The NFL Combine has been happening over the past week and three Red Raiders were invited to Indianapolis and all improved their draft stock. Keke Coutee was slighter than previously thought (shorter and lighter) but his 40 yard dash times helped significantly. Meanwhile, Dylan Cantrell surprised many with his athleticism (which is not a surprise to Texas Tech fans). Nic Shimonek apparently held his own and improved his stock, which was on the fringe of getting drafted to being a name to watch.
Player: Keke Coutee
Height / Weight: 5’10” / 181
Arms: 29 7/8″
Hands: 8 3/8″
40 Yard Dash: 4.43 seconds
Bench Press: 14 reps
Vertical Jump: 34.5″
Broad Jump: 113.0″
3 Cone Drill: 6.93 seconds
20 Yard Shuttle: 4.15 seconds
60 Yard Shuttle: N/A
Keke Coutee pic.twitter.com/GHNVd7QEed
— Ty Wurth (@WurthDraft) March 3, 2018
A 4⃣.4⃣4⃣ for @TheKekeCoutee, followed by this performance in the gauntlet at the #NFLCombine?
If you don’t know, now you know. 🤐 #WreckEm (Via @NFLNetwork) pic.twitter.com/rjQeRj0viX
— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) March 3, 2018
Player: Dylan Cantrell
Height / Weight: 6’3″ / 226
Arms: 31.37″
Hands: 9.5″
40 Yard Dash: 4.59 seconds
Bench Press: 18 reps
Vertical Jump: 38.5″
Broad Jump: 130.0″
3 Cone Drill: 6.56 secons
20 Yard Shuttle: 4.03 seconds
60 Yard Shuttle: N/A
As promised, Dylan Cantrell CRUSHED the Combine & had #1 SPARQ score of ALL WRs.This despite them starting clock AT LEAST 0.12 before start😳 pic.twitter.com/GlJBfCsqKC
— Erik Burkhardt (@ErikBurkhardt) March 3, 2018
Cantrell was the only WR to register four blue scores with a complete athletic profile from this year’s combine. The not very talked about WR from Texas Tech made a big impression.
Cantrell’s only score that wasn’t placed above average or better was his 40-yard dash. Though he does not have the elite game-breaking speed of other WRs, he is an exceptional all-around athlete. Look for him to get an invite to Dallas Day for a closer look by the coaching staff.
Player: Nic Shimonek
Height / Weight: 6’3″ / 225
Arms: 30 3/4″
Hands: 9 1/4″
40 Yard Dash: 4.88 seconds
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: 28.5 inches
Broad Jump: 101.0 inches
3 Cone Drill: 7.28 seconds
20 Yard Shuttle: 4.32 seconds
60 Yard Shuttle: N/A
Surprise guy of the afternoon throwing session was Texas Tech’s Nic Shimonek. I need to watch more of his tape, but he did everything reasonably well, and his name and number weren’t even on the player chart. Deep ball, some anticipation. Guy to watch.
— Doug Farrar (@BR_DougFarrar) March 4, 2018
Shimonek was one of the lower-tier quarterbacks who truly helped himself Saturday, as he made a number of strong, accurate throws and showed some velocity in his own right. Shimonek was a one-year starter at Texas Tech and when watching him on tape, you could see some raw potential in him. His footwork was also improved from when I studied him on film, because at times his drops lacked any structure or even semblance of precision. But his performance Saturday might improve his stock in the eyes of teams looking to draft a quarterback on Day 3 with an eye toward developing him.