Aggies at the NFL Combine: Day 1 -- Luke Joeckel

Six former Texas A&M Aggie football players are scheduled to work out this year at the 2013 NFL Combine. Only one worked out on Day 1, and it was possibly the first player to come off the board in April.

WORKOUT NUMBERS

Luke Joeckel didn't have to come in and impress the NFL scouts today, but he needed to put up solid numbers and prove he is the best offensive tackle and player in the NFL Draft in a loaded offensive line group for 2013. Let's check out his numbers from Saturday's workout.

Height: 6'6"

Arm Length: 34 1/4"

Hands: 10 1/8"

Weight: 306 lbs.

40 YD Dash: 5.30 seconds

Bench Press: 27 reps

Vertical Jump: 28.5 inches

Broad Jump: 106.0 inches

3 Cone Drill: 7.40 seconds

20 YD Shuttle: 4.68 seconds

Joeckel was a top performer on the day in the vertical jump with the 11th best jump (34.5" was best among OL), he recorded the 4th best time in the 3 Cone Drill (7.26 seconds was tops), and the 12th best 20 YD shuttle (4.44 the best recorded time).

REACTION FROM AROUND THE INTERNET

Joeckel is widely considered the top tackle in the draft and potentially the No. 1 pick. But he was unimpressive in his workout. His 40-time of 5.30 was average while his 10-yard split of 1.81 was outright poor. During drills Joeckel was nothing more than ordinary and did not look like an early first-round selection. -- USA Today

Don't Let Luke Joeckel's 40 Time Fool You -- SB Nation

"The way I’m looking at it, I want to get there," Texas A&M’s Joeckel said. "I am definitely striving to be the No. 1 pick, going through this entire process and playing this season and all that kind of stuff. But my dream is to just play in the N.F.L. I know, being the No. 1 pick, after that, it doesn’t really matter. You’ve got to go prove yourself in the N.F.L."

Many analysts say the offensive and defensive linemen will make up a vast majority of this year’s first-round picks, but who goes where will probably depend on what teams need or want.

There are plenty of questions to answer before the draft, which is set for April 25 to 27.

The strait-laced Joeckel pretty much sticks to the script on and off the field. At the N.F.L. scouting combine here, he measured 6 feet 6 inches and weighed 306 pounds, a little lighter than he had hoped and perhaps a little lighter than the scouts would have liked, although he remains the tentative favorite to go No. 1 over all. -- The New York Times

Texas A&M LT Luke Joeckel ran forty times of 5.22 and 5.35 at the NFL Scouting Combine. NFL Network's Mike Mayock says he charted four of Joeckel's games from the 2012 season, and was a bit concerned by the way Joeckel handled speedy edge rushers. Mayock charted Joeckel getting beat to the inside by faster defensive ends and rush 'backers "seven or eight times." Joeckel is being pushed by Eric Fisher of Central Michigan to be the Chiefs' draft pick at No. 1 overall. -- Rotoworld

NFL Combine Report: Luke Joeckel, OT (via ESPN)

COMBINE: T Luke Joeckel (via Chiefs365)

FINAL THOUGHTS

Luke Joeckel's workout at the NFL Combine may be seen as a disappointment to some. He didn't put up flashy numbers which was okay, but his 40 YD Dash and more importantly 10 YD split time of 1.82 seconds did raise some eyebrows and not in a good way.

Some NFL Draft "experts" including the NFL Network's Mike Mayock have brought up concerns about Joeckel's play against speedy edge rushers. Joeckel has been seen as more of an athletic, finesse offensive tackle like Cleveland's Joe Thomas. The numbers he posted today won't do that comparison any favors and NFL scouts will have to go back and watch more tape to see how athletic Joeckel can be on the field against those SEC speed ends.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves -- Joeckel didn't bomb the day to hurt his draft stock. He was just average, which the top player in the draft shouldn't necessarily be. What hurts Joeckel is his competitors at the position, Central Michigan's Eric Fisher and Oklahoma's Lane Johnson, were stars on the day posting better numbers in all categories. The gap between Joeckel and them is closing fast. In fact, once the Combine concludes the best player in the draft and even at the position may be up in the air.

Luckily for Joeckel, he has another opportunity on March 8th at Texas A&M's pro day to impress the scouts. It's going to be tough; he needs to come in a little heavier than 306 lbs which was a disappointment to some, and also get a little quicker on some of the more athletic drills.

UP NEXT

Ryan Swope and Christine Michael. Swope has already posted 16 reps on the bench and Michael an amazing 27 and may have the most impressive body of any of the running backs in Indianapolis.