NFL Combine, Day 4 winners and losers: Jeff Okudah, Jeremy Chinn stand out
Winner: Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU
When you watch the tape from LSU on cornerback Kristian Fulton, it’s clear that his instincts and playmaking are there at the position. What he needed to prove at the NFL Combine was that he had the long-speed and explosiveness to succeed. He checked all the necessary boxes in the 40 (4.46 seconds), jumps (35.5-inch vertical, 123-inch broad) and 3-cone (6.94 seconds). Fulton’s testing almost surely cemented his status as a first-round corner.
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Loser: Stanford Samuels III, CB, Florida State
Speaking of another player that needed to show some of their speed in Indianapolis, the same was true of Stanford Samuels III. Unfortunately for him, he did the opposite of what Fulton did and left more questions on the table.
Weighing in at only 187 pounds, Samuels only ran the 40-yard dash in 4.65 seconds. And while there is a lot to like about the FSU product on film, that’s not what you want from a boundary corner. In fact, a position change to safety at the NFL level is likely in store for Samuels.
Winner: Troy Pride Jr., CB, Notre Dame
Troy Pride Jr. has absolutely nailed every moment in the 2020 pre-draft process to this point, shining in the Senior Bowl practices and now coming to the Scouting Combine and impressing the scouts, coaches and executives in attendance once again.
The Notre Dame corner ran the 40 in 4.4 seconds, jumped well and proved that he was quick in short areas as well. Though he measured in at under 6-0, he’s clearly got the ability as a coverage corner to be a successful defensive back in the NFL.
Winner: Antoine Winfield Jr., S, Minnesota
Much like Fulton and Samuels, one of the big questions about Antoine Winfield Jr. was his overall athleticism and explosiveness. The bloodlines run deep with the Minnesota product as does impressive film but, with injuries throughout his college career, whether he still had the tools to be a high-end NFL safety were in question.
Winfield answered those concerns with a 4.45-second 40, 36-inch vertical jump and 124-inch broad. Though he’s not a big safety (5-9, 203 pounds) by any means, he clearly has all you need to make him a top-64 selection in April.