[OutsiderFan]

The issue isn't whether Stanford players are worse than the average combine performer.  It is more that Stanford players judged highly for their on-field performance have tended to do worse in combine workouts than their on-field performance would seem to make possible.  It's like scouts see the combine workouts and stop believing what they saw in game video, or at least question if it translates to the NFL.

Yankey was once considered a possible 1st round pick.  Murphy a 1st too.  Skov a possible 2nd.  I saw Josh Mauro was reported to have run a 5.21 40 yard time, coming off a year he was being talked about as an NFL prospect, so he didn't get drafted.  Chase Thomas was once considered a 2nd or 3rd round pick IIRC.  The workouts came, and they slid.

The NFL scouts love what they see from Stanford players on the field, but then they do the individual workout and seem to fall out of love in a lot of cases.  Trent Murphy was able to hold the line on this trend, probably in part because though his 40 yard time was ordinary,he turned in an impressive 37 inch vertical.  Who can argue with 6-5 a 37 inch vertical, and long arms combined with his on-field production and toughness?  It's almost like, "show me one exceptional workout result, and I'll believe what I see in Stanford games translates to the NFL."

[OutsiderFan]

The issue isn't whether Stanford players are worse than the average combine performer.  It is more that Stanford players judged highly for their on-field performance have tended to do worse in combine workouts than their on-field performance would seem to make possible.  It's like scouts see the combine workouts and stop believing what they saw in game video, or at least question if it translates to the NFL.

Yankey was once considered a possible 1st round pick.  Murphy a 1st too.  Skov a possible 2nd.  I saw Josh Mauro was reported to have run a 5.21 40 yard time, coming off a year he was being talked about as an NFL prospect, so he didn't get drafted.  Chase Thomas was once considered a 2nd or 3rd round pick IIRC.  The workouts came, and they slid.

The NFL scouts love what they see from Stanford players on the field, but then they do the individual workout and seem to fall out of love in a lot of cases.  Trent Murphy was able to hold the line on this trend, probably in part because though his 40 yard time was ordinary,he turned in an impressive 37 inch vertical.  Who can argue with 6-5 a 37 inch vertical, and long arms combined with his on-field production and toughness?  It's almost like, "show me one exceptional workout result, and I'll believe what I see in Stanford games translates to the NFL."