Best NFL Combine performances by SEC stars last 10 years

For many of college football’s brightest stars, the NFL Combine serves as their first job interview after college and as perhaps the biggest stepping stone on their path to the NFL.

While the combine only tells part of the story about a given player, it allows the nation’s top draft prospects to put their raw physical abilities on display without pads on their shoulders or a ball in their hands. And, as you can imagine, the SEC has been as successful at the combine as it has been on the field in college and throughout the NFL.

In honor the 2015 combine, being held this week in Indianapolis, we’ve gathered some of the conference’s best combine performances of the last decade. You’ll recognize most of the names on the list, and many of these players have sustained successful careers at the professional level.

40-YARD DASH

4.31 seconds — Johnathan Joseph, CB, South Carolina (2006): Joseph was a first-round pick in the 2006 draft and he remains a starter in the NFL to this day, most recently playing for the Houston Texans. He’s a two-time Pro Bowler and was a second-team All-Pro selection in 2011.

4.32 seconds — Chris Houston, CB, Arkansas (2007): Houston was a second-round pick in the 2007 draft and spent seven years in the league playing for the Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions. He was not signed to a team in 2014. From 2007-13 he recorded 13 interceptions and returned three for touchdowns.

4.32 seconds — Chad Jackson, WR, Florida (2006): Jackson was a second-round pick in 2006 and played for four teams during his six-year NFL career. He also spent some time in the Canadian Football League in 2011, the last year he played professionally.

4.32 seconds — Tim Jennings, CB, Georgia (2006): Jennings was a second-round pick in 2006 and has lasted in the NFL for nine seasons with two different teams. He’s spent the last five years with the Chicago Bears and was a member of the Indianapolis Colts Super Bowl championship team as a rookie. He’s a two-time Pro Bowler and was a second-team All-Pro in 2011. He led the NFL in interceptions in 2012.

20-YARD SHUTTLE

3.81 seconds — Jason Allen, CB, Tennessee (2006): Allen was a first-round pick in 2006 and lasted eight years in the NFL with three different teams. He recorded 15 interceptions for his career and last played with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2013.

3.90 seconds — Casey Hayward, CB, Vanderbilt (2012): Hayward was taken in the second round by Green Bay Packers in 2012 and he’s spent his entire NFL career with Packers. He was named to the NFL’s All-Rookie team following the 2012 season.

3.93 seconds — Chris Rainey, RB, Florida (2012): Rainey was a fifth-round pick in 2012 and spent time with three different NFL teams during the first three years of his career. He was released by the Arizona Cardinals in the middle of last season and eventually found his way to the CFL.

3.94 seconds — Odell Beckham Jr., WR, LSU (2014): Beckham was a first-round pick by the New York Giants last year, and he went on to catch 91 passes for more than 1,000 yards in just 12 games, earning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors as a result. He was also named to last year’s Pro Bowl.

3.94 seconds — Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina (2012): Gilmore was a first-round selection of the Buffalo Bills, and he’s spent his entire three-year career in Buffalo. He has six interceptions in those three seasons and remains a starter for the Bills.

60-YARD SHUTTLE

10.87 seconds — T.J. Moe, WR, Missouri (2013): Moe was undrafted in 2013 but spent time on the Patriots’ and Rams’ practice squads during the last two seasons. He’s yet to record his first NFL catch.

10.93 seconds — Beckham Jr.: See above.

11.01 seconds — Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU (2011): Peterson was a first-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2011 and he’s developed into one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL during his four-year career. He’s made four straight Pro Bowls and is a two-time first-team All-Pro honoree. He set an NFL record with four punt returns for touchdowns in a single season, and did it as a rookie in 2011, even returning one punt 99 yards to glory. Peterson has recorded 15 career interceptions.

BENCH PRESS (225 LBS.)

45 repetitions — Mitch Petrus, OL, Arkansas (2010): Petrus was a fifth-round pick in 2010 and spent three years in the NFL with three different teams from 2010-12. He was a member of the New York Giants 2011 Super Bowl championship team, and last played for the Tennessee Titans in 2012.

44 repetitions — Jeff Owens, OL, Georgia (2010): Owens was a seventh-round pick in 2010 and spent one season with the Philadelphia Eagles before eventually falling out of the league.

VERTICAL JUMP

43 inches — Eric Berry, S, Tennessee (2010): Berry was a first-round pick in 2010 by the Kansas City Chiefs, where he spent the first five years of his NFL career. He’s a three-time Pro Bowler and was a first-team All-Pro in 2013. Berry has eight career interceptions and a pair of forced fumbles, but his career was put on hold in the middle of the 2014 season when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma after discovering a mass on his chest.

43 inches — Christine Michael, RB, Texas A&M (2013): Michael was a second-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks in 2013 and has played in two straight Super Bowls. He’s rushed for 254 yards in his career while serving as Seattle’s third-string tailback and playing primarily on special teams.

42 inches — Mark Anderson, DL, Alabama (2006): Anderson was a fifth-round pick in the 2006 draft and spent eight years in the NFL playing for four different teams. He was named to the NFL’s All-Rookie team in 2006 and recorded 36.5 career sacks and 7 forced fumbles for his career. He last played with the Buffalo Bills in 2013.

42 inches — Trindon Holliday, RB, LSU (2010): Holiday, who is vastly undersized but possesses supreme speed, was a sixth-round pick by the Houston Texans in 2010. He’s lasted five years in the NFL as a kick returner, spending time with five different teams including three different teams in 2014 alone. He’s made only two career receptions but has scored eight career touchdowns.

BROAD JUMP

11 feet, 4 inches — Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee (2013): Hunter was a second-round pick by the Tennessee Titans in 2013 and has played his entire NFL career with that franchise. He has 41 career receptions and six career touchdowns to his name.

11 feet, 3 inches — Julio Jones, WR, Alabama (2011): Jones was a first-round pick by the Atlanta Falcons in 2011 and has served as one of the NFL’s top wideouts ever since. He’s posted two 1,000-yard seasons in his four-year NFL career and led the NFL in receiving yards last season. Jones is a two-time Pro Bowler and he’s scored 26 career touchdowns.

11 feet, 2 inches — Eric Reid, S, LSU (2013): Reid was a first-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers in 2013, and he’s played both his NFL seasons with that organization. He was a Pro Bowler in 2013 and has recorded 7 career interceptions.

11 feet, 2 inches — Carl Stewart, RB, Auburn (2008): Stewart went undrafted in 2008 and spent time on two different practice squads in his lone season in the league. Still, for what it’s worth, he can jump really far, as evidenced by his showing at the combine.

3-CONE DRILL

6.48 seconds — Terrence Toliver, WR, LSU (2011): Toliver went undrafted in 2011 and has spent time with five NFL teams during his four-year NFL career. However, he was only the member of an active roster for part of the 2011 season and the entire 2012 season while playing with the Detroit Lions. He’s yet to record his first career NFL catch.

6.50 seconds — Rainey: See above.

6.53 seconds — Moe: See above.

6.54 seconds — Holliday: See above.

Ethan Levine

A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.