Combine Approaching: Part I

The NFL's annual draft combine begins Wednesday in Indianapolis, and for many players, this is a pivotal point in the pre-draft process. The combine can make some players - and it can break some players. Perform poorly, and your stock plummets. Impress the scouts, you could see yourself rising the draft charts.

Let's take a look at a couple of these make or break prospects on the offensive side of the ball.

Quarterback: Chase Daniel (Missouri), Graham Harrell (Texas Tech)
Both players have seen their stocks drop like a rock since the pre-draft rounds began. A good combine could go a long way towards restoring their value, and might push them into the top seven or eight signal-callers. A bad combine could very well seal these two players' fate; we could be talking about being drafted in the fifth round or later - if at all.

Running Back: Glen Coffee (Alabama), P.J. Hill (Wisconsin)
Coffee is towards the bottom of the second tier of running backs in this draft. A good combine might make him the fourth back off the board, but a bad combine could push him out of the top 10. Hill is at a disadvantage because he is at the bottom end of the height spectrum (5'11") but at the top end of the weight spectrum (265 pounds). If he can use the combine to show that he can be a bigger version of Jacob Hester, he'll certainly get looks from teams in the fourth or fifth round. But if he doesn't show the versatility of the lighter running backs, Hill will be looked at as a late-round fullback at best.

Wide Receiver: Patrick Turner (USC), Mike Thomas (Arizona)
Turner must have a good combine to stay on teams' minds. At 6'5" tall and 221 pounds, he certainly has the size. But he has underachieved throughout his college career, and he has to show teams he has the drive and desire to be a top receiver. Turner is falling off of many draft boards, but a good combine could put him back on. Thomas, on the other hand, is undersized at 5'8" tall and 187 pounds. He must prove to teams that his lack of size is not a severe disadvantage.

Tight End: Only 16 tight ends were invited to the combine this year, and basically everyone other than Brandon Pettigrew (Oklahoma State) has something to prove.

Offensive Line: This is a weak class in terms of guards and centers, while the tackles are pretty strong. I think the big thing to watch will be who differentiates themselves in the big four of Eugene Monroe (Virginia), Jason Smith (Baylor), Andre Smith (Alabama) and Michael Oher (Mississippi). The question remains as to who is number one in this group. The combine may be able to answer that question.

TOP 5: Running Backs

(1) Knowshon Moreno, Georgia
(2) Beanie Wells, Ohio State
(3) LeSean McCoy, Pittsburgh
(4) Shonn Greene, Iowa
(5) Javon Ringer, Michigan State

Moreno, Wells and McCoy are pretty close, but the edge goes to the Georgia back. His name surfaced in pre-season Heisman Trophy discussions, but that didn't pan out. Still, Moreno, is a high-quality back with a ton of pro potential.

Don't count out the diminutive Ringer, either. He cracks my top five because of his work ethic and determination. He gave opposing defenses fits throughout the year, and I think he's got what it takes work-wise to make it to the next level. Ringer is only 5'9", but I think teams are beginning to realize that height isn't the be-all, end-all. Just look at the success of Maurice Jones Drew (5'7") and Darren Sproles (5'6"). Plus, 1,600+ yards and 22 touchdowns speaks volumes about Ringer's skill.

Other names to watch: Glen Coffee (Alabama), Jeremiah Johnson (Oregon)
At this point in time, I'd be surprised if either of these two guys were drafted before the third round. Coffee has the better shot of the two, but I think Round 3 is a better target for these guys. Coffee is small for his height (a bit under 200 pounds at 6'1"), but doesn't shy away from bruising guys from time-to-time. Johnson has great quickness and could translate into a fine receiving back or special teams player.