The NFL Scouting Combine kicked off with a bang on Thursday afternoon by starting with the defensive lineman and linebackers. There was a lot of intrigue with this group, especially at the top.
On Friday, we got the secondary players with the cornerbacks and safeties. This is one of, if not the, deepest class in recent memory.
Early on, we saw some insane jumps and they matched it with their 40-times. Here are six players that really stood out on Friday afternoon.
Maryland CB Deonte Banks
The Maryland cornerback had some really good, but inconsistent tape. He showed the ability to hang with the top receivers, including Marvin Harrison Jr. Sitting as my CB7 entering the combine, Banks made a case to shoot up the ranking with his testing. In position drills, Banks looked fluid and natural in his movements while tracking the ball well. He jumped out of the gym with the third-highest broad jump ever at 11’4″ and 42″ vertical leap. Not to be outdone by his jumps, Banks ran the 40-yard dash in 4.35 seconds—absolutely absurd numbers for Banks.
Kansas State CB Julius Brents
We knew that Brents was a really big and long cornerback. The question was always going to be whether he was going to be athletic enough. Right after Banks jumped 11’4″, Brents beat it with 11’6″ marking the second-best long jump in combine history. He paired that with a 41.5″ vertical jump and a 4.53 40-yard dash. For a team that prioritizes length in their cornerbacks, Brents is going to be a goldmine for them.
Michigan CB D.J. Turner
One of the forgotten cornerbacks in this class, Turner was in danger of getting lost even more in the shuffle with how some of these cornerbacks are testing. Turner went out and ran the fastest 40-yard dash time so far at the combine with a 4.26-second 40-yard dash. With his track background, this was a good number, but it’s a great number in general.
South Carolina CB Darius Rush
His teammate Cam Smith gets all the publicity, but Rush is a really good prospect in his own right. Excelling in press coverage, Rush jumped okay but he ran even better. He posted a 4.36 40-yard dash and that kind of speed shows up on his tape. Rush’s ability to make up ground is his biggest strength and paired with his aggressiveness makes for a really good cornerback.
Maryland CB Jakorian Bennett
His teammate Banks gets most of the publicity, but Bennett is also a really good cornerback. He played really well this past year for Maryland and turned in a great day of testing. Bennett jumped out of the gym with an 11’1″ broad jump and a 40.5″ vertical jump and paired it with a 4.30 40-yard dash. For a player that is going to be in the slot, his change of direction and long speed will make him at least a serviceable player.
Illinois S Jartavius Martin
The Illinois Fighting Illini defense was aggressive and successful this past season. The secondary was dynamite and Martin was a huge part of that success. He tested out of this world for a safety but his vertical jump was the most impressive. He jumped 44″ in the vertical which is tied for second all-time among safeties. Martin also jumped 11’1″ in the broad jump and ran a 4.46 40-yard dash, proving he is an explosive athlete.
