BY FRAN DUFFY

I find the National Football Scouting Combine to be a test of expectations. Fast players should look fast. Slow players should look slow. When the results don’t match the expectations, that is when more work must be done.

Below you’ll find my expectations for this position group this week in Indianapolis. Who do I expect to stand out? Who does this week mean the most for? What are the drills I prioritize most? Here are my thoughts on all of that and more!

Workout Warriors:

These are the players who I expect to perform best in the athletic testing portion of the workout.

Arian Smith (Georgia)

A speedster for the Bulldogs, Smith was an All-American sprinter for the UGA Track Team, running leadoff on a record-setting 4x100 meter relay time that won an SEC Title. He knows a thing or two about this type of event.

Isaiah Bond (Texas)

Smith and Bond are two of the front runners to post the fastest 40-yard dash time at the entire event. I was a bit surprised when Bond declared for the draft after what was a bit of a lackluster season for the Longhorns, but his athleticism and top-end speed should be put on full display in drills. Bond can take the top off, and he should be one of the better overall testers at the position.

Savion Williams (TCU)

Williams didn’t make it down to the Senior Bowl, so I’m hoping that we don’t have an undisclosed injury that keeps him from working out this week. That would be criminal, because at 6-foot-5, 225 pounds, he has a unique combination of height/weight/speed that makes him a special physical specimen. That should translate to eye-popping numbers for a receiver his size.

Luther Burden (Missouri)

Burden was my WR1 entering the season, and a big reason for that was his dynamic athleticism on tape. An explosive athlete who got on top of SEC corners regularly while also being a dangerous playmaker with the ball in his hands, it would be a pretty big disappointment if he did not test well in Indy.

Jaylin Lane (Virginia Tech)

There are guys that are quick and there are guys that are fast. Then you have the small part of the Venn Diagram with guys that are both. That’s where Lane checks in. The 5-foot-9 Hokie had a pretty good week in Mobile last month for the Senior Bowl and I think he’ll continue that momentum here with a well-rounded workout.

Quan Felton (Virginia Tech)

Another Hokie on the list, Felton is built much differently at 6-foot-4, 223 pounds, but he has real explosive traits and can push vertically up the field. My guess is that the 40 time will look good, but not great, on it’s face but when you factor in his weight the number will look very strong.

Jacolby George (Miami)