INDIANAPOLIS — Cam Newton followed through on his promise to participate in drills at the NFL Scouting Combine on Sunday, and he was impressive.
The Heisman Trophy winner from Auburn ran the 40 yard dash in 4.59 seconds, which tied Washington’s Jake Locker for the third-fastest time amo
ng quarterbacks, tied for the best broad jump at 10 feet, 6 inches and had a 35-inch vertical jump.
NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said the 6-foot-5, 248-pounds Newton performed as expected.
“What do I think of Cam Newton? Nothing changed for me,” he said. “He’s got a big arm, better
mechanics than Vince Young or Tim Tebow or any of those other big guys.”
Mayock said the biggest questions about Newton weren’t answered during physical testing.
“He’s coming out of a pass offense where it’s fairly simple, not a lot of reads,” he said. “He didn’t have a lot of patience in the pocket, and I’m not hitting him on any of those things because that’s what he did to win a national championship. That’s what he’s supposed to do.”
Virginia Tech’s Tyrod Taylor had 40-yard dash time, 4.51 seconds. Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick was second with a 4.53-second 40. Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert and Cal’s Joshua Portis tied for fifth with a time of 4.62 seconds.
PAEA SETS MARK
Oregon State defensive tackle Stephen Paea set an NFL Scouting Combine record by bench pressing 225 pounds 49 times.
Paea, who was born in New Zealand and grew up in Tonga, wanted at least one more repetition.
“The only thing my body can do is bench and interview, so I might as well do my best on the bench,” Paea said. “I feel like I did OK. I didn’t do great. My goal was 50, and I was a little bit mad at myself after.”
Paea was unaware of the record of 45 lifts, set last year by Arkansas offensive guard Mitch Petrus.
“I feel like I’m blessed today,” Paea said. “Coming into the combine I didn’t even know the record until they made a big deal out of it.”
The second-best defensive lineman, North Carolina’s Marvin Austin, finished with 38 repetitions.
Mayock ranks Paea as the fourth-best defensive tackle available.
STANZI A STARTER?
Mayock included former Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi as part of a second-tier group of quarterbacks he believes could develop into an NFL starter.
Mayock says Newton, Locker, Gabbert and Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett will likely be starters. He included Stanzi in a group of potential starters that includes Kaepernick, TCU’s Andy Dalton and Florida State’s Christian Ponder.
Stanzi went into the combine focused merely on proving himself to the decision makers.
“I don’t worry too much about where you stack up, according to experts or outside sources,” he said. “It’s really how you feel about your abilities within. If you believe you can compete and believe in your work ethic, there’s nothing you should worry about.”
Stanzi said he has high expectations at the combine and beyond.
“All the quarterbacks, we’re all friends, but at the end of the day, if you’re a competitor, you know you’re the best guy in your heart and your mind,” Stanzi said. “If you don’t feel that way, this isn’t the right area for you, this isn’t the right place to be. It’s not a cocky thing — it’s being confident in what you can do.”
SCOTT BLAZES
The analysis on NFL.com says Da’Rel Scott lacks home-run speed.
So much for that. The Maryland running back posted the fastest 40-yard dash time among all players on Sunday, finishing in 4.34 seconds.
The 5-foot-11, 211-pound back ran for 708 yards and five touchdowns last season, a 5.8-yard average per carry.
Auburn’s Mario Fannin had the second-fastest time among running backs, finishing in 4.38 seconds.
Two small-school receivers set the standard. Edmond Gates of Abilene Christian and Ricardo Lockette of Fort Valley State posted times of 4.37 seconds. Julio Jones of Alabama was third in 4.39 seconds. A.J. Green of Georgia was 12th, in 4.50 seconds.
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