Cardinal Combine Report

As the NFL begins its last day of its Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, with only the DBs left to audition, it's time to check out exactly how the two Cardinals invited to Lucas Oil Field did. Robert Brewster, an offensive tackle, and Nate Davis, QB extraordinaire, auditioned for dozens of scouts, player personnel reps, and the media in what has the potential to shape both of their futures for many years to come.

They came to the combine with different experiences, buzz, expectations, and end games. For Davis, it was simply a matter of showing his remarkable talent, and erasing the taste left in many mouths after a substandard performance against Buffalo in the MAC Championship and Tulsa in the GMAC Bowl. For Brewster, it was an opportunity to turn some heads, a chance to showcase solid fundamentals, athleticism, and character, and potentially move himself from a borderline draftee to a mid-round prospect.

Brewster, from all reports, did just that. The measurables for Brewster clocked in at 6'4 and 1/8" with a weight of 325. Speed isn't necessarily the most important thing for a lineman, as most scouts will look only at the first 20 yards or so, but Brewster completed the 40 yard dash in 5.24, but with a 20 yard time of 1.7. Bench press drills are also evaluated heavily by scouts and staff, and Brewster performed well, but not extraordinary. He repped 23 times at 225lbs, which places him in the bottom half of the offensive tackles at the combine. For comparison's sake, Jason Smith of Baylor and Alex Boone of Ohio State put up 225lbs 33 times. Brewster also had a vertical jump of 30.5 inches, a drill that most tackles didn't even complete.

For Davis, it was a fairly run of the mill day at the office. QBs in particular aren't exceptionally pressed physically, but some do choose to compete in various shuttle runs, bench presses, vertical jumps, etc. to showcase their athletic ability. Davis did none of that, opting only to run the 40 and also throw. In the dash, Davis put up a 4.98, which was the 7th slowest time for QBs, but if you knock out Stephen McGee of A&M and Pat White of WVU, it was pretty much in line with most of the big names. Davis' throws were decent, not remarkable, and from all accounts didn't wow, but didn't disappoint. Pretty ho-hum combine for 13.

All in all, Brewster's stock is rising, and Nate is holding steady for the April 25th NFL Draft. Better than it could be, Cardinals fans.