NFL Scouting Combine: Group 7 Defensive Linemen Run For Their Livelihoods

--- The defensive linemen hit the field for their evaluations today and the NFL Network coverage has just kicked off. Mike Mayock says he has 9 defensive ends with first round grades this year. He also says the defensive tackle group is deep through the second and third rounds. Group 7 is on the turf now, with Group 8 later today and the linebackers starting their lifting.

--- Mayock calls UNC's Robert Quinn as gifted an edge rusher as he's seen in the last 10 years. Quinn was suspended for the 2010 NCAA season. He expects Quinn to run a sub 4.6 forty.

--- Marvin Austin just ran his 40-yard dash in a time of 4.80. His 10-yard split was 1.63. Austin was suspended for the year for illegal contact with agents and trips. Mayock just reported that his 10-yard split time was the average for last year's crop... OF RUNNING BACKS! Here's SB Nation's Dan Kadar's quick report on Austin from before today's drills.

--- Marcel Dareus of Alabama just ran a 4.94 forty with a 1.66 10-yard split. He is rated as an early first round 4-3 DT prospect, and a mid-first 3-4 DE talent.

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-- My pet cat, Kenrick Ellis looks a little big right now and a little sloppy. He ran a 5.19 40 with a 1.97 10-yard split. He weighed in at a whopping 346 after being listed well under 300 while at Hampton U. Here's a post where I profiled Ellis from the Texas Vs. The Nation all-star game. Ellis pulls up with a hamstring during his second run but finishes the drill.

--- Nick Fairley just had two false starts in his 40-yard dash, the first that I've seen today. Mayock and Sapp are relating this to his propensity to stand up too much during games. Fairley runs a 4.86 40-yard dash with a 1.76 10-yard split. Fairley false starts on his second run as well. 4.82 / 1.78

--- Texas DL Sam Acho plays up and down the line of scrimmage. After a false start, he runs a 4.63 40-yd with a  1.66 10-yard split. Here's his NFLDraftScout profile.

--- Marvin Austin is running the 40 again, and has false started twice. 4.86 with a 1.63 split.

--- Oregon's Brandon Bair, 3-4 prospect for the mid-rounds. Second attempt he runs a 4.82 with 1.75 split. Mayock projects him as miscast in Oregon and a mid-round steal for a 3-4 team that will play him at DE. Hmmm....

--- Dareus takes his second shot and runs a 4.92/1.71.

The linemen will hardly ever run 40 yards at one time, so an important dissection of the drills is their 10-yard split time. Here are the top 10 from the early guys, according to NFL Network graphics.