NFL Combine 2019: Measurables, Testing, Tidbits and Draft Projections for All Notre Dame Players

In this article, we’ll study at the eight Notre Dame Fighting Irish players participating in the NFL Combine. How did they measure up? Where do they rank among their peers? Which former Notre Dame player had the most similar results to theirs? Where do I see them getting drafted in April?

ALEX BARS

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We’ve previously covered Alex Bars, but a quick refresher:

• Height: 6-foot-5 7/8 (13th tallest among 57 offensive linemen)
• Weight: 312 (24th heaviest)
• Hands: 9 3/8 inches (Second smallest)
• Arms: 32 3⁄4 inches (Ninth shortest among offensive linemen)
• Wingspan: 79 1/8 inches (11th shortest among offensive linemen)

Bars, who suffered an ACL and MCL injury in his left knee during a Sept. 29 win against Stanford, did not participate in any testing or drills.

NFL.com grade: 5.25 (NFL backup or special teams potential) - 17th highest rated offensive lineman.

Closest Notre Dame comparison: Guard Chris Watt - 6-foot-3, 310 pounds, 9 1⁄2 inch hands and 32 3⁄4 inch arms.

Tidbit: Bars, a Nashville native, said he met with representatives for 10 to 15 NFL teams at the Combine, including the Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears. The Bears employ his former offensive line coach, Harry Hiestand and Colts drafted former teammate Quenton Nelson last year.

Projection: Day 3 pick, although Draft Countdown’s Scott Wright pointed out that former Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Spencer Long was picked in the third round in 2014 despite suffering a season-ending knee injury the previous October.

MILES BOYKIN

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Measurables:

• Height: 6-foot-3 ³⁄₄ (sixth tallest out of 48 wide receivers)
• Weight: 220 pounds (9th out of 48)
• Hands: 9 7/8 inches (11th out of 48)
• Arms: 33 ¹⁄₂ inches (9th out of 48)
• Wingspan: 81 3/8 inches (5th out of 48)

Testing:

• Bench press: 12 reps at 225 pounds (30th of 42)
• 40-yard dash: 4.42 seconds (eighth of 37)
• Vertical jump: 43.5 inches (first of 42)
• Broad jump: 140 inches (second of 42)
• 3 Cone Drill: 6.77 seconds (first of 29)
• 20 Yard Shuttle: 4.07 seconds (third of 33)
• 60 Yard Shuttle: Did not participate

NFL.com grade: 5.54 - Chance to become an NFL starter

Closest Notre Dame comparison: Wide receiver Michael Floyd - 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, 9 3/8 inch hands, 32 7/8 inch arms, 4.47 second 40 yard dash, 16 bench press reps, 36 ¹⁄₂ inch vertical jump, 122 inch broad jump.

Tidbit: The Alabama Crimson Tide’s Julio Jones was the sixth overall pick in 2011.

Projection: Day 3, although you’ve got to wonder how this historically good Combine performance alters the collective thinking.

TE’VON CONEY

Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Measurables:

• Height: 6-feet 7/8 inches (23rd out of 37 linebackers)
• Weight: 234 pounds (20th out of 37)
• Hands: 9 ¹⁄₂ inches (19th out of 37)
• Arms: 32 7/8 inches (6th out of 37)
• Wingspan: 78 ¹⁄₄ inches (6th out of 37)

Coney did not participate in the testing, but did take part in the drills. “He told me he got a late start on combine training and will test at Notre Dame’s Pro Day (on March 20),” tweeted the South Bend Tribune’s Tyler James.

NFL.com grade: 5.64 - Chance to become a NFL starter

Closest Notre Dame comparison: Since Coney didn’t do any testing, his measurables are closest to Manti Te’o. The second-round pick in 2013 was 6-foot-1, 241 pounds, with 9 ¹⁄₂ inch hands and 32 ¹⁄₂ arms at the Combine.

Tidbit: Coney ranked 28th on Pro Football Focus’ 101 Best College Football Players in 2018.

Projection: Day 2, likely third round, unless he has an otherworldly Pro Day (or a disastrous one).

JULIAN LOVE

Measurables:

• Height: 5-foot-10 6/8 (54th tallest out 65)
• Weight: 195 (45th of 65)
• Hands: 9 inches (45th of 65)
• Arms: 31 6/8 inches (22nd of 65)
• Wingspan: 75 3/8 inches (35th of 65)

Testing:

• Bench press: 14 reps at 225 pounds (28th best out of 51 DBs; tied for 13th out of 36 CBs)
• 40-yard dash: 4.54 seconds (24th best out of 32 CBs)
• Vertical jump: 36 inches (28th best among 51 DBs; 21st best out of CBs)
• Broad jump: 121 inches (29th best among 53 DBs; 19th out of 28 CBs)
• 3 Cone Drill: 6.72 seconds (fourth best among 33 DBs; third out of 19 CBs)
• 20 Yard Shuttle: 4.10 seconds (ninth best among 35 DBs; sixth out of 20 CBs)
• 60 Yard Shuttle: Did not participate.

NFL.com grade: 6.10 - Should become an instant starter (third among cornerbacks)

Closest Notre Dame comparison: Bennett Jackson, a sixth round pick in 2014. Jackson was 6-foot, 187 pounds, with 9 ¹⁄₄ inch hands and 31 3/8 inch arm length at the Combine. He put up 13 reps on the bench press, a 4.51 40-yard dash, 38 inch vertical, 128 inch broad jump, 4 second 20-yard shuttle and 6.75 second 3-cone drill.

Tidbit:

Projection: Depending on how he performs Monday, Love could be anywhere from a late first round pick to an early third round pick.

ALIZE MACK

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Measurables:

• Height: 6-foot-4 (fifth shortest among 21 tight ends)
• Weight: 249 pounds (fourth lightest)
• Hands: 9 3/8 inches (third smallest)
• Arms: 33 ³⁄₄ inches (fourth longest)
• Wingspan: 80 1/8 inches (sixth longest)

Testing:

• Bench press: 22 reps at 225 pounds (second of 18 tight ends)
• 40-yard dash: 4.70 seconds (seventh of 19)
• Vertical jump: 36 inches (fifth of 18)
• Broad jump: 120 inches (fifth of 16)
• 3 Cone Drill: 7.27 seconds (13th of 17)
• 20 Yard Shuttle: 4.34 seconds (ninth of 18)
• 60 Yard Shuttle: 11.93 seconds (seventh of 15)

NFL.com grade: 5.50 - Chance to become NFL starter (10th highest graded tight end)

Closest Notre Dame comparison: Tyler Eifert, who was a first round pick in 2013. Eifert was 6-foot-5, 250 pounds, with 9 1/8 inch hands, 33 1/8 inch arms at the Combine. He ran a 4.68 40, did 22 reps on the bench, had a 35 ¹⁄₂ inch vertical jump, 119 inch broad jump, 4.32 second shuttle, 6.92 second three-cone drill and 11.52 second 60-yard shuttle.

Tidbit:

Projection: Day 3 (Rounds 4-7)

JERRY TILLERY

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Measurables:

• Height: 6-foot-6 ¹⁄₂ (second tallest among 33 defensive linemen)
• Weight: 295 pounds (17th of 33)
• Hands: 10 5/8 inches (second of 33)
• Arms: 34 ¹⁄₄ inches (seventh of 33)
• Wingspan: 81 inches (eighth of 33)

Testing:

• Bench press: 23 reps at 225 pounds (19th of 26)
• 40-yard dash: 4.93 seconds (ninth of 30)
• Vertical jump: 32 inches (ninth of 28)
• Broad jump: 115 inches (ninth of 29)
• 3 Cone Drill: 7.45 seconds (seventh of 22)
• 20 Yard Shuttle: 4.33 seconds (fifth of 24)
• 60 Yard Shuttle: Did not participate

NFL.com grade: 6.03 - Should become an instant starter (eighth highest among DL)

Closest Notre Dame comparison: Anthony Weaver: 6-foot-4, 296 pounds, 4.95 seconds, 24 bench press reps, 32 ¹⁄₂ inch vertical jump, 109 inch broad jump, 4.31 20-yard shuttle, 7.37 3-cone drill. Weaver was a second round pick (No. 52) in 2002.

Tidbit: After draft analysts raved about Quinnen Williams’ 1.69 second split after 10 yards, Tillery dropped a 1.71 second split. According to Dane Brugler, these NFL defensive linemen didn’t record a 10-yard split below 1.70: Cam Jordan, J.J. Watt, Marcell Dareus, Gerald McCoy, Ndamukong Suh and Geno Atkins.

Projection: Late first round or early second. I don’t see how he drops past pick No. 50, unless circumstances change.

DRUE TRANQUILL

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Measurables:

• Height: 6-foot-2 (10th tallest among 37 linebackers)
• Weight: 234 pounds (20th heaviest)
• Hands: 9 ³⁄₄ inches (10th largest)
• Arms: 31 ¹⁄₂ inches (25th longest)
• Wingspan: 74 ¹⁄₄ inches (fourth shortest)

Testing:

• Bench press: 31 reps at 225 pounds (first among 28 linebackers)
• 40-yard dash: 4.58 seconds (seventh among 22)
• Vertical jump: 37.5 inches (fifth among 24)
• Broad jump: 122 inches (ninth among 25)
• 3 Cone Drill: 6.94 seconds (sixth among 15)
• 20 Yard Shuttle: 4.14 seconds (fifth among 17)
• 60 Yard Shuttle: 11.64 seconds (third among four)

NFL.com grade: 5.02 - Better-than-average chance to make an NFL roster (30th among linebackers)

Closest Notre Dame comparison: Rocky Boiman, who went in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. Boiman was 6-foot-4, 242 pounds, ran the 40 in 4.6 seconds, benched the 225 pounds 17 times, had a 35 inch vertical jump, 122-inch broad jump, 4.05 second 20-yard shuttle and 6.86 second 3-cone drill.

Tidbit: The Draft Network’s Benjamin Solak named Tranquill his top “winner” from the linebacker position at the Combine.

“Dude is an all-around stud tester,” said Solak. “In a weak linebacker class, he made money moves today.”

Projection: I firmly believed that Tranquill, who has suffered ACL tears in both knees, and played with wrist and ankle injuries last year, would not get drafted. This Combine performance changed my mind. I see him as a Day 3 pick, perhaps as early as the sixth round.

DEXTER WILLIAMS

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Measureables:

• Height: 5-foot-11 (ninth tallest)
• Weight: 212 pounds (13th heaviest)
• Hands: 9 5/8 inches (sixth longest)
• Arms: 32 1⁄4 inches (second longest among running backs)
• Wingspan: 76 7/8 inches (fourth longest among running backs)

Testing:

• Bench press: 17 reps of 225 pounds (18th best out of 28)
• 40-yard dash: 4.57 seconds (11th of 23)
• Vertical jump: 36 inches (sixth of 24)
• Broad jump: 130 inches (first of 23)
• 3 Cone Drill: 7 seconds (third of 15)
• 20 Yard Shuttle: 4.16 seconds (second of 16)
• 60 Yard Shuttle: Did not participate.

NFL.com grade: 5.78 - Chance to become an NFL starter

Closest Notre Dame comparison:

Cierre Wood: 5-foot-11, 213 pounds, 8 5/8 inch hands, 30 7/8 inch arms, 4.56 40, 16 bench press reps, 37.5 inch vertical, 124 inch broad jump.

Darius Walker: 5-foot-10, 206 pounds, 4.55 40, 19 bench press reps, 40.5 inch vertical, 123 inch broad jump, 7.18 second three cone drill

Both Wood and Walker were not drafted.

Tidbit: Williams’ broad jump was 26th best out of the 1,203 running backs that have done that test at the NFL Combine since 1987, according to Pride of Detroit’s Kent Lee Platte.

Projection: Day 3 (Rounds 4-7)