Last week the NFL held its annual Scouting Combine, an event that is meant to allow NFL teams to analyze the skills of potential NFL draft picks. For Stanford’s Toby Gerhart, the Combine was a chance to show NFL scouts why he deserves to be a running back in the NFL.
Gerhart performed well in the other physical tests. He was able to lift the bar 22 times in bench press, the 4th most of any running back. He was 5th place among running backs in vertical jump with a height of 38 inches.
Gerhart was entering the combine amidst opinions from commentators that he would not be taken in the first round and that he was not one of the top 5 running backs in the draft. Gerhart responded to these detractors in an ESPN article saying, “I want to show them at these drills. I’m going to show the people that I can [do] a lot better than they expected.”
His performance certainly seems to have some teams interested in him. After losing their two main running backs, the San Diego Chargers might take a close look at drafting Gerhart. Russell Fike argues that Kansas City could use Gehart to improve their running game.
Ultimately, Gerhart seems to be on the radar of many teams. One can’t say that he fits the offensive scheme of any one team perfectly and so determining where he’ll end up next year may just have to wait until draft day. But if anything, Gerhart has proved through his performance at Stanford and in the Combine that he is ready to make a difference for an NFL team next season.