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2017 NFL Combine: Best Overall Performance by Position

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 1:55 a.m. ET

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Fansided, Zach Bigalke/FanSided via Saturday Blitz

We got our last chance to see some college stars in action before the Draft. Who raised his draft stock most at each position with a strong NFL Combine?

Every year before the NFL Draft, the best draft-eligible players in college football convene at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for the NFL Combine. The event provides the opportunity for these pro hopefuls to show off their athleticism against the other top contenders at their position.

Sometimes the NFL Combine merely serves as validation, as players already anticipated to go high in the draft manage to outperform their expectations. Other times, we are treated with a pleasant surprise by a player that was largely unheralded heading into the event. However it goes, we are always in for a treat.

Now that this year's NFL Combine is in the rearview mirror, click ahead to see our picks for the top performers at each position.

Mar 5, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Stanford Cardinal defensive end Solomon Thomas participates in a workout drill during the 2017 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Solomon Thomas

Defensive End, Stanford

The prevailing thought in college football is that all the best defensive ends and defensive tackles end up at SEC or ACC schools. But while those programs usually have the best depth on the defensive line, they don't always boast the most athletically gifted individual. Solomon Thomas used his time in Indianapolis to showcase why he was selected as last year's Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, outshining 57 other linemen.

Thomas opened up his NFL Combine by finishing 11th in the 40-yard dash, posting a 4.69 time in the drill. It was the only time he finished outside the top 10. His 30 bench press reps were good enough to finish fourth, and he finished fifth in both the vertical leap (35.0 inches) and the broad jump (126 inches). When it came to the shuttles and cone drills, Thomas was once again among the 10 best performers at his position.

The showing in Indianapolis will almost certainly make NFL teams take a longer look at Thomas in the middle rounds, even with concerns about his size and where he fits best at the pro level. Others who also bolstered their draft stock on the defensive line were Kansas State's Jordan Willis, Derek Rivers of Youngstown State, and Temple's Haason Reddick.

Mar 5, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Wisconsin Badgers linebacker T.J. Watt runs the 40 yard dash during the 2017 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

T.J. Watt

Linebacker, Wisconsin

Just like his big brother did six years ago, T.J. Watt improved his draft stock with a stellar performance at the NFL Combine. The Wisconsin linebacker finished first or second in five of the seven Combine drills. When combined with his pedigree, the effort in Indianapolis could earn Watt some more money from his rookie contract.

He didn't start out overly fast, finishing 12th among linebackers with a 4.69-second time in the 40. Then again, that was the one event where brother J.J. also struggled in an otherwise spectacular Combine. Watt rebounded with 21 reps in the bench press, good enough to finish eighth among linemen. His vertical leap was topped by only Houston's Tyus Bowser, while nobody jumped farther than Watt's 128-inch broad jump.

Watt rounded out his solid NFL Combine performance with a dominant display in the cone and shuttle drills. His three-cone time was second behind Bowser, while Watt was the fastest linebacker through both the 20- and 60-yard shuttles. He was already bound to get a longer look because of the family success, but Watt doesn't necessarily need the favors after showing off in Indy.

Nov 5, 2016; Denton, TX, USA; North Texas Mean Green quarterback Mason Fine (6) gets sacked by Louisiana Tech Bulldogs safety Xavier Woods (7) at Apogee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sean Pokorny-USA TODAY Sports

Xavier Woods

Safety, Louisiana Tech

Over the course of the 2016 season, there was plenty of talk about safeties such as Ohio State's Malik Hooker, Washington's Budda Baker, and Michigan's Delano Hill. Few people were talking about Xavier Woods, the Louisiana Tech safety who helped lead the Bulldogs to a C-USA West title last year. On the last day of NFL Combine action this year, Woods finished among the top 10 among safeties at every measurable drill to make everyone take notice.

Woods started by displaying 4.54 speed in the 40-yard dash. He followed it up by lifting the weight 19 times in the bench press. The safety's worst performance came in the vertical leap, where he posted a 33.5-inch mark that was good for just ninth among all safeties. His 122-inch broad jump was among the top six figures as well.

Where Woods excelled most was in the cone and shuttle drills. Only Iowa's Desmond King posted a better time in the three-cone drill. Budda Baker was the only person who performed better than Woods in the 20-yard shuttle. And Woods also finished in the top five in the 60-yard shuttle after stopping the clock in 11.56 seconds. All told, Woods should shoot up draft boards thanks to his performance at this year's NFL Combine.

Oct 22, 2016; East Hartford, CT, USA; Connecticut Huskies wide receiver Noel Thomas (5) misses the pass under pressure from UCF Knights defensive back Shaquill Griffin (10) in the second half at Rentschler Field. UCF defeated UConn 24-16. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Shaquill Griffin

Cornerback, Central Florida

A glut of great cornerbacks arrived in Indianapolis hoping to gain separation from the field. Players like Adoree' Jackson, Chidobe Awuzie, Teez Tabor, and Jourdan Lewis were regulars among mock drafts leading into this year's NFL Combine. While there was plenty of star power from the big schools, though, it was a Group of Five talent that outshone the other corners in attendance.

Shaquill Griffin finished fourth in the 40-yard dash, stopping the timer in 4.38 seconds and finishing just a tenth of the top mark. He pumped off 17 reps in the bench press, finishing sixth among corners. His three-cone time, the weakest mark for Griffin at the NFL Combine, was still good enough to finish 10th among defensive backs. His shuttle times were also strong.

Where Griffin really excelled, though, was in the jumping events. His vertical leap of 38.5 inches was tied for third-best among cornerbacks. The UCF corner did one better in the broad jump, finishing behind only UCLA's Fabian Moreau and tying with Colorado's Awuzie with a mark of 132 inches. The big names from the big schools will still get long looks, but teams will surely also spend more time thinking about Griffin after his Combine showing.

Mar 3, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Western Kentucky offensive lineman Forrest Lamp runs the 40 yard dash during the 2017 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Forrest Lamp

Guard, Western Kentucky

Part of the beauty of the NFL Combine is that a player from a smaller school can step up and prove himself to be the most athletic individual at his position. That's exactly what Forrest Lamp did over the Combine this week, as he jumped and ran and benched his way to the top spot in a crowded field of talented college offensive linemen.

The guard from Western Kentucky was consistently in the top five among linemen in each drill, and only finished outside the top 10 once. Only three linemen posted faster 40-yard times than the even 5.00 put up by Lamp, and nobody could top the 34 reps he hefted up in the bench press. Lamp struggled a bit in the vertical jump, finishing 15th among offensive linemen as he could only reach 27.5 inches.

But after that setback, Lamp rebounded to finish third in the broad jump, fifth in the three-cone drill, and seventh in the 20-yard shuttle. Displaying a solid combination of strength, agility, and speed, Lamp did everything he possibly could to bolster his stock among NFL teams heading into the Draft.

Mar 4, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide tight end O.J. Howard goes through workout drills during the 2017 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

O.J. Howard

Tight End, Alabama

After the past few seasons, nobody was bound to be surprised by O.J. Howard. The Alabama tight end showcased his skills in each of the past two College Football Playoff national championships, and he came to Indianapolis hyped as one of the top tight ends entering this year's NFL Draft.

Nothing that Howard did at this year's NFL Combine did anything to dissuade teams from thinking highly of the Crimson Tide product. Howard ran a 4.51 time in the 40, finishing second behind only Evan Engram among tight ends. He tied for third-best in the bench press with 22 reps, and even though the jumping drills were his weakest events he still finished 12th in the vertical leap and seventh in the broad jump.

Howard truly separated himself from every other tight end in the cone and shuttle drills. The Tide tight end put up the top time in the three-cone drill, finishing seven-hundredths ahead of Engram. He was also the leader in both the 20- and 60-yard shuttles, outpacing FIU's Jonnu Smith in both cases. While Howard was already being discussed as a potential first-round prospect, he did everything possible to consolidate that position at the NFL Combine.

Jan 28, 2017; Mobile, AL, USA; North squad wide receiver Zay Jones of East Carolina (7) pulls in a pass against South squad cornerback Arthur Maulet of Memphis during the third quarter at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Zay Jones

Wide Receiver, East Carolina

Zay Jones had already put up two straight 1000-yard receiving seasons prior to arriving at the NFL Combine. His 2016 campaign, where he hauled in 158 catches for 1746 yards, had already done plenty to boost the East Carolina receiver's draft stock. But the all-time NCAA leader in receptions certainly didn't hurt his draft position with the way he performed in the various drills at this year's Combine.

His 40-yard time wasn't quite as impressive as the record-breaking mark posted by John Ross, but Jones was still 12th among receivers as he displayed 4.45 speed. He also finished 12th in the bench press, hoisting up 15 reps, and his "worst" showing was finishing 13th in the three-cone drill with a time of 6.79 seconds.

The brightest spots for Jones were his times in the 20-yard and 60-yard shuttles. He was in the top five among receivers in both events, and he also finished third among wideouts in the broad jump with a distance of 133 inches. Along with Georgia State's Robert Davis and Penn State's Chris Godwin, Jones distanced himself from the rest of a deep pack of receivers that are draft-eligible at this year's NFL Combine.

Mar 3, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys running back Christopher Carson goes through workout drills during the 2017 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Christopher Carson

Running Back, Oklahoma State

All the talk entering the NFL Combine this year was about how a deep class of running backs would perform. Everyone came in talking about players like Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey, but after the dust settled in Indianapolis we will likely see more people trumpeting Christopher Carson's name.

Carson was hardly on anyone's radar after rushing for just 559 yards during his senior year for Oklahoma State. After he posted a 4.58 time in the 40-yard dash, good for just 16th among running backs, he remained a relative afterthought. But Carson stepped up his performance in a major way as players headed toward the other NFL Combine drills.

The Cowboy back lifted the bar 17 times during the bench press, finishing third at his position. He followed that up with a 33.5-inch vertical jump, putting him fourth in that category. Then Carson closed out his Combine performance with a 121-inch broad jump, placing him behind only Tennessee's Alvin Kamara in the category. Look for Carson to rise on draft boards as a result of his Combine efforts.

Mar 2, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Texas A&M quarterback Trevor Knight speaks to the media during the 2017 NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Trevor Knight

Quarterback, Texas A&M

Much of the talk about this year's quarterbacks has centered on who teams at the top of the NFL Draft order might select. In addition to national champion Deshaun Watson, Notre Dame's DeShone Kizer, and North Carolina's Mitch Trubisky, the other big name has been Patrick Mahomes from Texas Tech. One player that received less hype was ultimately the best performer among quarterbacks.

Trevor Knight seemingly regressed in college as he went from Oklahoma's savior to backup to Texas A&M transfer. As a result, a player heralded at one time among the best in college football entered the NFL Combine as a relative afterthought. He made sure to use the opportunity in Indianapolis to force his way back onto scouts' radars.

Knight finished first in four of the six drills contested by the quarterbacks, including taking a chance as the only QB to perform the 60-yard shuttle. He topped the field in the 40-yard dash with a 4.54-second effort. He bested the rest of the passers in both jumping drills, posting a 35.5-inch vertical leap and a 125-inch broad jump. In the 20-yard shuttle, only Mahomes was faster. Only the three-cone drill hung up Knight, who finished seventh after needing 7.04 seconds to complete the drill.

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