2013 NFL Combine results: EJ Manuel surprises with athleticism

Sharrif Floyd and Bjoern Werner are possible top ten picks, but the guy who did the most to improve his draft stock amongst Florida players might have been Florida State's E.J. Manuel.

By Rodger Sherman Feb 27, 2013, 7:44pm EST

A lot of players from Florida had the opportunity to make their mark at the NFL Combine, although the one who did the most might not be a first-rounder.

Matt Elam is a possible first-rounder even though he's not the biggest safety, but he showed off his speed at the combine, running a 4.54 40 -- the fifth-best among safeties. FIU's Jonathan Cyprien is also a potential first-rounder, but only did the vertical jump, where he showed his lower-body explosion with a 38.5 inch leap.

A pair of defensive linemen expected to go near the top of the draft in Florida's Sharrif Floyd and Florida State's Bjoern Werner didn't have particularly great combines. Neither showed great speed in any of the drills, and although Werner's 25 reps on the bench press wasn't bad, it wasn't elite either. Floyd opted not to do the bench press.

The player from the Sunshine State who might have boosted his stock the most was Florida State quarterback E.J. Manuel. It's tough to say when Manuel will get drafted -- he's right in the pack of the top seven or so quarterbacks in the draft, many of whom are viewed as being of interchangeable value. He showed off his physical skills in Indianapolis, with NFL.com ranking him as a "top performer" among quarterbacks in all five events he participated in: the 40 -- where he ran a 4.65, second-best of all quarterbacks -- the broad jump, the vertical jump, the cone drill, and the shuttle. In a draft devoid of athletic quarterbacks and a league hungry for guys who can throw and move with the ball, Manuel showed what he can do. Not bad for a 6'5 guy known as a pocket passer.

Florida linebacker Jelani Jenkins impressed with 27 reps on the bench press, tied for ninth amongst linebackers.