Measurables that matter

Statistics abound for draft prospects, as scouts chart everything from speed to smarts. But some measurables matter more than others, and they vary by position. A look at the scores of top-ranked prospects and the best scores overall in the three drills that are most important in evaluating players at each position:

Quarterbacks    Top prospects          Top score

    Wonderlic   Alex Smith, Utah, 40   Smith, 40
 40-yard dash   Smith, 4.71            Shane Boyd, Kentucky, 4.55
Short shuttle   Smith, 3.96            Smith, 3.96

Running backs   Top prospect        Top score

 40-yard dash   Carnell Williams,   Roger Robinson, Northern
                Auburn, 4.43        Arizona, 4.37

  Bench press   Williams, 19        Colt Colletti, Nicholls
                                    State, 33

Short shuttle   Williams, 4.15      Darren Sproles, Kansas
                                    State, 3.96

Wide receivers   Top prospect               Top score

  40-yard dash   Mike Williams, USC, 4.58   Jerome Mathis, Hampton,
                                            4.26

 Vertical jump   Mike Williams, 38 1/2      Curtis Williams,
                                            Maryland, 42

  3-cone drill   Mike Williams, 6.98        Curtis Williams, 6.48

Tight ends      Top prospect              Top score

 40-yard dash   Heath Miller, Virginia,   Tory Humphrey, Central
                did not perform           Michigan, 4.47

  Bench press   Miller, did not perform   Alex Smith, Stanford, 28

Short shuttle   Miller, did not perform   Humphrey, 3.94

Offensive tackles   Top prospect           Top score

     10-yard dash   Alex Barron, Florida   Barron, 1.63
                    State, 1.63

      Bench press   Barron, 19             Sean Poole, Michigan
                                           State, 34

    Vertical jump   Barron, 38             Barron, 38

Guards         Top prospect                Top score

   Wonderlic   Elton Brown, Virginia, 25   Joe Berger, Michigan
                                           Tech, 36

 Bench press   Brown, 19                   Scott Young, BYU, 43

10-yard dash   Brown, 1.84                 Clay Martin, Georgetown
                                           (Ky.), 1.70

Centers        Top prospect        Top score

   Wonderlic   Chris Spencer,      Geoff Hangartner,
               Mississippi, 19     Texas A&M, 47

 Bench press   Spencer, 25         Rob Hunt, North Dakota
                                   State, 31

10-yard dash   Spencer, 1.8        David Baas, Michigan, 1.64

Defensive ends   Top prospect       Top score

 40-yard dash    Shawne Merriman,   Demarcus Ware, Troy
                 Maryland, 4.66     State, 4.56

Vertical jump    Merriman, 40       Jonathan Welsh, Wisconsin,
                                    40 1/2

  Bench press    Merriman, 25       Tony Ficklin, San Jose
                                    State, 38

Defensive tackles   Top prospect              Top score

      Bench press   Travis Johnson, Florida   Tim Bulman, Boston
                    State, 23                 College, 35

     40-yard dash   Johnson, 4.90             Luis Castillo,
                                              Northwestern, 4.79

    Short shuttle   Johnson, 4.41             Elliott Harris,
                                              Arkansas, 4.16

Inside linebackers   Top prospect      Top score

      40-yard dash   Odell Thurman,    Robert McCune,
                     Georgia, 4.56     Louisville, 4.50

       Bench press   Thurman, 24       Liam Ezekiel, Northeastern, 36

         Wonderlic   Thurman, 12       James Grigsby, Illinois
                                       State, 34

Outside linebackers   Top prospect       Top score

       40-yard dash   Derrick Johnson,   Reggie Hamphill, Fayetteville
                      Texas, 4.50        State, 4.42

        Bench press   Johnson, 21        Tyjuan Hagler, Cincinnati, 35

      Vertical Jump   Johnson, 37 1/2    Derek Wake, Penn State, 45 1/2

Cornerbacks     Top prospect                Top score

 40-yard dash   Antrel Rolle, miami, 4.49   Standford Routt,
                                            Houston, 4.27

Vertical jump   Rolle, 37                   Chris McKenzie, Arizona
                                            State, 45

Short shuttle   Rolle, 4.01                 Carlos Rogers, Auburn, 3.82

Safeties        Top prospect                 Top score

    Wonderlic   Brodney Pool, Oklahoma, 16   Sean Considine, Iowa, 33

 40-yard dash   Pool, 4.54                   Marviel Underwood, San
                                             Diego State, 4.38

Vertical jump   Pool, 39                     Gerald Sensabaugh, North
                                             Carolina, 46

THE DRILLS

40-yard dash. Similar to what you ran in grade school. Simply a measure of straight-line, unencumbered speed.

10-yard dash. The first 10 yards of a player's 40. A better indicator of speed for players who play in a more confined area.