I would argue against a combine thread - just throw everything in the 2018 draft thread since it is all related. Another pathetic combine coming up.
68 out of 336 invitees to the combine were white skill position players. 11 specialists (punters/kickers) and one long snapper (Tanner Carew). Subtract 12 from 336 and you get 324. Divide 68/324 and you get approx 21% of the skill position players going to the combine as being white. Remember the combine acts as the final NFL controlled gate keeper between whites and getting drafted - Pro Days are many white athletes only shot at getting noticed if they were passed over for the Combine, Senior Bowl, Shrine Game and any other post season all star games.
QB (16/19)
Austin Allen
Josh Allen
Kurt Benkert
Sam Darnold
Danny Etling
Luke Falk
Riley Ferguson
Kyle Lauletta
Tanner Lee
Chase Litton
Baker Mayfield
Josh Rosen
Mason Rudolph
Nic Shimonek
Mike White
Logan Woodside
RB (3/32)
Nick Bawden
Donnie Ernsberger
Ryan Nall
OL (24/47)
Brian Allen (C)
Dave Bright (OT)
Alex Cappa (OT)
Will Clapp (OG/C)
Mason Cole (C)
Austin Corbett (OG)
Nick Gates (OT)
Colby Gossett (OG)
Taylor Hearn (OG)
Sam Jones (OG)
Rick Leonard (OT)
Cole Madison (OT)
KC McDermott (OT)
Mike McGlinchey (OT)
Kolton Miller (OT)
Quenton Nelson (OG)
Brian O'Neil (OT)
Billy Price (OG/C)
Scott Quessenberry (OG)
Frank Ragnow (C)
Braden Smith (OG)
Wyatt Teller (OG)
Brett Toth (OT)
Sean Welsh (OG)
WR (4/44)
Braxton Berrios
Dylan Cantrell
Trey Quinn
Jake Wieneke
TE (11/17)
Mark Andrews
Tyler Conklin
Will Dissly
Troy Fumagalli
Mike Gesicki
Dallas Goedert
Hayden Hurst
Ryan Izzo
Dalton Schultz
Durham Smythe
David Wells
DL (4/52)
Taven Bryan
Kylie Fitts
Sam Hubbard
Harrison Phillips
LB (5/42)
Jack Cichy
Nick DeLuca
Garret Dooley
Josey Jewell
Leighton Vander Esch
DB (1/70)
Troy Apke
List of snubs - not all of them but quite a few:
QB Jeremiah Briscoe
QB Nick Stevens
DB Dallin Leavitt
DB Micah Hanemann
WR Justin Watson
TE Cam Serigne
DB Cole Reyes
DE Marcus Martin
DT Parker Cothren
DE Dalton Keene
OT Zach Crabtree
OG Cody O'Connell
LB Joel Lanning
DE Justin Lawler
DE Conor Sheehy
QB Brogan Roback
RB/QB/WR Nick Holley
DE Joe Ostman
LB Drue Tranquill
DT Christian LaCouture
DT Henry Mondeaux
DB Nick Gesualdi
DB Bradd Ellis
DB Joe Ferguson
WR Matt Vandenberg
DB Chase Dutra
DB Ryan Moeller
LB Quentin Poling
LB Frank Ginda
LB Auggie Sanchez
LB Ty Schwab
LB Ben Niemann
As with most combines there is a gigantic "black drop" to the affair with just a few white skill players sprinkled in. I see no reason to believe this trend will change in the foreseeable future. And despite the fact that there are even less than the usual white defensive players I am going into this combine looking at the glass half full as opposed to half empty.
Here is why. Saturday should be a hoot. This is one of the most loaded QB classes in recent memory. And the same goes for TE's. And while four WR's doesn't seem like much in relative terms that's not a horrible number. And they all work out on Saturday. And S Troy Apke was not on the radar at all until his post season invite to an all star game where he earned an MVP. So a great and welcome surprise from a player who could test well and get drafted. And Ryan Nall has for the" time being" been listed as a RB, not a FB, and like Apke it will be interesting to see how he tests. But unlike Apke, Nall is sure to get drafted. Crumbs I know. One RB and one DB.
As usual there are several things to keep in mind during this event. It is CRUCIAL that the white skill players (not talking about OL's or DT's) run fast 40 yard dash's. The vertical leap and 20 yard shuttle are important but for caste purposes one of the best weapons against caste think is for white athletes to blow out a swift 40. There is nothing like the feeling I got when players like Matt Jones, Ryan Swope and Jeff Janis burned 4.3 40 yard dash times. And as for the DE's, TE's and LB's I want to see exceptional times as well.
But the combine usually turns into a pseudo homo screeching love affair for the black athletes who turned in fast times etc. All the more reason for white athletes to upstage them as best as they can. But every year we have to suffer through god like black skill player worshipping that takes place and expect no less this year.
So onto a position close to my heart WR. As the year ended it looked like the minimum/maximum number of white WR's drafted would be one to two. Jake Wieneke, a tall WR I know little about has consistently shown up on draft boards. While not as decorated as Cooper Kupp, I don't expect an exceptional 40 yard dash time. Hopefully he can keep it reasonable enough to keep teams interested.
I did not watch much of Braxton Berrios play for the simple reason I never watch caste ridden Miami unless they are playing a team of interest for me. But from what I have seen I think he has a legitimate shot of being drafted. Seen as a poor man's Ryan Switzer he lacks ideal size and length. But he has three things going for him which Carolina mentioned above. He is extremely smart ( a straight A student). And I love his attitude. He has stated he will run a fast 40 and I like that kind of confidence coming out of a white player. He also is a true punt returner.
Dylan Cantrell is a rangy WR who has not really shown up on draft boards so it was a pleasant surprise to see him invited. A well known leaper it will be important for him to run under say 4.54 seconds. He has the size to play in the NFL.
And Trey Quinn is seen as the best of the lot and why not. I see a lot of Adam Thielen in him.
Interesting to note that Quinn, Cantrell, Berrios and Apke turned in swift 40 yard dash times while in HS. While you always have to take HS times with a grain of salt I am hoping that all four run 4.4 range 40 yard dashes. And better yet one or two 4.3 jobs would make me ecstatic. At the end of the day I can live with three WR's being drafted and hope like hell we catch a head wind like last year and squeeze in a fourth.
As usual fine WR's not invited to the combine that will likely not get drafted are Matt Vandenburg, Austin Proehl and Justin Watson. But reaching the three to four mark with white WR's is easier said than done and we have years of proof for that.
On the surface this feels like a better than average combine in terms of potential but the proof will be in the pudding especially the 40 yard dash times that scouts over rely on. All I know is I am looking forward to this combine more so than most. Especially Saturday.