The one-on-one drills are arguably the most important part of the CFL combine.
Speed, strength, agility, and explosiveness are only useful abilities if they can be translated into production on the field. Teams are looking to draft football players, after all — not sprinters, high-jumpers or weight-lifters.
I’ve taken the liberty of grading the one-on-ones that pinned the combine’s offensive linemen and defensive linemen against each other. A few things should be kept in mind before scrolling down to read the grades.
For one, this drill gives an unfair advantage to defensive players. Offensive lines consist of five players, limiting the space that pass rushers have to move and attack. This drill is simply one-on-one, giving the defender virtually unlimited real estate with which to work.
There’s also no predetermined assignment for defenders to fulfill. They don’t need to honour the run, fill a specific gap or worry about covering a running back coming out of the backfield. They have simply one objective — get to the quarterback.
Finally, I’m not a professional scout. Teams may view this film differently and some of the video angles are far from optimal. Feel free to watch the film yourself and come up with your own grades.
John Hodge is a longtime Canadian football reporter, insider, and podcaster for 3DownNation. Based in Winnipeg, Hodge is also a freelance television and radio broadcaster and curling reporter for Rock Channel.
