FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – The NFL combine may be over, but there's still time to reminisce about some of the memorable workouts from current Falcons stars.
JULIO JONES - 2011
Julio Jones' combine workout gave NFL teams their first glimpse at just how incredible of an athlete he truly was. Here are the results from Jones' workout and where he ranked among the receivers in his draft class:
- 40-yard dash: 4.39 seconds (3rd in 2011)
- Bench press: 17 reps (T-13th)
- Vertical: 38.5 inches (T-7th)
- Broad Jump: 11 feet 3 inches (1st)
- 3-cone drill: 6.66 seconds (9th)
- 60-yard shuttle: 11.07 seconds (5th)
MATT RYAN – 2008
Matt Ryan only competed in three events at his combine workout – the 40-yard dash, the 3-cone drill and the 20-yard shuttle. Still, he did enough prior to the draft to convince the Falcons he was worthy of the No. 3 pick in the 2008 draft, and he's lived up to that selection in the decade since.
- 40-yard dash:4.89 seconds (12th in 2008)
- 3-cone drill:7.40 seconds (11th)
- 20-yard shuttle:4.51 seconds (10th)
DESMOND TRUFANT – 2013
During his workout in 2013, Desmond Trufant proved he was one of the most athletic defensive backs in the draft class and posted standout numbers across the board.
- 40-yard dash: 4.38 seconds (3rd in 2013)
- Bench press: 16 reps (T-6th)
- Vertical: 37.5 inches (T-6th)
- Broad jump: 10 feet 5 inches (T-12th)
- 20-yard shuttle: 3.85 seconds (2nd)
ROBERT ALFORD – 2013
Like his partner in the Falcons' defensive backfield, Alford was stellar at the 2013 combine. Often competing with Trufant at the top of the leaderboard in each category, Alford's combine performance was one to remember.
- 40-yard dash: 4.39 seconds (T-4th in 2013)
- Bench press: 17 reps (T-3rd)
- Vertical: 40 inches (4th)
- Broad jump: 11 feet 0 inches (1st)
JAKE MATTHEWS – 2014
The Falcons new offensive line was a priority heading into the 2014 draft, so many eyes were on Jake Matthews' performance at the combine. He fared well in all of his drills, demonstrating the type of athleticism teams like to see in a left tackle.
- 40-yard dash: 5.07 seconds (9th in 2014)
- Vertical: 30.5 inches (T-3rd)
- 3-cone drill: 7.34 seconds (2nd)
- 20-yard shuttle: 4.47 seconds (T-6th)
VIC BEASLEY – 2015
Of the players on this list, Vic Beasley may have had the most impressive all-around combine performance. He finished with the best performance in his group in two categories and never finished outside of the top five.
- 40-yard dash: 4.53 seconds (1st in 2015)
- Bench press: 35 reps (1st)
- Vertical: 41 inches (3rd)
- Broad jump: 10 feet 10 inches (3rd)
- 3-cone drill: 6.91 seconds (4th)
- 20-yard shuttle: 4.15 seconds (4th)
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DEION JONES – 2016**
Deion Jones' combine numbers don't pop off the page like one might expect, but he's quickly become one of the league's top young linebackers in his first two seasons with the Falcons.
- 40-yard dash: 4.59 seconds (4th in 2016)
- Vertical: 33 inches (13th)
- Broad jump: 10 feet 0 inches (T-9th)
**
KEANU NEAL – 2016**
Although it came as a bit of a surprise to many when the Falcons drafted Keanu Neal with their first pick in the 2016 draft, his combine performance showed that he possessed a lot of the qualities that head coach Dan Quinn looks for in his defenders.
- 40-yard dash: 4.62 seconds (T-9th)
- Bench press: 17 reps (T-5th)
- Vertical: 38 inches (T-2nd)
- Broad jump: 11 feet 0 inches (1st)
- 3-cone drill: 7.09 inches (8th)
AUSTIN HOOPER – 2016
Austin Hooper showed the he belonged to be counted among the NFL's class of athletic tight ends during his combine performance. With high marks across the board, Hooper proved to be an all-around player.
- 40-yard dash: 4.72 seconds (T-3rd in 2016)
- Bench press: 19 reps (T-4th)
- Vertical: 33 inches (6th)
- Broad jump: 9 feet 9 inches (T-6th)
- 3-cone drill: 7.00 seconds (T-5th)
- 20-yard shuttle: 4.32 seconds (7th)
TAKKARIST MCKINLEY – 2017
The Falcons' most recent first-round draft pick showed off his great speed at the combine last year. Takk McKinley finished third among all defensive linemen in the 40-yard dash with a time of 4.59 seconds, cementing his reputation as a legitimate pass rusher.
- 40-yard dash: 4.59 seconds (3rd in 2017)
- Vertical: 33 reps (T-10th)
- Broad jump: 10 feet 2 inches (T-12th)
