Vertical Jump
This crop of defensive linemen are incredibly athletic, and that was on full display on Saturday during the jumping period of drills. Johnathan Garvin from Miami led the way with a vertical jump of 36 inches, and finished second in the broad jump with a mark of 125 inches. Overall, it was a nice day for the former Hurricane.
- Garvin, Johnathan, Miami, 36.0
- Robinson, Alton, Syracuse, 35.5
- Wonnum, D.J., South Carolina, 34.5
- Gross-Matos, Yetur, Penn St., 34.0
- Tuszka, Derrek, North Dakota St., 33.5
- HIghsmith, Alex, Charlotte, 33.0
- Zungia, Jabari, Florida, 33.0
- Epenesa, A.J., Iowa, 32.5
- Willekes, Kenny, Michigan St., 32.5
- Coleman, Kendall, Syracuse, 32.0
Broad Jump
Jabari Zungia from Florida bested the entire group during the broad jump, finishing with an incredible mark of 127. Zungia also finished in the top-10 in the vertical jump, showing the kind of athleticism that could land him as a Day 2 pick. Penn State’s Yetur Gross-Matos, a potential first round pick, landed at No. 6 on this list, tying Derrek Tuszka with a 120 inch jump.
- Zungia, Jabari, Florida, 127.0
- Garvin, Johnathan, Miami, 125.0
- Highsmith, Alex, Charlotte, 125.0
- Smith-Williams, James, N.C. State, 123.0
- Wonnum, D.J., South Carolina, 123.0
- Gross-Matos, Yetur, Penn St., 120.0
- Tuszka, Derrek, North Dakota St., 120.0
- Robinson, Alton, Syracuse, 119.0
- Willekes, Kenny, Michigan St., 119.0
- Murchison, Larrell, N.C. State, 118.0
3-Cone Drill
One of the more pleasant surprises of the work on the field on Saturday was the effort of Tuszka, who finished in the top-10 in the vertical, broad, 3-cone, and 20-yard shuffle drills. While a virtual unknown prior to the Combine, this is a kid who may rocket up draft boards, and he is not only a workout warrior, as he finished his career by being named the Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
- Tuszka, Derrek, North Dakota St., 6.87
- Greenard, Johnathan, Florida, 7.13
- Wonnum, D.J., South Carolina, 7.25
- Highsmith, Alex, Charlotte, 7.32
- Robinson, Alton, Syracuse, 7.32
- Rivers, Chauncey, Mississippi St., 7.33
- Epenesa, A.J., Iowa, 7.34
- Smith-Williams, James, N.C. State, 7.35
- Madubuike, Justin, Texas A&M, 7.37
- Lynch, James, Baylor, 7.39
20-Yard Shuttle
The 20-yard shuttle is a good way to see the kind of lateral movement these defensive linemen bring to the table, and as they did in every drill on Saturday, they really showed out as a unit. Alex Highsmith from Charlotte led the pack with a 4.31 second mark in this shuttle, followed by Syracuse’s Alton Robinson at 4.32. Overall, there were at least ten guys who finished below 4.5, including A.J. Epenesa from Iowa, a potential first round pick.
- Highsmith, Alex, Charlotte, 4.31
- Robinson, Alton, Syracuse, 4.32
- Greenard, Johnathan, Florida, 4.34
- Tuszka, Derrek, North Dakota St., 4.34
- Strowbridge, Jason, North Carolina, 4.37
- Lynch, James, Baylor, 4.39
- Anea, Bradley, Utah, 4.43
- Windsor, Rob, Penn St., 4.44
- Wonnum, D.J., South Carolina, 4.44
- Epenesa, A.J., Iowa, 4.46
Defensive tackle and end are still areas where the Raiders can improve, even with youngsters Maxx Crosby and Clelin Ferrell returning for Year 2 in 2020. Guys like Maurice Hurst and P.J. Hall are solid in the middle, and still very young as well, so while this is not an area they will likely target with their two first round picks, do not be surprised if they add talent to the group with one of their three third round picks.