NFL Combine Day 4 – Winners & Losers

Linebackers

Winners:

Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

Max Bullough, Michigan St (6’3, 249) – Finally some good news for Bullough, who has had a rough couple months. Bullough tied for the lead in bench reps in the linebacker group with 30. He also lost the extra weight he had put on before the Senior Bowl. If Bullough runs well on day 5, he could put himself back in the mix for a middle round selection.

Khairi Fortt, California (6’2, 248) – Underrated prospect who helped his cause with 30 bench reps, tying Bullough for the most among linebackers.

Jeremiah George, Iowa St (5’11, 234) – Undersized inside linebacker who helped ease concerns about his small stature after putting up 28 reps on the bench.

Ryan Shazier, Ohio St (6’1, 237) – The only knocks on Shazier are his size and strength, but he answered one of them with a surprising 25 bench reps. He’s got a good chance to sneak into the back-end of the first round.

Losers:

Yawin Smallwood, Connecticut (6’2, 246) – 18 bench reps is a pretty low number for an inside linebacker with relatively short arms (31 3/4).

Anthony Barr, UCLA (6’5, 255) – Did they not have a weight room at UCLA? Both Barr and Marsh from UCLA had the two lowest reps on the bench for their respective positions. It is less important for Barr than Marsh since he will be playing in space, but it’s still a bit of a red flag for a guy expected to be a top-10 pick.

Prince Shembo, Notre Dame (6’1, 253) – Shembo had a good day on the bench with 26 reps, but some off-field concerns were raised when Shembo let it be known that he had been under investigation for sexual battery while in college. The Chicago Tribune’s David Haugh wrote an article with some details on the accusation.

Twitter: @MikeFlannery_