NFL Scouting Combine: Former Penn State players shine

Penn State seemingly won the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine

Eight former Nittany Lions traveled to Indianapolis over the past week in hopes of impressing scouts and coaches from NFL teams. Penn State walked away from Indianapolis as one of the top-performing schools of the week.

The Combine isn’t the only factor that’s taken into consideration when deciding wether or not to draft a prospect, but it certainly plays a part.

Entering the week, all of the talk around the Penn State players centered on running back Saquon Barkley. However, the likes of tight end Mike Gesicki, wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton, and defensive back Troy Apke surprised many with their performances.

As far as Barkley, he certainly didn’t disappoint. He was expected to post one of the top 40-yard dash times, and he did just that. He also showed his strength with his bench press reps and vertical leap. If Barkley wasn’t considered the best player in the draft before the NFL Combine, he certainly was by the end.

Barkley, who showed his freak athletic ability on the field over his three seasons in Happy Valley, was also famous for his wight room performances. That was all on display in Indianapolis.

This article from SB Nation gets into more detail of how Barkley stacked up with running backs of his size at past combines.

Not to be outdone by his teammate, Gesicki used his opportunity to show his potential of being one of the top tight ends available in the draft. He was impressive at the Combine, putting up 22 reps in the bench press and jumping 41.5 inches in the vertical.

He was a top performer in the 40-yard dash, the 60-yard shuttle, and the three-cone drill. Gesicki made himself known as a top prospect and should now be one of the first tight ends off the board.

When the wide receivers started their drills, Hamilton once again impresses. He followed up his strong showing in the Senior Bowl and connoted to impress scouts. Hamilton has made one of the biggest moves since the ned of the season and is now expected to get selected in one of the first few rounds.

One of the surprises of the whole week came on the last day, Monday. Safety Troy Apke had social media buzzing when he ripped off a blazing 4.34 40-yard dash. That numbed tied him for fourth overall, regardless of position and really impressed Deion Sanders.

Head coach James Franklin took the opportunity to promote his program to future recruits.

Some of the “experts” seemed surprised by the numbers put up by some of the Penn State players. However, after a strong season and an impressive win in the Fiesta Bowl, it shouldn’t really be a surprise to see some former Nittany Lions put up some impressive numbers at the NFL Combine.