Trevor Etienne among prospects who helped themselves: 5 NFL combine winners and losers

The Falcons will use the combine results as a part of their evaluation process leading to the NFL draft, which is set for April 24-26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

“Then a lot of the things is going to happen in (general manager Terry Fontenot’s) world,” Morris said. “We’ve had scouts following these guys around, some to multiple schools. They’ve transferred, they’ve done different things. Some young guys, (they’ve) got some real good views on what they look like. What this player could be. Look at the tape and find out what they can do for the Atlanta Falcons.”

Fontenot and the scouts have reviewed the video. At the combine, they tried to get to know players through the round of nightly interviews, which lasted up to four hours.

“Terry is able to get some (of) the questions that we need to get answered from some of these guys,” Morris said. “We’re going to bring some of those things back ... and make some sound decisions that we’ve got to make.”

Here are some of the winners and losers from the combine workouts:

WINNERS

Trevor Etienne, RB, Georgia: He could have returned for his senior season, but elected to leave early. He came to the combine as a projected late-round pick. He likely moved up into the middle rounds, as he had the sixth-best 40-yard dash time among running backs at 4.42 seconds. He also had a strong 10-yard split, which equates to short-term quickness, at 1.51 seconds. He spent last season with Georgia after transferring from Florida and is the younger brother of Jaguars running back Travis Etienne.

Matthew Golden, WR, Texas: He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.29 seconds, just a little bit behind former teammate Xavier Worthy’s record 4.21 run last season. He moved up in the wide receiver group with the run and now likely is a first-rounder.

Landon Jackson, DE, Arkansas: He followed a strong showing at the Senior Bowl with a dominant effort in the combine drills. He had 40½-inch vertical jump, tops in the group, and 10 feet, 9 inches in the broad jump. That’s plenty of explosiveness for the 6-foot-6 and 264-pounder. With teams looking for pass rushers, he’s now squarely on the radar screen and much higher on the draft boards.

Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky: He had the fastest time at the combine with a 4.28 seconds in the 40-yard dash. He also had a 39½-inch vertical jump to go with 10 feet, 9 inches in the broad jump. The questions about his speed were erased. He missed some time with the Wildcats last season with a shoulder injury.

Jared Wilson, C, Georgia: He pulled out of the Senior Bowl late. Wilson, who’s 6-foot-3 and 310 pounds, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.84 seconds, which was the top time in the position group. He solidified his position as the top center in the draft.

LOSERS

Tetairoa McMillian, WR, Arizona: Teams looking for wide receivers were hot when they found out that McMillian was not running the 40-yard dash at the combine and that he was not running it during the Big 12 Pro Days from March 18-21. He’s a big receiver at 6-foot-5 and 212 pounds, but teams want to know how fast he can run. He is nicknamed “T-Mac” and was the Polynesian college football player of the year last season.

Malaki Starks, S, Georgia: He went into the combine as the top safety prospect, but he did not test well. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.50 seconds, which is slow for a defensive back. He did start out well with a 1.51 10-yard split. He’ll need to run much faster at Georgia’s Pro Day, which is set for March 12. Starks does have good film, but also didn’t run well in the three-cone or shuttle drills and his 33-inch vertical was near the bottom of the position group.

Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State: Heading into the combine, Carter was considered the top player in the draft along with Colorado’s Travis Hunter. But the news of Carter’s foot injury found during the medical examinations could change his status. He may need surgery ahead of the draft and put his rookie season in doubt. He played through a shoulder injury against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff. Teams will go over his medical reports.

Mason Graham, DT, Michigan: If teams like him, they can just put on the Ohio State tape. He shut down the Buckeyes’ vaunted rushing attack. But he didn’t test well at the combine and had poor power and strength numbers. He did bench press 225 pounds, 24 times. Skipping the workouts likely cost him a spot in the top 10. He weighed in at 296, down from the 320 he was listed at Michigan. He had only 32-inch arms (34 inches is desirable).

Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon: With top quarterback prospects Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders opting not the throw, there was room for the other QBs to shine. But Gabriel’s arm didn’t measure up, and his accuracy was lacking.