.
Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland: Running 4.35 with a 42-inch vertical and 11-foot long jump will get you drafted in the first round of the turn in most situations. Banks has a quality size too, at 6ft 197lbs, with hands just short of the 32-inch threshold many teams have today. We all expected Banks to test as a gazelle this weekend, and he did.
Jartavius Martin, S., Illinois: Martin’s 44-inch vertical is the tallest to date on this year’s combine, and his 11-foot width was the best safe. The dude has bunnies, as they said in his school days. Oh, he also ran 4.46 and ran incredibly fast 10 yards in 1.47, which is also the best in his position. This fall, he will instantly become one of the most explosive defensemen in the NFL.
Yakorian Bennett, CB, Maryland: Banks was supposed to headline from Maryland. Bennet turned to his inner Lee Corso and said, “Not so fast, my friend.” Bennett ran the second fastest 40-yard dash (4.30 seconds) with a 40.5-inch vertical—only 1.5 inches lower than Banks—and an 11-foot-1 width. These terrapins play with missiles on their shells..
Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State: Brents was 6ft 3in and 198lbs with a ridiculous attacking technique that looked like 34in weigh-in arms. No. He stood 41.5 inches tall and also ran a solid 4.53 inches in 40. Most big corners like Brents aren’t as explosive as he is.
sydney brown, s, Illinois: Brown rocked the Senior Bowl and continued to hone his pre-draft process with his combination workout. At a stocky 5’10” and 210 pounds, Brown hit a 4.47 in 40 seconds as a cornerback and had a stunning vertical height of 40.5″ with a 10’10 long jump. He’s a three-level defender who can do it all. .
DJ Turner, CB, Michigan: 40 Fastest Turns Award — which can eventually become the fastest among all the participants of the harvester – refers to Turner, who arrived at 4.26. He’s going to make a lot of people go back to the movie because he didn’t look as fast on film. But a number is a number.
Losers
Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State: In terms of measurements, Porter and his gargantuanly long 34-inch arms were the clear winners. The job isn’t much for a Penn State stud with NFL pedigrees, especially compared to his defensive peers in the class. At 10ft 9in, it’s nothing to be ashamed of, but in that atomic group of sporty corners it came in 12th. His long jump? Draw in 18th place. Look, this is not an attempt at a stock crash; it just doesn’t add up to the other perceived top corners in the class.
Christopher Smith III, S, Georgia: Smith spent a lot of time patrolling the deep middle at some of the epically loaded Kirby Smart defenses in Georgia. Captain. He probably squashed his team’s interview. Running 4.66 with a 33-inch vertical and 9-foot-8 long jump doesn’t scream for a great athlete, which would hurt his otherwise squeaky clean stock.
Keli Ringo, CB, Georgia: Ringo ran 4.36 so it wasn’t too bad for the Georgia star. However, based on extremely high expectations, the 4.36 was a little disappointing and its jumps – 33.5″ vertical and 10ft2 wide – were surprisingly poor. Ringo doesn’t reflect very well. His game is based almost entirely on his explosion and great speed. Too bad we wouldn’t have seen a better overall performance from him. I assume he feels the same way.
The 2023 NFL Draft will take place April 27-29 in Kansas City, Missouri.
To see the live reaction from yesterday’s holiday, take a look Friday Live Blog. Quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends hit the field on Saturday.
Source: www.cbssports.com
