Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Wolverines in the NFL: Pre-Combine Reports

Mike Martin is large.
The NFL Combine begins tomorrow and continues through the 28th. Michigan is represented by Molk, Martin, and Hemingway as they attempt to impress scouts and coaches for the upcoming NFL Draft, which will take place April 26-28. But before we start hearing about Wonderlic scores, forty times, interview impressions, and bench press reps, here's a look at where Michigan's participants currently project:

Junior Hemingway:
Expected to be a late round pick or an undrafted free agent, Hemingway is the 36th rated wide receiver according to ESPN, the 39th to Todd McShay and the 46th to CBS. Hemingway, of course, isn't very explosive, fast or agile, but his big body and jump ball skills have caught the eye of NFL scouts. Hopefully Junior is able to stick around the NFL for a few years and earn some money since his family home was recently burglarized and many of his personal items were stolen while he was in Atlanta training for the combine (watch news coverage here).

David Molk: Molk and Martin share the same goal: break the combine's bench press record. While Molk remains ambitious in the weight room, he won't be running or participating in agility drills at the combine due to his foot injury. "It kind of kills me, because that was what I was always really good at," Molk said. "I could kill all of those drills." Agility drills or not, Molk's athleticism/mobility is not lost on NFL scouts, who have him pegged as a good fit with a zone blocking team. Still, at 6'2'' 286 lbs., Molk's ability to compete against the behemoth defensive tackles of the NFL remains a point of concern for scouts, and most projections have Molk as a later round draft selection. Molk is currently the fifth ranked center to ESPN and the sixth to CBS. He also will likely face questions about his health during interviews after suffering four injuries to his right leg since 2009. Watch Molk rehab that leg and train with Mike Barwis in this video.

Mike Martin: After drawing rave reviews while in Mobile, Alabama practicing for the Senior Bowl, Martin is considered an early round selection by some and a mid-round selection by others. Scouts cite strength, intelligence, toughness, technique and quickness among his strengths while noting size and reach as weaknesses. Thanks to his video editing abilities, Martin gives us a three minute peek into his daily grind via his Twitter:



Kevin Koger - who was outspoken about his combine snub - and Steve Watson are scheduled to participate in the "regional NFL combine" on March 3. Meanwhile, RVB will focus on rehabbing his injured foot while preparing for Michigan's Pro Day on March 15.

3 comments:

  1. I'd really like to see Martin get 50

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  2. Yep, all he has to do is 50 reps of a mere 225 pounds and the record's his. . .

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  3. Kevin Koger is a perfect fit for the Giants. I know they're interested.

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