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The NFL Scouting Combine wrapped its final day on Monday, leaving teams to process the information the event offered them and squaring it with what the players put on film during the 2014 season.
The combine doesn't do much to influence opinions on the better-known prospects, however, it can be a boost to relatively unheralded players. Suddenly, a good workout can make a player a household name among draft watchers and give teams quality talent in later rounds.
With that in mind, here are five hidden combine gems that should have grabbed the Cleveland Browns' attention this year.
All NFL Scouting Combine results via NFL.com unless otherwise noted.
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Georgia wide receiver Chris Conley turned heads at the scouting combine with his workouts, which included the event's fourth-fastest 40-yard dash time of 4.35 seconds, his 45-inch vertical jump and his 139-inch broad jump. Suddenly, the 6'2", 213-pound prospect is a firm example as to why the 2015 draft class of wide receivers rivals 2014's.
The Browns are clearly in the market to add to their receiving corps, and a tall, fast wideout like Conley could be perfect for them. It's not a given the Browns address the position early on, considering their many needs, so Conley could be a late-round pick who pays off quickly.
Conley wasn't widely used, owing to Georgia's run-heavy offensive approach. He caught 117 passes in his collegiate career, for 1,938 yards and 20 touchdowns. He had 36 catches for 657 yards and eight touchdowns in 2014.
NFL.com's Lance Zierlein said Conley doesn't have "blazing speed," but his acceleration is good. It's possible, based on his 40 time, that Conley's speed was being underrated heading into the draft. He is also a good route-runner and is a "[h]ands-catcher who snatches away from his body." Conley "[c]an be redirected and thrown off course by press coverage" but otherwise possesses a lot of the tools teams—especially the Browns—want out of their wideouts.
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The Browns need to add depth to their tight end position, with Jordan Cameron expected to test the free-agent market, meaning he'll likely be playing elsewhere in 2015. Behind him are two talented tight ends, Jim Dray and Gary Barnidge but two tight ends is simply not enough in today's NFL.
Though the Browns may be candidates to get one of the move tight ends in this year's draft class, to more perfectly fill the hole left by Cameron's impending departure, they could also go outside of that box to go after Penn State's Jesse James.
Primarily a blocking tight end, James caught just 78 passes for 1,005 yards and 11 touchdowns for Penn State. However, at 6'7" and 261 pounds, he'd be a serious red-zone threat in the NFL. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein's pre-combine scouting report on James knocked his athleticism. However, his colleague Bucky Brooks pointed out that James looked more athletic than anticipated and that "James' strong hands and natural ball skills stood out," during drills.
The tight end position is shallow this year in the draft, so any combine standouts are going to make more of an impact than usual. But with James, the Browns have an added option in a later round if a tight end cannot be had early on.
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Whether or not changes actually befall the Browns' offensive line this year, they do need to add depth. That is absolutely the case at the center position; when starter Alex Mack suffered a broken leg halfway through the season, their run game collapsed. There was no one talented enough to replace him.
With that in mind, the Browns will likely try to find themselves a center worthy of backing up Mack in the draft this year. And one late-round fit could be Hobart & William Smith offensive lineman Ali Marpet.
Marpet was the fastest offensive lineman at the scouting combine, logging a 4.98-second 40-yard dash time. He also had a 7.33-second three-cone drill and a 4.47 20-yard shuttle. NFL.com' Lance Zierlein said that Marpet, "[h]as leg drive to drive his man backward and finish," and is "[c]onsistent with hand placement in run and pass." In other words, he "[p]lays with advanced technique for a Division III player."
Marpet's small-school background may make the transition to the NFL more difficult, though he was also a Senior Bowl standout against some of college football's best defenders. Marpet can play both guard and center. He'll be quality depth for the Browns—at the very least—in 2015.
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Another receiver that benefited from just getting eyes on him at the scouting combine was William & Mary's Tre McBride. With a strong, 4.41-second 40-yard dash and an even better 4.08-second 20-yard shuttle, it's clear that McBride has speed to go along with his 6'0", 210-pound frame.
McBride had 146 catches in college, for 2,653 yards and 19 touchdowns, and three straight seasons with over 800 yards receiving. His biggest strength is his good hands—NFL.com's Lance Zierlein said "he has the art of catching the ball down pat."
Zierlein continued, stating that McBride "[m]akes circus catches look easy and appears fearless in the air," has "[e]lite high-point ability with outstanding body control, ball tracking and concentration," and an "[e]xcellent catch radius that saved his quarterback one or two incompletions per game." McBride, "[w]ill catch in traffic with ability to tuck-in, absorb blow and hang onto ball." Further, he's a "[c]ompetitive runner after the catch."
McBride isn't flawless—separation and route running aren't very strong, however, the latter can be improved with NFL experience. And he could get it in Cleveland, with McBride having returned 11 punts and 56 kicks in college. Special teams ability is always a plus.
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If the Browns are interested in a pass-catching tight end whose blocking is still developing, then Delaware's Nick Boyle may be a mid-round target for them in this year's draft.
Boyle caught 101 passes in his collegiate career for 914 yards and 12 touchdowns, but the numbers do not belie how strong a receiver he is. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein said that Boyle is a "[s]mooth, natural hands-catcher," who "[p]lucks and stashes" the football. He "[t]urns and searches for throw immediately out of break," has "[p]lus focus in a crowd" and "[w]ill dive and extend to make the tough catch."
Ultimately, Boyle is a "[b]ig tight end with the size and physical traits of a blocking tight end but lacking the proper disposition to specialize in it," and "[h]as size and athleticism to be an every-down tight end," with better blocking technique. However, if the Browns are pleased with the blocking abilities of Jim Dray and Gary Barnidge, Boyle may not need to develop his blocking skills in order to see the field as a rookie.
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