NFL Combine 2019: Draft prospects who stood out

Darnell Savage, S, Maryland

I thought this year’s safety class really outshined the cornerbacks. It featured the fastest 40-yard dash among all players with Ole Miss’ Zedrick being the only one to go sub 4.3, the highest vertical jump by Virginia’s Juan Thornhill going 44 inches and good numbers throughout.

The guy among the group that really stood out to me, however, was Maryland’s Darnell Savage. The below-200 pounder already flashed a lot on tape when I watched his teammate Tre Watson and then had a really good Senior Bowl week. At Lucas Oil stadium he started things off with a 39.5-inch vertical jump and a 10’6” broad jump before getting onto the tracks. His blazing 4.36 in the 40 was eighth-best among all players at the combine and the on-field workout was equally impressive.

Savage had no issues whatsoever flipping his hips and changing directions in any of the drills and did a nice job high-pointing the ball before taking them back. As somewhat of a hybrid nickel-safety prospect Savage needed to confirm the range and short-area burst he displayed on tape and I don’t think he left scouts with any questions about his athletic abilities.

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Check in next week for the start of my positional draft rankings. We will kick things off the running backs and reveal two groups each week.

Once all those are released, I will put up my top 100 big board and do my one and only mock draft of the year. So stay tuned - lots to come!