Editor's Note: You can view today's Combine coverage at NFL.com.
The most high profile day of the 2012 NFL Combine is officially in our rear view mirror. Sunday saw the wide receivers, running backs and quarterbacks run through the various drills and potentially win or lose a sizable chunk of change. Although game film and Pro Days will be an important part of the scouting process, a strong or weak showing at the NFL Combine can have a pretty important impact on the draft prospects of a given player.
We could talk all day about wide receivers who did a lot to help their draft stock, but I'll point to four that intrigue me for one reason or another. They are Stephen Hill, Marvin Jones, Tommy Streeter and Chris Owusu. They are not the only prospects I like in this year's draft, but they all bring a little something that has them moving a little more to the front of my mind.
Stephen Hill only had 28 receptions this past season, but he averaged nearly 30 yards per reception. He played in a triple option offense, so his receptions were limited. Hill ran a 4.36 40-yard dash to help boost the hype. He had a strong day of workouts in just about every category and could have done more than anybody to boost his stock.
Marvin Jones had a relatively quiet 2011 season next to Keenan Allen at Cal, but he has taken significant strides since the start of Senior Bowl practice week back in January. He has great hands and took a big step with a solid 4.46 40-yard dash. He is not a burner, but solid speed can only help him. If Jones continues with this kind of momentum, he could work his way into an interesting day two pick.
Tommy Streeter is a guy that I honestly had not heard a whole lot about prior to the Combine. My college football knowledge is a bit basic, particularly compared to many of the people that frequent Niners Nation. The Miami receiver measured in as the tallest receiver at 6'5. He has a solid 216 pounds on his frame and yet he put together a 4.40 40-yard dash.
Streeter started only one season at Miami, putting together 46 receptions for 811 yards and eight touchdowns. Size is certainly not the issue for him, but he strikes me as a raw talent. He seems like a guy with a ton of upside, but faces a challenging path to turn the raw potential into NFL-level production.
Finally, Stanford receiver Chris Owusu equaled Stephen Hill and Travis Benjamin with a 4.36 official 40 time. Owusu's biggest issue is the multiple concussions he suffered in college. He is a guy that could provide some potential in the return game as a late round pick. Harbaugh likely has a very specific opinion of Owusu given his work with him at Stanford. After losing out on Doug Baldwin this past year and sounding like he really regretted it, we'll see what kind of moves the team makes on former Stanford guys this year. That's not to say they will definitely pick Owusu, but it will be interesting to see what happens with Stanford picks in the 49ers draft this year.
Below is a rundown of all the 40-times for the wide receivers. The folks at Walter Football put together a table with all the pertinent numbers. If you head over to NFL.com, you can check out their player tracker, which includes links to player pages with some scouting reports. Here is one other spreadsheet that includes links to video for some of the players on their names.
Adams, Joe, Arkansas, 4.55
Benford, Timothy, Tennessee Tech, 4.59
Benjamin, Travis, Miami, 4.36
Boykin, Jarrett, Virginia Tech, 4.74
Brazill, Lavon, Ohio, 4.48
Childs, Greg, Arkansas, 4.55
Coale, Danny, Virginia Tech, 4.50
Criner, Juron, Arizona, 4.68
Cunningham, B.J., Michigan St., 4.59
Floyd, Michael, Notre Dame, 4.47
Givens, Chris, Wake Forest, 4.41
Graham, T.J., N.C. State, 4.41
Hanks, Darius, Alabama, 4.66
Hemingway, Junior, Michigan, 4.53
Hill, Stephen, Georgia Tech, 4.36
Jackson, Jerrell, Missouri, 4.62
Jenkins, A.J., Illinois, 4.39
Jones, Dwight, North Carolina, 4.55
Jones, Marvin, California, 4.46
Kearse, Jermaine, Washington, 4.58
Martin, Keshawn, Michigan St., 4.45
Matthews, Rishard, Nevada, 4.62
Maze, Marquis, Alabama, 4.51
McNutt, Marvin, Iowa, 4.54
Moore, Kashif, Connecticut, 4.42
Moye, Derek, Penn State, 4.52
Owusu, Chris, Stanford, 4.36
Page, Eric, Toledo, 4.60
Posey, Devier, Ohio State, 4.50
Quick, Brian, Appalachian State, 4.55
Randle, Rueben, LSU, 4.55
Robinson, Gerell, Arizona State, 4.62
Rodgers, James, Oregon State, 4.67
Sanu, Mohamed, Rutgers, 4.67
Streeter, Tommy, Miami, 4.40
Toon, Nick, Wisconsin, 4.54
White, Jordan, Western Michigan, 4.69
Wright, Kendall, Baylor, 4.61
Wright, Jarius, Arkansas, 4.42
Wylie, Devon, Fresno St., 4.39