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The final day of the NFL Combine is the best day of the event since it is the best athletes (offensive linemen) that get the chance to finish off the week. The Chargers may end up replacing two, maybe even three, interior offensive lineman from the 2025 starting unit. This was a big day f0r the in regards to planning how they’re going to go about rejuvenating a group that severely underwhelmed this past season.
And after watching all of the invitees perform, I’d say it’s a good year to need an interior lineman.
Here are my two biggest winners and one surprising loser from day four in Indianapolis.
Winners
C Logan Jones, Iowa
There’s nothing like a center who can exhibit an elite combination of movement skills and strength and that’s what Jones was able to show at this year’s combine. After being the third offensive lineman to hit 4.91 as an unofficial 40 time, Jones was the only one of the trio to have his time drop to 4.90, making him the fastest offensive lineman to run in Indy this year.
While the 40 isn’t exactly something that translates into what a center will do all that often at the next level, Jones hitting the 4.90 or less threshold actually bodes very well for his future. In the picture below, there are a lot of good names who have all managed to run a 4.90 or less in the 40.
OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
At his size (353 pounds), Proctor performed very well as he matched a lot of players across the board who are packing 30-40 pounds less than he is. He ran a 5.21 in the 40 and jumped 32.5 inches in the vertical, both of which are solid numbers. At the end of the day, Proctor squats over 800 pounds and benches over 500. He’s going to be just fine handling NFL strength. The questions around him were in regards to his movement skills and he looked surprisingly smooth during on-field drills. I’d say Proctor did enough to warrant getting a real shot at tackle, but I’d say the consensus remains on his best NFL career coming at guard.
Losers
C Sam Hecht, Kansas State
Hecht is a consensus top-three center prospect in this class. At 6’4 and 303 pounds, Hecht had a chance to really show his athleticism at a position that truly appreciates in the NFL. By the end of his testing, he had posted a respectable 5.1 40 time, but really fell short with a 28” vertical and a 8’5” broad jump. The vertical was tied for sixth-worst at the position while his broad was tied for second-worst.
As one of seven offensive line from group one to do the three-cone drill, Hecht posted a 7.75 which ranked fifth in the group and 30th among all centers to complete the test in Indy since 2000.
Despite most of these underwhelming numbers, Hecht was had the position’s fourth-fastest 10-yard split at 1.73. That’s a nice little bit to hang your hat on, but that doesn’t stop the rest of his performance from falling short of expectations.