Local players perform at NFL combine


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SALT LAKE CITY — Spring football is about to begin for local collegiate programs, but some familiar faces are training in Indianapolis for the NFL combine.

NFL draft prospects Ezekial Ansah of BYU, Joe Kruger of Utah, and Kerwynn Williams of Utah State are some of the local players participating in the combine. They will run through a variety of drills, meet with general managers and press, in an attempt to improve their draft day rating.

Brigham Young University

Ezekiel "Ziggy" Ansah
Ansah competed with the defensive linemen on Monday morning, posting one of the best 40-yard dash times of the group with a a 4.63 second sprint. He was able to put up 21 reps in the bench press, and had a 34.5 inch vertical jump.

Ziggy Ansah runs the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine.
Ziggy Ansah runs the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine.

NFL draft analyst Mike Mayock had the following to say about Ansah.

"This is an interesting defensive end/outside linebacker class because a lot of them you are betting on the upside, and Ansah is certainly one of them. Minimal amount of football, average practice week at the Senior Bowl which is important to me; he was only average and then he dominated the game. There are a lot of questions about the guy, but you can‟t question his movement skills, his size and his motor. When people try to compare him to [Jason Pierre-Paul], I would take a step back. Even though he was raw, he was further along. Ziggy Ansah has that kind of ability but he‟s even more raw than [Pierre-Paul]. So at what point do you pull the trigger? A lot of times, good teams and playoff teams get better because guys get pushed down and then somebody picking in the late 20s says, „We‟re pretty good.‟ How about San Francisco? A team like that is pretty good, maybe we can take the time to develop this kid. I don‟t know where he‟s going to go; I think he‟s going to go in the first round and he has phenomenal upside. It‟s just going to take a little time."

Ansah is projected as a first round pick, but with impressive performances at the combine, there is a good possibility that he will be gone by the fifteenth pick.

Braden Brown
Braden Brown was the top performer in the 3-cone drill at the combine for offensive lineman, clocking in at 7.43 seconds.

The 13-game starter for BYU helped lead an offensive line that blocked for 150 rushing yards per game in the 2012 season. The former tight end will likely play at tackle, and is projected to be a late round pick or find a team through free agency.

University of Utah

Star Lotulelei
Lotulelei, who has the potential to be a Top 5 pick, made headlines at the combine despite not making an appearance. Doctors at the combine discovered a heart condition, and Lotulelei went back to Utah to undergo secondary tests.

Lotulelei will hope to avoid the same fate as 2011 Clemson defensive end Da'Quan Bowers. Bowers was a projected No. 1 pick in the 2011 draft, but a medical red flag caused him to slide down into the second round where he was selected with the No. 51 overall pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Joe Kruger
While Paul Kruger was winning a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens, his little brother Joe was training in preparation for the NFL combine.

Joe out-performed Paul, running the 40-yard dash in 4.83 seconds, while putting up 24 reps in the bench press and a 34.0 inch vertical jump. Joe is likely to play as a hybrid outside linebacker/defensive end. While some may have liked to see him return to Utah, the Utes defensive player is projected to be a top 100 selection in the draft.

Utah State University

Kerwynn Williams

Local players perform at NFL combine

While Williams sat on the bench behind Robert Turbin and Michael Smith for two years, with 81 carries in each season, he was able to start and show his ability in 2012 for the Aggies, rushing for 1,512 yards on 218 attempts. He measured in at 5 foot 8 inches, and 189 pounds, which is less than ideal size for a starting NFL back.

What Williams was able to show at the combine was speed. Williams had a 4.15 second run through the 20 yard shuffle, and a 4.48 second run in the 40-yard dash. While Williams is unlikely to be selected as a primary running back in the offense, he could find a home on a team as a kick returner and utility back who can catch passes out of the backfield.

Will Davis
Davis had a good year at Utah State, highlighted by an 8-tackle performance in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl against Toledo. Davis also led the country in passes defended per game, with 1.75, and was elevenenth in interceptions with five.

Davis will work out with other defensive backs on Tuesday, on the final day of the combine in Indianapolis.

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