The NFL combine is underway in Indianapolis, so it is time to get caught up on Big East players who may have helped or hurt their draft stock during workouts so far.
One prospect to watch is UConn receiver Kashif Moore. Among all participants who have run the 40, Moore posted the fifth-best time -- 4.42 seconds, and was among the top performers in the vertical jump, broad jump, bench press, 20-yard shuttle run and 3-cone drill. Todd McShay of Scouts Inc. believes Moore helped his stock and will have teams re-evaluating him on tape with his performance. McShay writes:
He had some problems tracking and adjusting to the deeper throws, but Moore he caught the ball well overall and flashed the ability to pluck it away from his frame. He was a late-round prospect heading into this week, but with this performance Moore will send scouts back to the tape to see if his testing matches his on-field performance.
Moore talked about his solid performance at the combine with Desmond Conner of The Hartford Courant, saying in part, "I think I opened some eyes."
Rutgers receiver Mohamed Sanu didn't fare as well in the 40, running a 4.67. Sanu isn't the fastest player in the world, and nobody expected him to blaze to a top speed. But his time was below his average, and McShay thought Sanu looked tight. Still, ESPN NFC West blogger Mike Sando reports that Sanu didn't drop any passes in several of the drills he watched. In an interview before his workout, Sanu indicated he had already met with the Patriots.
Cincinnati running back Isaiah Pead also helped his draft stock, running a 4.47 in the 40 -- tied for fifth among all running backs. One columnist suggested that Pead had possibly the best skills among all running backs at the combine.