Winners and Losers from the NFL Combine
Winner – Tyler Ervin
It was plenty tempting to put Cal Bears running back Daniel Lasco in this spot, but I’ve already discussed his great Combine performance, so his Bay Area counterpart, running back Tyler Ervin from San Jose State, gets the nod. Ervin’s size isn’t going to attract a lot of attention, as he was the smallest back at 192 pounds, but he really impressed in the drills to test athleticism.
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The speedy youngster ran a blazing 40-yard dash, as his 4.41-second time was second-fastest among running backs only to Georgia’s Keith Marshall, who blew everyone away with a 4.31 time, the fastest of the entire Combine. Ervin’s 39-inch vertical was second among running backs while his 130-inch broad jump (10′ 10″) was tied for the second-best, falling short only to Lasco on both occasions.
There’s a lot to like about Ervin despite his size, although it is worth mentioning that he has added 15 pounds from his official 2015 weight. He showed a good ability to stop on a dime and make a quick cut during drills, and also proved himself to be a reliable pass catcher and route runner, which is no surprise. He caught 87 passes, including four touchdowns during his career at San Jose State.
Ervin’s impressive Combine performance, as well as his versatility as a Spartan, should put him squarely on the the radar of NFL teams looking for running back and kick return depth, and possibly even a small, shifty, slot receiver. His 2015 season, during which he gained 2,637 all-purpose yards to finish second in the nation in the category to another Bay Area running back, Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey, is another indicator that Ervin has a bright future at the next level.
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