Defensive backs will hit the field in Indianapolis for the on-field portion of their workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday.
Darqueze Dennard, Justin Gilbert and Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix are all hoping to solidify their standings as potential first-round picks, and all three got off to strong starts in the bench press Monday.
Justin Gilbert 20 reps
Bradley Roby 17
Pryor 18
Dennard 15
Joyner 14
Fuller 12
Ha Ha 11
Purifoy 6
— Mike Loyko (@NEPD_Loyko) February 24, 2014
Let's take a look at a few intriguing storylines heading into the final day of evaluation:
Cornerbacks
Top Prospects: Darqueze Dennard, Justin Gilbert, Jason Verrett, Marcus Roberson, Jason Verrett, Bradley Roby
Roby stirred the pot during his media availability at the event, becoming the latest player to speak out about the prospects of college athletes getting paid in the future. He said he felt like an "employee" at OSU, and later tried to do some damage control.
I didnt say I felt like am employee at OSU. I loved my time there. I agreed when they said coll. players are treated like employees thats it
— Bradley Roby (@BradRoby_1) February 23, 2014
That wasn't his only blunder during the media session:
CB Bradley Roby admitted his mindset entering the 2013 season "wasn’t where it should have been" and that carried over to the season
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) February 23, 2014
Roby was a projected second-round pick coming into the combine and will have to post some competitive numbers in order to compensate for his media mishaps.
Safeties
Top Prospects: Jimmie Ward, Deone Bucannon, Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix, Calvin Pryor, Ed Reynolds
Clinton-Dix and Pryor stand head and shoulders above the other safeties in this year's class and are drawing huge interest from a handful of NFL teams. The Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, and Green Bay Packers could all use some safety help and are reportedly very interested in the duo.
Pryor is a physical safety that strikes fear into the opposition with his highlight-reel hits.
While Clinton-Dix has the versatility to be positioned as an in-the-box safety or deep coverage defender, he has also benefited from an Alabama defensive scheme which closely rivals those used by many NFL teams.
