Football

Former Syracuse players wrap up NFL Combine workouts

The NFL Combine is wrapping up, and three of Syracuse’s four representatives are finished with all of their workouts.

Ryan Nassib, Alec Lemon, Justin Pugh and Shamarko Thomas were all in Indianapolis trying to raise their draft stock. Thomas is the only one of the four who hasn’t completed all of his workouts since defensive backs didn’t begin until Saturday.

Of the four, Pugh has the most chance of being drafted in the first round. NFL scouts love his quick feet, but the consensus is that he’s undersized for tackle and could slide over to guard.

Pugh ran the 40-yard dash in 5.14 seconds,had a 28.5-inch vertical jump, a 103-inch broad jump, ran the 3-cone drill in 7.45 seconds and did the 20-yard shuttle in 4.63 seconds.

Pugh could go as high as the second round, though some mock drafts have him going in the third round.



Nassib ran a 5.06 in the 40-yard dash, had a 28.5-inch vertical jump, a 105-inch broad jump, ran the 3-cone drill in 7.34 seconds and the 20-yard shuttle in 4.53 seconds. Nassib threw on Sunday, though he reportedly was inconsistent, according to The Kansas City Star.

Lemon, meanwhile, ran the 40 in 4.59 seconds, but could only do seven reps with the bench press. He also finished with a 32-inch vertical jump and a 112-inch broad jump. He did the 3-cone drill in 7.04 seconds, and did the 20-yard shuttle in 4.29 seconds.

Lemon, who caught for 1,070 yards this past season, isn’t likely to get drafted until the later rounds. Some projections don’t have him going into the sixth or seventh rounds.

Thomas was the last Syracuse player to work out at the Combine, and finishes up Tuesday, the final day of the event. So far, he’s only done the bench press and finished up with an impressive 28 reps. If he has a strong showing on Tuesday with the defensive backs, Thomas could significantly boost his draft status.

The Combine isn’t their last chance to prove themselves to NFL scouts since they’ll also perform in front of more during Syracuse’s pro day in March. Of course we won’t know where they ultimately end up until the NFL Draft, which starts on April 25.





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