The 7 Worst Performances In The History Of The NFL Combine

The NFL Combine gives prospects the chance to boost their stock while showcasing their talents to the teams that gather in Indianapolis ahead of the draft each year. However, they can also tank their value if they fail to live up to expectations, which has been the case with more than a few guys who’ve been responsible for some pretty disastrous performances.

No one has had a rougher outing at the NFL Combine than these players

The event that is officially known as the “NFL Scouting Combine” has a history that stretches back to the early 1980s. It’s been held in Indianapolis on an annual basis since 1987, and thousands of players have flocked there over the years in the hopes of impressing the representatives who control their fate in the draft.

There are plenty of prospects who’ve managed to go higher than they probably would have after doing exactly that, but there are others who saw their value plummet (or, at the very least, forced some teams to reevaluate their upside) after botching their audition, including…

Orlando Brown

Orlando Brown decided to skip his senior season at Oklahoma, and the offensive lineman was widely viewed as a prospective first-rounder in the 2018 NFL Draft before he headed to the combine. However, that was not the case after it wrapped up.

The 6’8″, 345-pound big man raised the first red flag when he was only able to bang out 14 reps on the bench press (the worst of anyone at his position by three), and scouts were treated to a second one when he recorded one of the worst 40-yard dash times in combine history at 5.85 seconds.

His 19.5″ inch vertical jump and 82″ broad jump also put him dead last among OLs, and he subsequently fell to the Ravens in the third round. However, the man who currently plays for the Bengals has done pretty well for himself, as he’s started the vast majority of the 126 games he’s played as he gears up for his ninth season.

Maurice Clarett

Maurice Clarett infamously tweeted “We ain’t come to play school” while bemoaning the fact that he had to attend class while playing at Ohio State, and he got the chance to focus on football after he was kicked off the team in 2003 at the start of his sophomore season.

He unsuccessfully sued the NFL in an attempt to be deemed eligible for the ensuing draft, and he arrived at the NFL Combine in 2005 hoping to make a good impression after a lengthy hiatus. However, the running back failed to do that by posting a time of 4.85 seconds in the 40-yard dash (the worst of anyone at that position), which ended up being the only drill he participated in.

The Broncos shocked plenty of people when they selected Clarett with the final pick in the third round, but he never played a snap in the NFL.

Andre Smith

Andre Smith tipped the scales at 332 pounds at the NFL Combine in 2009, and while weight can come in handy when you’re an offensive lineman, his physique sparked some concerns. He compounded the problem by deciding to take off his shirt ahead of the 40-yard dash, which was responsible for a sight that was as unattractive as the 5.28 he posted.

He was also only able to record 19 reps on the bench press, and he didn’t do himself any favors by leaving the event early without bothering to inform anyone. He was still selected by the Bengals with the sixth overall pick, and he spent seven of his 12 NFL seasons with Cincinnati.

Vontaze Burfict

The Bengals have a bit of a thing for going after players who didn’t fare too well at the NFL Combine, which was also the case with Vontaze Burfict.

Burfict’s lack of discipline both on and off the field were a cause for concern during his time at Arizona State, but he was still confident enough in his abilities to skip his senior season and declare for the 2012 NFL Draft.

He did not impress at the combine, as his 5.09 40-yard dash and 104″ broad jump put him dead last among the dozen LBs who took part (his 30″ vertical would have also been the worst if not for USC’s Chris Galippo, who recorded 29.5″).

Burfict ultimately went undrafted, but the Bengals signed him as a free agent. His disciplinary issues followed him to the NFL, but he still managed to stick around for eight seasons.

Terrell Suggs

Terrell Suggs was a standout defensive end at Arizona State, but “standout” is not the word that can be used to describe a combine performance where he had a 4.84 40-yard dash and 18 reps on the bench.

That didn’t deter the Ravens from scooping him up with the 12th overall pick before he was named Defensive Rookie of the Year. He ended up being a seven-time Pro Bowler who earned Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2011, and he was a key contributor during Baltimore’s run to a victory in Super Bowl XLVII the following season after bouncing back from an Achilles tear.

De’runnya Wilson

Mississippi State wide receiver De’Runnya Wilson decided to declare for the draft after his junior season, and he was a possible mid-round selection who could have really benefited from a solid performance at the combine in 2016.

Unfortunately for him, it was anything but that. Wilson’s 40-yard dash time of 4.85 seconds put him last among receivers, and he was just one of two with a vertical jump of less than 30 inches with a position-worst 28.5. He went undrafted, and while he was invited to work out with the Bears, he never made the team.

Tom Brady

Tom Brady was not exactly a highly-touted recruit after wrapping up his college career at Michigan, and that definitely did not change after he participated in the NFL Combine in 2000 (which you can’t talk about without mentioning the fairly infamous shirtless picture he posed for in Indy).

The QB was not known for his speed during his time in Ann Arbor, and he showed why that was the case with a 40-yard dash that clocked in at 5.28 seconds (Louisville’s Chris Redman was the only passer who was slower). His vertical was also the worst of that bunch (not that it really mattered), but his lackluster showing certainly contributed to him falling to the Patriots in the sixth round with the 199th overall pick.

However, as you probably know, that ended up working out pretty well for New England.