Smith Not Short On Confidence

Alphonso Smith, corner back from Wake Forest, stated he is the number one defensive back in the draft. To help develop his game, Smith has squared off against a pair of Super Bowl wide outs in Anquan Boldin of the Arizona Cardinals and Santonio Holmes from the Pittsburgh Steelers thanks to personal connections. He didn't give up a touchdown his entire senior year (and quoted the last time he did was his junior year against Florida State), but states that holding the all-time ACC interception mark (21 career) is most important to him.

Toughest receivers he's faced? Former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket Calvin Johnson of the Detroit Lions, as well as Maryland’s Darrius Heyward-Bey, and North Carolina’s Hakeem Nicks.

His confidence goes beyond himself, as Smith proclaimed that former teammate and linebacker Aaron Curry is the best defensive player in the draft because of his knowledge of the game.

"By far. It's not even close...a lot of people don't know this but he is probably the smartest person in the draft," Smith said of Curry. He also referred to Curry as a "humble beast" because of his polite, yet misleading demeanor.

Stay tuned for more from the NFL combine.

Combine Confidential: Harvin To Sit Out Drills

University of Florida WR Percy Harvin said during his NFL Scouting Combine interview that he will participate in the 40-yard dash and the bench press but will not participate in any of the position drills. Harvin said during his NFL Scouting Combine interview that he believes he would not have any problems if a team asked him to play in the Wildcat formation because he played it in high school and college.

Combine Confidential: Pat White To Try WR

West Virginia QB Pat White said during his NFL Scouting Combine interview that he would love to play quarterback in the NFL but would be open to be a wide receiver or a returner if a team asks. He said some teams believe he can play quarterback while others think he will play another position. White ran the 40 in 4.49 seconds on Sunday.

White will be participating strictly as a quarterback in Indianapolis, but says he plans on doing wide receiver drills at his Pro Day back in Morgantown at the University of West Virginia.

The former Mountaineer had previously refused to play wide receiver while participating at the Senior Bowl, where he was Offensive MVP playing exclusively as a quarterback.

On Location: On The Down Low

Running back PJ Hill played at Wisconsin under the “brats and cheddar” diet and was often criticized that his shape through the hips wasn’t exactly running back-friendly. Hill admitted almost sheepishly that by season’s end he was approaching 240 pounds, and eventually resisted the ill-fated label of “fat kid at camp” when he arrived at his pro workout facility Performance Management Professionals.

“That’s a big surprise for a lot of people,” Hill joked as he announced his size, which is now down to a cruiser-weight of 222 pounds. “My agent told me a lot of teams were saying I was coming in big and lazy…I was always a big back. I just wanted to show them [teams] that…I was a hard worker, I can get toned, I can work hard, lose weight.” If all works out according to plan, Hill expects his 40-time to be in the low 4.5’s or in the 4.4’s. That would be the right type of gain for Hill.

Michigan defensive end Tim Jamison weighed in at 256 pounds, a number that clearly surprised some. His playing weight exiting Ann Arbor was 263 pounds so this could be a potential sticking point as we march towards the draft. Is he defensive end or an outside linebacker? Or a ‘tweener? Where will he be in April and will teams know enough in advance to gauge him appropriately as a future NFL baller?

On Location: Ian Johnson - Bigger is Better

Ian Johnson, the running back from Boise State, is another player who used the time from the end of his college career until the Scouting Combine to bulk up as he prepares to play on Sundays. Joking that he doesn’t care to have pro teams remember him as the ‘guy who proposed right after beating Oklahoma’, Johnson sounded determined to show how much he has changed his body and approach to running with the football. An addition of 14 pounds should make him thicker, yet he is hoping to run a 4.42 or lower. Furthermore, he has dramatically upped his bench, making a significant jump from 12 reps. He fell a bit short of his goal of 28 or 29, throwing the bar up 26 times, which was still good enough for fifth among the running backs (including two fullbacks who were ahead of him). It should be interesting to see his numbers fall – certainly he will be a case of the numbers game correlating potentially to a higher draft slot.

What’s up with PSU Ends? Their Weight

Aaron Maybin – We knew he was going to come into the draft as a DE/LB hybrid due to his size, but Maybin seems to have focused on adding bulk to take on his future role in the NFL. Maybin’s college days saw him wearing smaller sizes, but he feels better prepared moving forward at a heavier weight.

“I came in and gave them [teams] what they wanted to see. For most people they wanted to see me put on some weight,” Maybin said. “I had played my last year at Penn State around 230…so I went to work and put on 20 pounds and I feel good right now.”

Further, Maybin says his weight will possibly change again based on the system he joins.

“I will stay at this weight until the draft and based on what system I [get drafted in to] I will either move up or down based on what they want.”

Despite his increased bulk, Maybin affirms that he remains an athlete and describes himself as someone who brings, “athleticism, hard work, and desire.” One year of college stats isn’t much to hang your hat on, but it seems Maybin is doing (adding weight) and saying the right things to keep everyone’s brows raised.

Maurice Evans – Evans, like his former teammate, Maybin trained at Power Train Sports in Lancaster, PA, and beefed up from 252 lbs to a stalky 274 lbs (6’ 1”). When asked if he felt size would be a problem at the next level, “No, when you turn on the film I can play.”

His muscle gain seemed serendipitous, “That’s the way it goes...you put on a couple pounds of muscle.”

Combine Results:3-Cone Drill - OL

1. Lydon Murtha, Nebraska, OT – 7.06
2. Xavier Fulton, Illinois, OT - 7.35
3. Max Unger, Oregon, C - 7.39
4. Jon Cooper, Oklahoma, C - 7.46
A.Q. Shipley, Penn St., C - 7.46
6. Jason Smith, Baylor, OT - 7.53
7. Joel Bell, Furman, OT - 7.55
8. Eric Wood, Louisville, C - 7.56
9. Seth Olsen, Iowa, OG - 7.59
10. William Beatty, UConn, OT - 7.62

Combine Results: Broad Jump - OL

1. Antoine Caldwell, Alabama, C - 9'3"
Xavier Fulton, Illinois, OT - 9'3"
3. Eugene Monroe, Virginia, OT - 9'2"
Matt Slauson, Nebraska, OG - 9'2"
Lydon Murtha, Nebraska, OT – 9'2"
6. Brandon Walker, Oklahoma, OG - 9'1"
Joel Bell, Furman, OT - 9'1"
8. Travis Bright, OG, BYU - 9'0"
9. William Beatty, UConn, OT - 8'11"
10. Jon Cooper, Oklahoma, C - 8'9"
Jamon Meredith, South Carolina, OT - 9'9"

Combine Results: Vertical Jump - OL

1. Travis Bright, OG, BYU - 35.5"
2. Lydon Murtha, Nebraska, OT – 35"
3. Brandon Walker, Oklahoma, OG - 34"
Matt Slauson, Nebraska, OG - 34"
5. William Beatty, UConn, OT - 33.5"
6. Xavier Fulton, Illinois, OT - 31"
Jonathan Luigs, Arkansas, C - 31"
A.Q. Shipley, Penn St., C- 31"
9. Andy Levitre, Oregon St., OG - 30.5"
Eric Wood, Louisville, C - 30.5"
Robert Brewster, Ball St., OT - 30.5"
Michael Oher, Mississippi, OT - 30.5"

Combine Results: 40-Yard Dash - TE

1. Jared Cook, South Carolina - 4.50
2. Shawn Nelson, Southern Miss - 4.56
3. Cameron Morrah, California - 4.66
4. Cornelius Ingram, Florida - 4.68
5. Marquez Branson, Central Arkansas - 4.71
6. David Johnson, Arkansas St. - 4.73
7. Jared Bronson, Central Washington- 4.76
8. Kory Sperry, Colorado St. - 4.77

Combine Results: Bench Press - TE

1. Travis Beckum, Wisconsin - 28 Reps
James Casey, Rice - 28 Reps
3. Dan Gronkowski, Maryland - 26 Reps
4. Cameron Morrah, California - 24 Reps
Richard Quinn, North Carolina - 24 Reps
6. Eddie Williams, Idaho - 23 Reps
Jared Cook, South Carolina - 23 Reps
8. Brandon Pettigrew, Oklahoma St. - 22 Reps
Marquez Branson, Central Arkansas - 22 Reps

Combine Results: Broad Jump - TE

1. Jared Cook, South Carolina - 10'03"
2. Dan Gronkowski, Maryland - 10'02"
Kort Sperry, Colorado St. - 10'02"
4. Richard Quinn, North Carolina 9'11"
5. Brandon Pettigrew, Oklahoma St. - 9'10"
6. Jared Bronson, Central Washington - 9'08"
7. Cameron Morrah, California - 9'07"
Shawn Nelson, Southern Mississippi - 9'07"
9. David Johnson, Arkansas St. - 9'05"
Devon Drew, East Carolina - 9'05"

Combine Results: Vertical Jump - TE

1. Jared Cook, South Carolina - 41"
2. James Casey, Rice - 36"
3. Marquez Branson, Central Arkansas - 35"
4. John Phillips, Virginia - 33.5"
Kort Sperry, Colorado St. - 33.5"
6. Dan Gronkowski, Maryland - 33"
Cornelius Ingram, Florida - 33"
Shawn Nelson, Southern Miss - 33"
Brandon Pettigrew, Oklahoma St. - 33"