Jeanty and Hassanein participate in NFL Combine. Only one Bronco doing on-field workouts
The NFL Combine kicked off on Thursday afternoon, and two Boise State stars from last season were invited to showcase their skills in front of scouts ahead of April’s NFL Draft.
Junior running back Ashton Jeanty and senior defensive end Ahmed Hassanein are attending the four-day event at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The combine invites the top draft-eligible college players to interview with and work out in front of team scouts and coaches.
But only one of those two will partake in physical activities this weekend. Jeanty, highly expected to be the first running back selected in this year’s draft, announced last week that he won’t participate in on-field workouts. That means fans won’t immediately see physical metrics such as his 40-yard dash, vertical jump and bench press.
That doesn’t mean he traveled to Indianapolis for no reason. It’s still expected that Jeanty will undergo medical screenings, according to The Athletic, such as X-rays, MRIs, and blood and drug tests.
He will also interview with numerous teams, allowing NFL coaches and front offices to talk one-on-one with him. According to The Draft Network’s Ryan Fowler, at least nine teams will conduct interviews with Jeanty:
New York Giants
Denver Broncos
Minnesota Vikings
Pittsburgh Steelers
Indianapolis Colts
Chicago Bears
Los Angeles Chargers
Baltimore Ravens
New Orleans Saints
The Saints recently hired Boise State great Kellen Moore as head coach. With the Saints’ running back room led by injury-prone Alvin Kamara, the connection could make The Big Easy a destination for Jeanty.
The Dallas Cowboys, a team Jeanty has previously said he’d like to play for, are not talking to him at the event. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Nick Harris, the Cowboys have opted to interview Jeanty at their facility during a predraft event in Frisco.
Scouts still will get a chance to see Jeanty up close before the draft. He opted to participate in on-field workouts during Boise State’s Pro Day in late March.
The Pro Day is generally a chance for players not invited to the combine, or who didn’t perform as well as they’d like there, to impress in front of teams in the comfort of their own environment. Jeanty’s decision to participate in on-field activities at Boise State will likely bring more NFL scouts than initially expected, giving his teammates more eyeballs, too.
Hassanein will participate in on-field activities in Indianapolis. He underwent measurements on Thursday morning:
Height: 6 feet, 2 ⅜ inches
Weight: 267 pounds
Hand size: 9 inches
Arm length: 32 2/8 inches
Wing span: 78 6/8 inches
