2016 NFL Draft Combine: Eli Apple and Kevon Seymour show impressive athleticism

Eli Apple and Kevon Seymour show impressive athleticism at the 2016 NFL Draft Combine.

The NFL Combine is an important event in the draft process and always draws a crowd. There are many analysts who try to downplay the workout numbers, but every year several players see their draft stock impacted by the combine results.

I personally use the results as the final piece of a very complex puzzle. These numbers do matter because it helps backup what we see on the field or at the very least forces us to go back and take another look.

USC’s Kevon Seymour and Ohio State’s Eli Apple are good examples of prospects who helped themselves at the combine. Both were among the top performers in the 40-yard dash which was slightly unexpected based on their size.

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This is especially good news for Apple who is known for his physical style of play and headed into the combine with question marks surrounding his top-end speed. Apple’s game tape is very impressive thanks to his ability to play tight man coverage.

Ohio State routinely asked Apple to play on an island with very little help on the back end. He was able to handle both speedy and physical opponents. His strong performance in the 40-yard dash shows that he has more than enough speed to turn and run with NFL receivers.

Seymour headed into his final season looking for a breakout year, but dealt with inconsistency and injury issues. He’s a long and fluid cornerback who now boasts strong workout numbers. This is someone who could be a draft-day surprise and come off the board earlier than many expect.