Here’s a list of the local players invited to the scouting combine:
GEORGIA TECH
DeAndre Smelter, WR
Darren Waller, WR
GEORGIA
Chris Conley, WR
Todd Gurley, RB
Amarlo Herrera, LB
Damian Swann, CB
Ramik Wilson, LB
OTHER PLAYERS FROM GEORGIA AT THE COMBINE
Mario Alford, CB, West Virginia, Greenville
Henry Anderson, DE, Stanford, Woodward Academy
Rory Anderson, TE, South Carolina, McEachern
Neiron Ball, CB, Florida, Jackson
Vic Beasley, DE, Clemson, Adairsville
Detrick Bonner, FS, Virginia Tech, Luella
Trenton Brown, OL, Florida, Westover
Justin Coleman, DB, Tennessee, Brunswick
Corey Crawford, DE, Clemson, Carver-Columbus
Geremy Davis, WR, Connecticut, Norcross
Mike Davis, RB, South Carolina, Stephenson
Xzavier Dickson, LB, Alabama, Griffin
Alvin Dupree, LB, Kentucky, Wilkinson County
Cameron Erving, OT, Florida State, Colquitt County
Max Garcia, C, Florida, Norcross
Rashad Greene WR, Florida State, St. Westover
Zach Hodges, DE, Harvard, Tri-Cities
Grady Jarrett, DT, Clemson, Rockdale County
Derrick Lott, DE, Chattanooga, North Cobb
Nick Marshall, QB/DB, Auburn, Wilcox County
Lorenzo Mauldin, DE, Louisville, Jackson
Tre McBride, WR, William & Mary, Ola
Keith Mumphery, WR, Michigan State, Dooly County
Steven Nelson, CB, Oregon State, Northside-Warner Robins
Breshad Perriman, WR, Central Florida, Arabia Mountain
Garry Peters, CB, Clemson, Heritage-Conyers
Austin Shepherd, OT, Alabama, Buford
Blake Sims, QB, Alabama, Gainesville
Preston Smith, DL, Mississippi State, Stephenson
Gabe Wright, DT, Auburn, Carver-Columbus
From Adairsville to Brunswick, the state of Georgia will be well-presented at the NFL scouting combine which opened Tuesday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
As expected, there are numerous players from Georgia (five), Georgia Tech (two), the SEC (14) and ACC (eight) with state and local ties. But local players from William & Mary, Harvard and Stanford were also invited to league’s gloried track and field meet/job interview sessions.
In all, there are 37 players with Georgia ties. That total would have been 38, but Tennessee linebacker A.J. Johnson (Gainesville) has his invitation revoked after being indicted on rape charges Friday.
The number is way up from last season when 23 players with state ties participated. The last time there were 30 or more players with Georgia ties at the combine back was 2011, when 31 players were invited.
Georgia running back Todd Gurley, who is recovering from knee surgery, will attend in order to undergo medical examinations and interview with teams. Despite his injury, he’s projected to be selected in the first round.
“For a guy like Gurley, or anybody who can’t perform or is injured, they can still sit across from these decision-makers and talk about what’s important to them and get to know them on a personal level,” said Chad Chaltos, a partner with search firm Korn Ferry. “The teams have a lot of tape. They’ve seen Todd Gurley perform. There shouldn’t be a lot of doubt about what he can do.”
Other players with Georgia ties will have something to prove.
Alabama quarterback Blake Sims, who played at Gainesville High, completed 64.5 percent of his passes and threw for 28 touchdowns last season. But he still must impress NFL scouts.
“Like any quarterback at the combine, you’re only making like 20-plus throws,” NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said. “Get out there and rip it. Don’t worry about the receivers and whether if you know them or if they break it off at 10 instead of 12 yards. Scouts and coaches understand that. All they really want to see is the ball come out of your hand.”
Sims is considered to have a good arm but teams will want to see how it compares to other invited quarterbacks.
“It’s a bad quarterback class,” Mayock said. “I think he’s late draftable or a priority free agent. In any event, he’ll be in a camp.”
Mayock is high on Central Florida wide receiver Breshad Perriman and believes that, with a fast 40-yard dash time, he could move up into the first round.
Perriman, the son of former NFL wide receiver Brett Perriman, played at Arabia Mountain. NFL teams will want to know why he bounced around three high schools. He also played at M.L. King and Heritage-Conyers.
Perriman (6 feet 3, 214 pounds) caught 50 passes for 1,044 yards and nine touchdowns last season.
“He’s a natural hands catcher,” Mayock said. “To me, he looks like a first-round receiver.”
Clemson defensive end Vic Beasley (Adairsville) is one of the top players at his position. Tennessee cornerback Justin Coleman (Brunswick) started 34 games in a row.
William & Mary wide receiver Tre McBride, who played at Ola High, was a three-time all-Colonial Athletic Association pick. He ranks second in career catches at William & Mary (196).
Zach Hodges started at Tri-Cities High before going to the prestigious Exeter (N.H.) Academy. As a defensive end at Harvard, he terrorized Ivy League quarterbacks, finishing with a school-record 26 career sacks.
Hodges won the George “Bulger” Lowe Award as New England’s defensive player of the year, was a Butkus Award finalist and was named Ivy League co-defensive player of the year in 2014.
Henry Anderson, who played defensive end at Stanford and Woodward Academy, had 15 tackles for loss and 8 1/2 sacks last season for the Cardinal.
Other intriguing local prospects include Mississippi State defensive end Preston Smith, (Stephenson), South Carolina tight end Rory Anderson (McEachern) and Chattanooga defensive end Derrick Lott (North Cobb).
Smith (6-6, 270 pounds) has the size that Falcons coach Dan Quinn likes at defensive end. Lott is also massive at 6-4, 303 pounds.
Anderson, while battling through a triceps injury, caught 22 passes for 260 yards and a touchdown last season.
Player invitations to the combine are determined by a selection committee, which consists of directors of both the National and BLESTO scouting services, which represent 25 NFL teams. Personnel executives from around the league round out the committee.
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