Sooners Hit Indy

Oklahoma's 2022 season may not have gone the way the Sooners had hoped but judging by their seven players invited to the NFL combine there was still plenty of talent on Oklahoma's roster. Eric Gray, Anton Harrison, Marvin Mims, Wanya Morris, Jalen Redmond, Michael Turk, and Brayden Willis are all getting ready to work at the NFL combine in Indianapolis.

Let's take a look at what the goals are and what type of testing numbers the septet could put together.

Thoughts: Gray may have as much riding on how he runs his 40-yard dash as any player in the 'Sooners' seven'. Gray's tape was as exemplary as any player on Oklahoma's roster in 2022 and he put together a strong week at the Senior Bowl. It's not that Gray needs to run an explosive 40-yard dash but he just needs to show that he has enough speed, as vague as that may be. Some feel that performance could push him into the latter part of the second round.

Predictions:

40: 4.57

Bench (reps): 18

3-Cone Drill: 6.97

Vertical: 33"

Thoughts: Harrison, Oklahoma's most likely first round pick, will be more focused on field drills as they are clearly where offensive line establish themselves as such. While he'll need to put together strong workout numbers, particularly on the bench press-for a long levered guy like Harrison, it's more about getting to an acceptable level- it's going to see him working on his kick slide, his angle drills, and just seeing how he'd be able to protect a team's most valuable property. If he shows all of that, he's got a chance to be a big climber this week.

Predictions:

40: 5.12

Bench: 23

3-Cone Drill: 7.56

Vertical: 26"

Thoughts: Without question Mims is going to be the guy who is the most explosive in the 40-yard dash amongst Oklahoma's testers. What's going to be interesting, and what NFL scouts may be watching most closely, are his footwork and overall change of direction. Mims' speed is well accepted but many will want to see if he can grow beyond that.

Predictions:

40: 4.39

Bench: 14

3-Cone Drill: 6.95

Vertical: 36.5"

Thoughts: Morris is going to be probably the most intriguing of all the prospects on hand for Oklahoma. Can he put together a workout that forces teams to go back and look at what he can be on tape? Morris has flashes of brilliance and if his athleticism shows scouts they need to take a longer look at his upside then perhaps he can make a move in his draft prospectus.

Predictions:

40: 5.20

Bench: 23

3-Cone Drill: 7.44

Vertical: 28"

Thoughts: Redmond is a guy that needs to have a big-testing day, he needs to run well, he needs to look explosive in drills but more than anything needs to look engaged and have some 'alpha' to his work rate. Redmond has too often been an inconsistent player who looked, at times, to be half-hearted. If he can explain some of that in meetings-arguably the part of this week that matters more to teams than any on-field work-and impress some folks then Redmond could start to rewrite his draft prognosis.

Predictions:

40: 4.98

Bench: 25

3-Cone Drill: 7.41

Vertical: 27"

Thoughts: They say scouts don't care about what an offensive lineman runs in the 40 and one would think it's even more true of specialists. Turk needs to go out and kick the ball as he has the last two years for Oklahoma and the rest will likely take care of itself.

Predictions:

40: 4.88

Bench: 21

3-Cone Drill: 7.57

Vertical: 28"

Thoughts: Willis is a player that could surprise some people with his testing numbers. He's one of those players whose good deeds and leadership have often overshadowed his impressive athleticism. He'll run better than some expect-in fact I wonder if he betters the prediction by a little bit. But again it's in meetings that he'll impress everyone and force a lot of teams to fall in love with the little ways he'll improve their team.

Predictions:

40: 4.7

Bench: 24

3-Cone Drill: 7.23

Vertical: 32"