Buffalo Bills: How important is NFL Combine to Brandon Beane?
By Daniel Bruce
Great Combine Performers
Ed Oliver (89th Percentile)
Most Top 10 draft picks are going to show up as great combine performers since these high draft picks are reserved for great athletic talents along with great talents on the field. Ed Oliver had crazy numbers at the NFL Combine: posting a vertical in the 86th percentile, had bench press reps in the 88th percentile and had a broad jump in the 93rd percentile.
The Buffalo Bills obviously lauded over those crazy results but also liked what they saw on the field. Oliver never put up crazy sack numbers with just 13.5 sacks over three years but he lived in the backfield with 53 tackles for loss over those seasons as well. The NFL Combine played a role in this instance but more so just provided assurance to Brandon Beane on what he saw on the field with Oliver.
Josh Allen (82nd Percentile)
Josh Allen was the main focal point of the 2018 NFL Combine, testing really well and slinging the ball all over the field. Allen ran a very solid time in the 40 yard-dash, getting him in the 82nd percentile, also he had the best vertical and broad jump out of the quarterback position.
Allen tore up the NFL Combine and for sure caught some eyes. Beane had to be drawn to Allen from what he saw at the NFL Combine, because of the raw ability that was there.
The Buffalo Bills quarterback didn’t have a stellar college career playing at Wyoming, and what fans saw on the field was a raw quarterback who had a long way to go. He certainly fit all the measureables, at 6’5″ and 237 pounds with huge hands at 10 1/8 inches, Allen was a dream quarterback for the NFL Combine. The combine had to play a role in what Brandon Beane saw in Josh Allen and his potential to become a franchise quarterback.
Harrison Phillips (69th Percentile)
Harrison Phillips had a dominant performance at the NFL Combine, showing off his pure strength that Beane and Sean McDermott would crave in the middle of their defense. Phillips had a middling 40 yard-dash (35th percentile), but showed great explosiveness in the vertical jump in the 75th percentile. Phillips led all defensive lineman with bench press reps and also thrived in the three-cone (81st percentile) and short-shuttle (87th percentile).
The former Stanford defensive tackle had a great finish to his college career totaling a whopping 98 tackles in his senior season along with 17 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. The Buffalo Bills would have loved his long career at Stanford and his production, Phillips is also a high character player which is a favorite of this regime.
He also can attest his raw strength to his wrestling, which would appeal greatly to Sean McDermott. Separate from the combine everything added up for Phillips to appeal to the Buffalo Bills, and the combine added more incentive for the selection.
Wyatt Teller (67th Percentile)
Wyatt Teller, like Phillips led his position in two separate drills, Teller led all guards in the broad jump and the three-cone. The Bills were in heavy need of offensive line help and picked the steady Teller who enjoyed a solid career starting for the majority of four years.
Teller was also a high character guy, who meshed in the Bills locker room and that was probably along with the performance at the NFL Combine a big reason for his selection.