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The big boys up front took to the barbell on Thursday afternoon and we got some pretty solid numbers, but they were surprisingly from prospects not likely know by the majority of the draft community. No big time rep counts for the top offensive tackles, either.
The number one spot was grabbed with two giant mitts and never relinquished by Fresno State’s Netane Muti who crushed the competition with a staggering 44 reps, beating second place by seven full reps. Muti’s 44 were the best by an offensive linemen since 2010 when Arkansas’ Mitch Petrus put up one more with 45.
Interior offensive linemen dominated the top-5, snagging the top four available spots and leaving number five for the lone offensive tackle in the group.
The running backs were all fairly strong across the board with the larger, or more stout backs taking the top spots. Scottie Phillips, a former JUCO star who transferred to Ole Miss two years ago, racked up 29 reps on the bench for best at the position. TCU’s massive FB/RB Sewo Olonilua took a distant second with 25.
Offensive Linemen
1.) Netane Muti (Fresno State) - 44 reps at 6’3 315 pounds
2.) Simon Stepaniak (Indiana) - 37 reps at 6’4 313 pounds
3.) John Simpson (Clemson) - 34 reps at 6’4 321 pounds
4.) Jake Hanson (Oregon) - 33 reps at 6’4 303 pounds
5.) Ezra Cleveland (Boise State) - 30 reps at 6’6 311 pounds
BEST OF THE 2020 COMBINE SO FAR:@FresnoStateFB OL Netane Muti puts up 44 bench press reps (225 lbs)! #NFLCombine @netane_muti52 pic.twitter.com/pzAQMmDQsa
— NFL (@NFL) February 27, 2020
Running Backs
1.) Scottie Phillips (Ole Miss) - 29 reps at 5’8 209 pounds
2.) Sewo Olonillua (TCU) - 25 reps at 6’3 232 pounds
T-3.) Benny Lemay (Charlotte) - 24 reps at 5’8 221 pounds
T-3.) James Robinson (Illinois State) - 24 reps at 5’9 219 pounds
T-5.) A.J. Dillon (Boston College) - 23 reps at 6’0 247 pounds
T-5.) J.K. Dobbins (Ohio State) - 23 reps at 5’9 209 pounds
T-5.) Joshua Kelley (UCLA) - 23 reps at 5’11 212 pounds
Ole Miss (@OleMissFB) star RB Scottie Phillips with 29 reps overall. He leads all backs at the Combine now. pic.twitter.com/gJqW8JgynD
— Brendan Connelly (@BConn63) February 27, 2020