If Ndamukong Suh’s actions in shoulder pads last fall didn’t prompt you to lament your genetic misfortunes, perhaps Suh’s vertical jump at the NFL combine will:
35½ inches.
The Heisman finalist weighed in at 307 pounds and, from a flat-footed position, leaped almost three feet off the ground — better than any defensive tackle in Indianapolis.
In Suh’s head-to-head showdown with Gerald McCoy for top spot on NFL draft boards, his vertical jump was the numerical highlight on a day in which Suh undoubtedly bettered the Oklahoma defensive force.
That last part is a news development, because McCoy had overtaken Suh on some draft boards based upon a perceived athletic superiority.
Will Suh’s solid day separate him from his rival?
Probably not. Draftniks who preferred McCoy — like ESPN’s Todd McShay — didn’t change their minds Monday based on a few new numbers.
“I still think McCoy is the most complete defensive tackle,” McShay told SportsCenter viewers. “I would take him No. 1 overall, I think.”
But former Nebraska star Suh didn’t hurt his stock by choosing to participate in the annual cattle call. And for some pundits, Monday’s scores reinforced his status as No. 1.
Wrote Rob Rang, of NFLDraftScout.com: “The vertical jump is designed to test explosiveness — supposedly an area in which Suh is lacking.”
During the workouts at Lucas Oil Stadium, Suh wore No. 52, working out separate from McCoy’s group.
The unofficial tale of the tape:
Vertical jump: Suh 35½ inches, McCoy 30½.
40-yard dash: Suh 4.98 and 5.07 seconds, McCoy 4.96 and 5.14.
225-pound bench press: Suh 32 reps, McCoy 23.
McCoy’s bench press raised some eyebrows. His 23 reps, according to one pundit, were more befitting a quarterback than a defensive tackle.
The most notable commentary came from Mike Mayock, NFL Network analyst who has McCoy ahead of Suh on his draft board.
“I was stunned that McCoy only did 23 reps,” Mayock told viewers. “That tells me he hasn’t been in the weight room the way he should have been over the last three years.”
McShay said McCoy’s bench press, below average for defensive tackles, raises “a red flag” about his upper-body strength.
Suh, meanwhile, “looked great.”
“He did a great job throughout the positional drills, too,” McShay said on SportsCenter. “This is a 307-pound man who comes in and runs with great agility.”
Bucky Brooks, NFL Network analyst, said each star tackle impressed.
“I don’t know if any one of their workouts would jump off the page, but I think they were solid workouts,” Brooks said.
McCoy, weighing in at 295 pounds, has clearly had the momentum in this push for the top defender in the draft. Several experts recently vaulted him over Suh, and that was before McCoy charmed reporters and scouts during combine interviews over the weekend.
McCoy, some say, is more explosive, more disruptive to a backfield, a better pass rusher.
Suh’s numbers were better than McCoy’s, but not as good as some other defensive tackle peers in Indianapolis.
Jeff Owens, of Georgia, pushed 225 off his chest 44 times. Texas’ 300-pounder, Lamarr Houston, ran a 4.85 40.
Suh didn’t blow away scouts. And he isn’t guaranteed stardom.
But 52 days prior to the NFL draft, in a hollow NFL stadium, he was No. 1 again.
Contact the writer:
649-1461, dirk.chatelain@owh.com
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