INDIANAPOLIS – It's time for the workouts to begin.
Friday, the running backs and the offensive linemen will take part in the on-the-field portion of Combine week.
On Thursday, the Chuck Pagano and Ryan Grigson met the media with the message crystal clear for this offseason: keep No. 12 upright and create more of a pass rush.
Here are updates from Day Three at the 2016 NFL Combine:
No prospect has more medical concerns than the Notre Dame linebacker. Smith tore his ACL and LCL in the Fiesta Bowl, and also stretched a nerve in his knee. It's that potential nerve damage which has people very skeptical of when Smith will return to the field. When healthy, there might not be a better prospect in the entire draft. A true sideline-to-sideline linebacker.
Noah Spence and Robert Nkemdiche are two of the most talented prospects in this draft that brought some major question marks to this week's Combine. Both were drilled with questions about their character on Friday and I would agree with the tweet above. Spence, arguably the top edge rusher in the draft, handled things very well. He's been linked to teams right around the Colts picking at No. 18.
To local fans, the numbers Spriggs put up at the Combine on Friday were right in line with just the athlete he is as an offensive tackle. Spriggs came to IU right around 260 pounds with an extensive basketball background. I wouldn't be too shocked if Spriggs snuck into the backend of the first round.
Conklin was the second fastest offensive linemen on Friday, and it was that athleticism the Michigan State tackle wanted to show this week. Many Mock Drafts have Conklin rising into the top 15 picks. Taylor Decker, the tallest lineman at the Combine, seems to be more in the range of the Colts at pick No. 18.
An interesting nugget here from Steve Andress' sit down with Ryan Grigson on Thursday. This is something to consider with two different coordinators in the fold for 2016. Desired traits in players have changed a bit with this example in how Rob Chudzinski looks at offensive guard.
It's Day One of the on-the-field testing at the NFL Combine. For the next four days, position groups will take to the field and go through a handful of drills. Friday leads off with the running back group and the offensive linemen.
This man truly is everywhere. For the past two days, McAfee has been making the rounds with his friends from the national media. The Colts punter is back in the building this week where he helped set a pair of NFL records in 2015.
Von Miller was a hot topic during Chuck Pagano's presser on Thursday. Miller's contract situation directly impacts the Colts. First, the Colts are always on the look for pass rushers, so Miller's deal could set the market for that group in free agency. Secondly, the Colts play the Broncos in 2016. There's no greater test to judge an "improved" offensive line than against Miller and the No. 1 sack unit from last season.
It appears the Colts starting running back is back in Indianapolis this week. Is Gore going to observing his backup running back next season? Outside of interior offensive line, finding a young running back has to be up there on the offensive needs list for the Colts next year.
