NFL Draft Expert Mike Detillier discusses Ole Miss Rebels at the NFL Combine

Each February, several hundred of the very best collegiate football players are invited to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, where executives, coaches, scouts and doctors from all 32 NFL teams gather to conduct an intense, four-day examination of the players in advance of the NFL Draft.

This year, six Ole Miss Rebels will participate in the combine: Laquon Treadwell, Laremy Tunsil, Robert Nkemdiche, C.J. Johnson, Cody Core, and Fahn Cooper. (For a complete list of all the players invited, click here.)

The combine is arguably one of the most important steps in the entire draft process, and the hopes and dreams of an athlete may rise—or fall—with their performances in Indy. (Players began arriving Tuesday, but the first on-field workouts do not begin until Friday, February 26.)

Combine testing

Those invited to attend will be measured, weighed, timed for speed, tested for strength, evaluated in agility drills, and interviewed. They’ll undergo medical exams and take the Wonderlic Test—an intelligence test designed to measure cognitive ability and be administered quickly. (It consists of just 50 questions and has a 12-minute time limit.)

Mike Detillier discusses Rebels at the Combine

The Rebel Walk asked NFL draft analyst and recognized expert Mike Detillier about the six Rebels who have been invited to participate in this year’s combine.

Mike has been scouting and researching top collegiate football players for 30 years and is the editor and publisher of Mike Detillier’s NFL Draft Report. He’s also the college and pro football analyst for WWL 870 AM Radio in New Orleans, a sports columnist for several newspapers and websites, and a frequent guest on radio and television programs across the country.

Here’s what Mike had to say about each of the Ole Miss players who will be performing at the combine:

Detillier on LT Laremy Tunsil:

“Laremy Tunsil is my highest rated player. He has a chance to just pull away from the field at the Combine. Athletically, he has the skill-set to be a fixture at LT in the pros. I have said for months he is the obvious choice for the Tennessee Titans at the #1 spot.”

Detillier on DT Robert Nkemdiche:

“Robert Nkemdiche is the guy who will get quizzed the most. Athletically, he is so gifted, but question marks persist about the incident that kept him out of the Sugar Bowl. The truth of that story is what scouts are interested in. I think he will do very well in the individual drills. I still believe he will go in the teens or very early 20’s in Round One, but the interview sessions will be critical for him.”

Detillier on WR Laquon Treadwell:

“Treadwell is not expected to run the 40, and that is the only question mark about him. We all know, however, with pads on, he is plenty fast enough. He is a terrific wide receiver, who has very good run-after-catch skills. Fair or not, how well he runs will be critical when he works out at his Pro Day at Ole Miss.

“Treadwell is clear-cut my #1 wide receiver in the 2016 NFL draft. He is smart, a hard worker, quick and nifty after the catch and just refuses to stay covered. He is a very good route runner, and he gets into and out of his cuts and breaks so smoothly.”

Detillier on RT Fahn Cooper:

 “Fahn Cooper is a developmental RT for the pros. He is experienced on the right side, so teams will be looking at his technical skills and his foot quickness. He has a chance to move up the charts with a strong showing. He is currently a 5th round pick on my charts.”

Detillier on C.J. Johnson:

“C.J. Johnson is an undersized defensive end, who projects to a 3-4 OLB. Teams will want to see his initial quickness skills and also how smoothly he drops back in coverage. He hasn’t done a lot of that at Ole Miss, as he has mainly been a get-up-the-field pass rusher, but C.J. will definitely impress athletically.”

Detillier on WR Cody Core:

“Cody Core has good size, but he needs to show off his route-running skills and how quickly he can get into and out of his cuts and breaks. He is a good athlete and a good developmental prospect. Though I believe he needs to learn how to better shield defenders away from the ball, Core is a late-round prospect in my opinion.”