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As a guy who loves watching dominant defenses more than anything, today is pretty much a candy store for me. Jadeveon Clowney, Khalil Mack, Stephon Tuitt, Anthony Johnson, Louis Nix, Shayne Skov, Chris Borland, Ryan Shazier, and a host of other personal man-crushes of mine will be leaving everything they've got on the field to make their bid to thirty-two NFL teams. Mike Mayock has been dumping praise on the Mack Truck all week long while simultaneously voicing concerns about Clowney. I'm sure today will see no shortage of Mayock's trademark snark while being asked the same questions about Clowney and Mack in 50 different ways.
Five things to watch today:
- How does Stephon Tuitt run? He's dropped considerable weight and is back down to around 300 pounds for the first time since 2012. We'll see if he has regained the explosiveness that once pegged him as a top 10 pick.
- Can Chris Borland put on a show? He's a small guy with short arms, but don't think for a second that Borland isn't his own brand of freak. If he wow scouts enough with his speed and lower body explosiveness, people might be willing to forgive his height.
- How does Shayne Skov perform? Skov is widely regarded as one of the best instinctual linebackers in the country with excellent leadership, but some concerns have popped up about athleticism and fluidity. Not having a good outing in the 40 yard dash or agility drills could put a dent in Skov's stock leading into spring.
- Does Clowney live up to the hype? We've heard whispers of a 4.4 for months. Now we want to see it happen.
- Does Mack make a case for himself to the Texans? Weeks ago nobody would have thought that Mack could possibly be considered for the first overall pick, but the Underwear Olympics do strange things to pundits and mock drafters alike. I still am skeptical of Mack's worthiness over talents like Clowney or Teddy Bridgewater, but if he performs well enough I could see many Texans fans soften on the idea of a long-rumored trade with Cleveland to the fourth overall pick coming to fruition in exchange for pairing Mack with J.J. Watt. All speculation aside, that would be pretty sweet.
What are you looking for today, BRB faithful?