In the coming weeks at PhilSteele.com we will be posting the latest and greatest information on the 2010 NFL Draft including the top players at each position complete with strengths, weaknesses, bios, draft projections and so much more. You will have all the information you need to become a draft expert right at your fingertips!

The NFL combine is now over and in the coming weeks several colleges will be holding their pro days which will give prospects another opportunity to impress NFL scouts and teams. In today’s blog I will give you those prospects that I feel improved their draft stock at the combine and those that saw their stock fall after disappointing performances.

Make sure to check out Monday’s blog as I will post my first edition of my Draft Day Party Hangover which appears in my college preview magazine each year. This early edition will give you a first look to see which teams will be losing the most players to the draft this year and those teams that might suffer from the Draft Day Party Hangover Effect.

Also don’t forget to check out our Spring Central section to get all the college conference schedules, coaching changes, who’s back/who’s not and my preseason projection of the AP Top 10. Here are the...

NFL Draft Combine Risers and Fallers

Risers:

Bruce Campbell, OT Maryland
Height: 6-6 3/8
Weight: 316
40 Time: 4.85

Prior to the combine opinions around the league had Campbell going anywhere from the 1st-3rd round. After posting some impressive numbers at the combine though, Campbell has assured himself as a 1st round pick. Campbell ran the fastest 40-yd dash time among OL at 4.85 and was in the top 5 with 34 reps on the bench. He also posted a 32-inch vertical which was good enough for 6th.  While there are concerns about his experience (17 sts in college) Campbell has a lot of potential. He has shown the athleticism of a Pro Bowl LT, but he did not make my All-ACC team and I think he will need to go to a good OL coach.

Dorin Dickerson, TE Pittsburgh
Height: 6-2
Weight: 232
40 Time: 4.4

Dickerson needed an impressive combine after struggling in the Senior Bowl last month and he did not disappoint after posting some excellent numbers in his workouts.  He easily had the fastest 40-yd dash among TEs by clocking in at 4.4. Dickerson also finished 1st among the group in the vertical (43.5) and broad jump (10’5’’) and showed off his strength with 23 reps on the bench. Regardless of whether he plays WR or TE in the NFL, Dickerson’s has positioned himself as a 2nd-3rd round pick after being labeled as a 4th-5th rounder coming into the combine.

Golden Tate, WR Notre Dame
Height: 5-11
Weight: 190
40 Time: 4.42

Going into the combine, NFL scouts questioned Tate’s straight line and breakaway speed. Tate quieted those questions after clocking an impressive 4.42 time in the 40-yd dash. Tate also was surprising in his route running ability and displayed a good attitude throughout his interviews. There is a very good chance he’ll be one of the Top 2 WRs off the board especially with Demaryius Thomas’ foot injury.

Eric Berry, S Tennessee
Height: 5-11
Weight: 211
40 Time: 4.47

Berry was already one of the top prospects on many draft boards prior to the combine. After the workouts, Berry is without question the #1 DB prospect in this year’s draft and probably will drafted no lower than 7th and possibly as high as 3rd. Berry ran a good 40 (4.47) even after bulking up to 211 pounds. He also finished 2nd in the DB group in the broad jump (10’10’’) and vertical jump (43.0).

Taylor Mays, S USC
Height: 6-3
Weight: 230
40 Time: 4.43

Mays has always possessed all the physical tools necessary to be a top pick. He did have a disappointing senior season and his draft stock fell as some questioned his technique and coverage abilities. However, during the combine Mays showed great quickness and balance in his lateral movements and posted the best 40 time of all defensive backs at 4.43. He is also being looked at as a possible WLB for Tampa-2 style teams.  His stock is on the rise and he now could be selected in the Top 20.

Fallers:

Joe Haden, CB Florida
Height: 5-11
Weight: 190
40 Time: 4.57

Heading into the combine Haden was clearly the #1 CB prospect but now there are plenty of questions after he posted 40 times of 4.57 and 4.58, which were much higher than expected. Haden also showed that he needed work on his technique as he struggled changing directions.  Haden must perform well at Florida’s pro day on March 17 or his draft stock will continue to fall.

Jonathan Dwyer, RB Georgia Tech
Height: 5-11
Weight: 230
40 Time: 4.5

Coming into the combine Dwyer, Jahvid Best and Ryan Mathews were battling to see who would be the 2nd RB taken in the draft behind Spiller but now Dwyer’s poor performance at the combine likely takes him out of 1st round consideration. Dwyer posted a much slower 40 time compared to other top backs (Spiller, Best) and repeatedly dropped passes in the workout. Dwyer will have to have a strong Pro Day to prevent himself from falling to possibly the 3rd round.

Dezmon Briscoe, WR Kansas
Height: 6-2
Weight: 207
40 Time: 4.64

It was just a few months ago that some draft scouts had Briscoe among the Top 5 WRs in this year’s draft. After failing to show the speed and explosiveness necessary to be productive in a pro-style offense, Briscoe’s stock has dropped significantly and he may drop to the middle rounds.

Opportunity Lost?

Dan LeFevour, QB Central Michigan
Height: 6-3
Weight: 229
40 Time: 4.66

With top QBs Bradford, Clausen, and McCoy not being able to throw due to injuries many scouts felt that LeFevour had a good opportunity to show off his passing skills at the combine.  However, LeFevour made a questionable move deciding not to throw and probably lost his opportunity in becoming the 4th QB drafted this year.  While he did post an impressive 40 time (4.66), some scouts question his mental toughness and competitiveness with his decision.

Solid Suh

Ndamukong Suh, DT Nebraska
Height: 6-4
Weight: 307
40 Time: 5.05

Suh came into the combine as the likely #1 prospect and he surprised some scouts by deciding to compete in all of the workouts. After the combine, Suh did nothing to hurt his draft stock as he was solid in all of his workouts and easily outperformed Gerald McCoy in the bench with 32 reps compared to McCoy’s 23. Suh also impressed in the interviews and he definitely has all the tools necessary to be a franchise player at the next level.

Other News and Notes

Michigan DE Brandon Graham pulled a hamstring while running his 40-yd dash at the combine and did not complete his other scheduled workouts. Graham will wait until April 8th to workout again. Georgia Tech WR Demaryius Thomas a 1st round prospect broke his foot prior to the combine and will not be able to work out for 4-6 weeks. It's the second straight year a premier receiver has been slowed by a foot injury. Last year Michael Crabtree had a stress fracture that kept him out of the combine.  Arizona TE Rob Gronkowski’s was cleared medically by NFL teams, but will not work out fully until late March. Gronkowski is still recovering from a back injury that kept him out the entire '09 season.