Barwin, Underwood boost stock at NFL combine

By Darrell Laurant  |   Tuesday, March 03, 2009  |  Comments( 1 )

College Football
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What the Big East lacked in quantity at the NFL combine last month, it made up for in quality.

Only 25 Big East players were invited, last among the BCS conferences (and 16 fewer than the second-worst representation). But a number of those players finished near the top of their categories, with Cincinnati DE Connor Barwin, Rutgers WR Tiquan Underwood and Connecticut DE Cody Brown perhaps the most pleasant surprises.

The top 10 Big East combine performances:

1. CONNOR BARWIN, DE, CINCINNATI. Converted from tight end to defensive end for the 2008 season, Barwin dazzled scouts with a 4.66 40 and top grades in four of the agility drills. A 6-foot-4, 256-pounder, he has drawn obvious comparisons to the Kansas City Chiefs' Mike Vrabel, another linebacker who can line up at tight end in certain formations. After producing 15.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks in his one season with the Bearcat defense, Barwin is projected to become an outside linebacker at the next level.

2. DONALD BROWN, CONNECTICUT. One might say Brown's 2008 numbers (2,083 rushing yards, 18 touchdowns, 5.7 yards per carry) speak for themselves, but those aren't the numbers that interested NFL coaches at the combine. They wanted speed and agility from Brown, and he showed it to them -- a 4.51 40 and top numbers among running backs in three other skill categories.

3. PAT WHITE, WEST VIRGINIA. Despite continued efforts to write him off as a quarterback, White continues to remain under center. He not only turned in the fastest 40 time of any quarterback in Indianapolis (4.55), but demonstrated a strong and accurate arm in the throwing drills.

4. TIQUAN UNDERWOOD, WR, RUTGERS. Teammate Kenny Britt was more hyped coming in, but that was before the 6-1, 184-pound Underwood reeled off a 4.41 40 and showed up well in several other events.

5. SCOTT McKILLOP, LB, PITT. Like Donald Brown, the Panthers' tackling machine needed to show that his consecutive seasons of 100-plus tackles were not an illusion. McKillop's 4.79 40 time was satisfactory, especially considering that his instincts for finding the football are probably worth another two-tenths of a second on the field. He also did 27 reps in the bench press and produced a 35.5-inch vertical leap.

6. ERIC WOOD, C, CINCINNATI. A potential first-round pick (especially in a shallow pool of centers), Wood showed off his strength (30 bench press reps) and agility. He also demonstrated an impressive wing span for a 6-4, 310-pounder.

7. WILL BEATTY, OT, CONNECTICUT. Donald Brown brought his primary blocker along with him to the combine, and Beatty didn't disappoint, running the fourth-best 40 time among offensive linemen (5.12) and performing well across the board in the other events. At 6-6, 307, he still has room to fill out without losing speed.

8. CODY BROWN, DE, CONNECTICUT. Like Barwin, the 6-2, 244-pound Brown will have to move to linebacker in the pros, unless some team decides to plug him in as a Dwight Freeney-style rush end. He ran a 4.84 40 at the combine, not lights out but passable for an inside linebacker, and was outstanding in the agility drills.

9. KENNY BRITT, WR, RUTGERS. He may not have been the fastest wideout to run at Indy, but he was fast enough for a big (6-3, 218) possession-type receiver. He also produced 23 bench press reps and showed impressive leaping ability.

10. DARIUS BUTLER, CB, CONNECTICUT. Butler hoped to overcome a so-so senior season with a strong combine performance, and his 4.5 40 was right on the dividing line between pretty fast and a step slow. He redeemed himself somewhat in the agility drills, and is still considered a possible first-round pick -- especially because he also returns kicks.

Among some of the other headliners, Pitt RB LeSean McCoy arrived in Indianapolis depleted from the flu and finally decided not to compete. Cincinnati CB Mike Mickens sat out with a knee injury, and South Florida LB Tyrone McKenzie only participated in the bench press.
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