Four Canadians had a chance to impress scouts from 32 NFL teams at the 2015 Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
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However, Christian Covington was unable to participate.Β The 6β3, 300 pound defensive tackle from Vancouver, British Columbia was still suffering effects of his season-ending knee surgery.Β He sustained the injury this past fall during the regular season with NCAA Division 1βs Rice Owls. Covington has officially declared for the 2015 NFL Draft.
#Canadian nickname for Vancouver’s own Christian Covington? #PolarBear βοΈ https://t.co/aoUMKrv6EJ
β NFL (@NFLCanada) February 22, 2015
Tyler Varga experienced a roller coaster ride during the Scouting Combine.Β Due to a minor bone spur, the 5β11, 224 pound running back from Kitchener, Ontario saw limited action as he was regulated to bench events.Β Varga was unable to complete in any jumping and running drills. In the bench press, the running back had 23 completions at 225 pounds.Β That result was ranked eighth among all participants.Β However, all is not lost for Varga as he will get an opportunity to complete the events he missed out in a βPro Dayβ near the University of Connecticut on March 31st. βObviously, it was a disappointment, but he had a lot of good interviews,β commented Vargaβs agent, Joe Linta in an interview with Yale Daily News. Varga is projected to go in either the third or fourth round of the NFL Draft. Lance Zeirlein of the NFL Network gave the bottom line for his chances to crack a team roster. βVarga’s ability to run and catch gives him a shot at the back end of a depth chart, but he might have to show he can take snaps as a move fullback and shine on special teams to make an NFL team,β analyzed Zeirlein.
Tyler Varga’s motto, “You can’t fit a big dream into a small life” #ProspectDiaries #NFLCombine https://t.co/DL0VcPHTTu β NFL (@NFLCanada) February 20, 2015
As for Brett Boyko, he did complete all testing at the combine β 5.6 second Β 40 yard dash, 25 inch vertical jump, 103 inch broad jump, 7.91 second cone-drill and 4.5 second 20 yard shuttle.
In his commentary, Steelers Depot writer Alex Kozora did not give Boyko a glowing analysis in his combine report:
βBrett Boyko out of UNLV is one of the tallest tacklesβ¦but has disappointingly unporportional arms at 32 inches,β said Kozora.Β βHe was unable to run a stable time in the 40, getting a little out of control, running a slow 5.6 flat because of it.β
For his part, the 6β7, 310 offensive lineman from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan hopes to improve on his results by the time his βPro Dayβ comes around.
βI felt like there were some things that I did better than others,” Boyko said in an interview with CBC. “The good thing is I have another pro-day workout where I’ll be able to redo some of the things I feel like I need to do over again.”
Zierlein gave his bottom line: β[Boyko] lacks the athleticism to play outside and the strength to be a guard in the NFL.β
“My goal is to play in the NFL” – @UNLVathletics‘s OT @bboyko69 #ProspectDiaries #NFLCombine http://t.co/ahfCAcGHFr pic.twitter.com/LDq06vB8Mh
β NFL (@NFLCanada) February 16, 2015
The fourth Canadian, Brandon Bridge also completed all of his testing β 4.72 second 40 yard dash, 33 inch vertical jump, 110 inch broad jump, 7.18 second 3 cone-drill and 4.37 second 20 yard shuttle. One of the teamβs interested in the 6β5m 235 pound pivot from Mississauga, Ontario are the Houston Texans as Scoutβs Inside Houston Editor PD Starr reported. βConsidered a raw prospect that has an βeliteβ arm but poor accuracy to go along with it according to some scouts,β said Starr of Bridge. Zierlein offers his take on Bridge: βHis arm strength is pure NFL, but his lack of functional accuracy simply cannot be overlookedβ¦Β size, arm and athleticism are definitely traits worth taking a chance on, and Bridge could become an interesting talent down the line if a team is able to get his mechanics and touch where they need to be.β
Road To The NFL: #ProspectDiaries Meet Brandon Bridge (Toronto, ON), QB South Alabama https://t.co/fnR94hBXFZ
β NFL (@NFLCanada) February 23, 2015
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