Rocky’s World: Looking back at the Scouting Combine numbers for current Chiefs

Let’s see how some of the best Chiefs players fared.

Top college prospects from around the country descended on Indianapolis this week for the NFL Combine. They will be paraded across the stage in their tight shorts, so that general managers and scouts can inspect the size of their hands and the length of their arms.

Each Combine has its share of John Ross IIIs, they all look like they’re the next big thing, but once you put the pads on them, they almost entirely disappear.

So this begs the question: how important is the Combine? Or — to put it another way — how did some of the Kansas City Chiefs’ top players fare on their big day at the meat market?

So without further adieu, let’s hop in our DeLorean and travel back in time to see if being good at jumping while standing flat-footed actually correlates to winning 50-50 balls.

Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Patrick Mahomes, 2017 NFL Draft — First round, 10th overall

Height: 74.13 inches (36.7%)

Weight: 225 pounds (69.1%)

BMI: 29.48

Arm length: 33.25 inches (88%)

Hand size: 9.25 inches (24.6%)

Wingspan: 78.500 inches

Birthdate: 9/17/1995

In 2017, Mahomes was on everybody’s radar coming out of Texas Tech.

He was the risk-taking gunslinger who could flick the ball 60 yards while on the run. He threw for over 5,000 yards and 41 touchdowns in his senior year alone. The big question hanging over Mahomes’ head going into the Combine was whether or not he was too raw — and if he could play within the structure of an NFL offense. Pundit after pundit highlighted the fact that spread offense quarterbacks do not fare well in the NFL. They pointed to his footwork and his bad habit of throwing off base as the reason why he would fail in the NFL.

40-yard dash: 4.8 seconds

Faster than: DeShone Kizer, Nick Mullens

Slower than: DeShaun Watson, Mitchell Trubisky

Vertical leap: 30 inches

Higher than: Mitchell Trubisky

Lower than: DeShaun Watson, DeShone Kizer, Nick Mullens

Broad jump: 114 inches

Greater than: DeShone Kizer, Nick Mullens

Less than: DeShaun Watson, Mitchell Trubisky

Shuttle: 4.08 seconds

Faster than: everyone

Slower than: nobody

3-cone: 6.88 seconds

Faster than: DeShaun Watson, DeShone Kizer, Nick Mullens

Slower than: Mitchell Trubisky

Wonderlic: 24

Higher than: DeShaun Watson

Lower than: DeShone Kizer, Nick Mullens, Mitchell Trubisky

Throw velocity: 60 MPH

Faster than: everyone

Slower than: nobody

The funny thing about all of this is that when we look at Mahomes’ athletic testing at the Combine, they are pedestrian at best, except for the shuttle drill and Mahomes’ throw velocity. Who would have thought that being agile and throwing the ball hard are desirable traits in a quarterback?

Once Mahomes got the chance to throw the ball, his elite arm talent shined through.

I was a little surprised to see that Mahomes scored so low on the Wonderlic, but then again, the test is little more than a glorified BuzzFeed quiz to see which Harry Potter character you are. So I wouldn’t put too much stock in it.

Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Travis Kelce, 2013 NFL Draft — Third round, 63rd overall

Height: 76.88 inches

Weight: 257 pounds (71.2%)

BMI: 31.31

Arm length: (N/A)

Hand size: (N/A)

Wingspan: 80.000 inches

Birthdate: 10/5/1989

In his senior season, Travis Kelce had the fourth-most receiving yards by any tight end in college football, with 722 yards and eight touchdowns. Coming into the Combine, he was viewed as a big athletic receiving tight end with a lot of upside.

In 2010, the Chiefs drafted Tony Moeaki to replace Tony Gonzalez, who was traded two years prior in 2008, but a series of injuries limited Moeaki’s development, and he never quite turned into the star the Chiefs envisioned him to be. Enter Travis Kelce.

40-yard dash: 4.63 seconds

Faster than: Tyler Eifert, Jordan Reed, Zach Ertz

Slower than: Chris Gragg (whoever that is)

Vertical leap: N/A

Broad jump: N/A

Shuttle: N/A

3-cone: N/A

Wonderlic: 22

Higher than: Nobody

Lower than: Tyler Eifert, Zach Ertz, Vance McDonald

Kelce did not participate in any other drills beyond the 40-yard dash due to an abdominal tear he sustained before the Senior Bowl. Heading into the Combine, Kelce was regarded as a second-round prospect, so one has to wonder if his injury caused his draft stock to fall a little.

Kelce was a little immature and prone to occasionally making boneheaded mistakes early in his career, which makes sense when you see his Wonderlic score.

To his credit, Kelce has matured into one of the most respected voices in the clubhouse.

While his 40-yard dash time is good, it’s not elite for a receiving tight end. But then again, his raw physical traits have never been what makes him great. He is a student of the game. He focuses on the little details in the hopes that he will gain an inch of advantage. He is one of the most tough-minded competitors in sports today.

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Chris Jones, 2016 NFL Draft — Second round, 37th overall

Height: 77.75 inches (97.4%)

Weight: 310 pounds (73.8%)

BMI: 36.92

Arm length: 32.75 inches (36.8%)

Hand size: 9.00 inches (4.2%)

Wingspan: 85.000 inches

Birthdate: 7/12/1990

Entering the Combine in 2016, the questions surrounding Chris Jones were some of the same questions we are still wondering about him today. While at Mississippi State, Jones showed flashes of brilliance and an explosive first step. There were moments where he would turn it on and just take over a game. But there were also moments where he would disappear entirely. Scouts questioned his maturity and commitment to football.

40-yard dash: 5.03 seconds

Faster than: Jarran Reed, D.J. Reader, Vernon Butler

Slower than: Robert Nkemdiche, Hassan Ridgeway

Vertical leap: 24.5 inches

Higher than: Chris Mayes

Lower than: Jarran Reed, D.J. Reader, Vernon Butler, Robert Nkemdiche, Hassan Ridgeway, Sheldon Rankins

Broad jump: 106 inches

Greater than: Jarran Reed, D.J. Reader, Vernon Butler

Less than: Robert Nkemdiche, Hassan Ridgeway, Sheldon Rankins

Shuttle: 4.62 seconds

Faster than: Jarran Reed, D.J. Reader, Vernon Butler, Hassan Ridgeway

Slower than: Sheldon Rankins

3-cone: 6.88 seconds

Faster than: Jarran Reed, D.J. Reader, Vernon Butler, Hassan Ridgeway

Slower than: Sheldon Rankins

Bench press: 26 reps (225 lbs)

More than: Jarran Reed, Hasan Ridgeway

Less than: D.J. Reader, Robert Nkemdiche, Sheldon Rankins

Jones’ functional strength on the field shows up better than he tests. He landed in the middle of the pack in almost every physical test, except for the 3-cone and shuttle drill.

When it’s all said and done, Jones can be forgiven if his head was not fully in the Combine. Jones took a nasty spill during his 40-yard dash that led to an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction that we cannot show on this site.

Let’s just say, when I originally saw it, my reaction was something like this:

Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Frank Clark, 2016 NFL Draft — Second round,63rd overall

Height: 74.88 inches (22.6%)

Weight: 271 pounds (61%)

BMI: 34.8

Arm length: 34.38 inches (80.1%)

Hand size: 10.13 inches (69.2%)

Wingspan: 83.875 inches

Birthdate: 6/14/1993

Entering the Combine in 2015, there was little doubt if Frank Clark had the physical tools to warrant being selected in the first round. However, the fact that he was kicked off Michigan’s football team in his final season for an alleged domestic violence incident, pushed him off of many teams draft boards. Before being kicked off the team, Clark had amassed 11 sacks on the season.

Clark needed a good showing at the Combine to prove to teams that although he was working out on his own, he was still in football shape.

40-yard dash: 4.79 seconds

Faster than: Za’Darius Smith, Trey Flowers

Slower than: Shane Ray, Randy Gregory

Vertical leap: 38.5 inches

Higher than: Za’Darius Smith, Trey Flowers, Shane Ray, Randy Gregory

Lower than: Alvin Dupree

Broad jump: 118 inches

Greater than: Shane Ray, Za’Darius Smith

Less than: Trey Flowers, Randy Gregory

Shuttle: 4.05 seconds

Faster than: Everyone

Slower than: Nobody

3-cone: 7.08 seconds

Faster than: Trey Flowers, Za’Darius Smith

Slower than: Preston Smith

Bench press: 19 reps (225 lbs)

More than: Martin Ifedi

Less than: Za’Darius Smith, Trey Flowers, Shane Ray, Randy Gregory

60-yard shuttle: 11.22 seconds

Faster than: Everyone

Slower than: Nobody

Frank Clark did enough at the Combine to convince the Seattle Seahawks that he was worth the risk. This gamble paid off for the Seahawks, who eventually flipped Clark for a first-round draft pick, sending him to the Chiefs.

Although Clark’s time in Kansas City may be drawing to a close, he has given us moments of glory and flashes of greatness. The only problem is that they have been inconsistent and few and far between.

The bottom line

One thing I have noticed is that the Chiefs seem to value players with good 3-cone and shuttle times. I have no idea if this is a coincidence or not, but every player we reviewed today had good agility times, except for Travis Kelce, who did not run due to injury.

Based on everything we’ve covered, I would say that the Chiefs most likely put more stock into the actual in-game film than the Combine, but it never hurts a prospect’s chances to go out there and knock it out of the park.

Note: all data courtesy of NFL Combine Results. The percentages are based upon where they rank within their position.