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The NFL just concluded their Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Monday where over 300 top prospects were invited to run drills and showcase their athletic abilities for the upcoming 2011 Draft. And Penn State was once again well represented by seniors, Stefen Wisniewski and Evan Royster at this year’s event. The two invites marked the lowest number of participants from Penn State in the NFL Scouting Combine since 2008 when just 3 players were invited to take part. And when compared to the 6 players invited in 2010 and 7 invited in 2009, it is another stark reminder as to just how young the Nittany Lions were last season. In fact, the Lions return 16 starters (7 on offense, 8 on defense and 1 specialist) and 17 players with starting experience in 2011.

Both Wisniewski and Royster ran drills for NFL scouts during the 6 day event hoping to hear their names called on Draft Day joining the 32 former Nittany Lions that are currently on NFL rosters.

Stefen Wisniewski worked out for scouts as a guard and center, both positions Wisniewski is familiar with from his career in Happy Valley. Despite a lackluster 40-yard dash, a drill pretty insignificant when it comes to offensive linemen, he did finish in the top 10 in every other individual category including impressive showings in the Bench Press as well as the 3-cone drill. Among offensive linemen, Wisniewski tied for 6th in the Bench Press with 30 reps and ranked 8th among OL in the 3-cone drill at 7.51 seconds. The biggest knock by scouts on Wisniewski is the need to increase his lower body strength and weight.

“the fact that he tips the scales at merely 297 pounds could limit him to the center position and make him useful in only certain pro schemes. He may be a master technician, but when he faces 340-pound nose tackles in the NFL his current frame simply won’t be enough to handle the situation one on one.”

Rated the top center in the 2011 NFL Draft, Wisniewski is projected to be a 2nd round pick.

Arm Length: 33 inches (tied for eighth among 22 interior linemen)

Hand Length: 10 3/8 inches

40-yard Dash: 5.35 seconds

Bench Press: 30 reps

Vertical Jump: 28.5 inches

Shuttle Run: 4.63 seconds

Cone Drill: 7.51 seconds

Broad Jump: 8 feet, 4 inches

Check out Wisniewski’s official NFL Draft profile:

Stefen Wisniewski OL 54 Height: 6’3″ Weight: 313 lbs. Arm Length: 33 in Hand Size: 10 3/8 in. Position: OL STRENGTHS Wisniewski is tall with adequate speed. Knowledgeable lineman that makes quality pre-snap reads and is always in sound position. Effective zone blocker that consistently picks up the right assignment. Slides and mirrors well in pass protection and delivers a good initial punch. Has experience playing both guard and center. WEAKNESSES Lacks the bulk and lower body strength to hold stout against bigger defensive tackles. Has poor footwork and struggles to sustain blocks. Takes poor angles moving to the second level and lacks the lateral agility to consistently make blocks in space. Does not always finish blocks and fails to show a mean streak. ANALYSIS Wisniewski comes from a football family and has the versatility to be a quality backup at the next level. He has great football intelligence, quickly recognizes stunts and blitzes and is rarely caught out of position. However, he lacks the lower body strength to generate a consistent push in the running game and will not thwart the bull rush in the NFL. He played guard early in his career and can line up at all three interior offensive line positions. Wisniewski has the smarts to make up for his lack of strength and will likely be a later round pick.

Evan Royster, Penn State’s all time rushing leader was the only other Nittany Lion invited to take part in this year’s NFL Scouting Combine. And like his record breaking career at Penn State, his combine performance was largely under the radar. In fact, his 40-yard dash time of 4.65 seconds highlighted the biggest knock on his draft prospects. But as anyone who watched Royster break Penn State’s all-time rushing record will tell you, though he won’t run a 4.2 or 4.3 40-yard dash, his school record 3,932 rushing yards is far more indicative of the type of player he is. A between-the-tackles workhorse with the patience and vision to avoid a direct hit type of player who managed to to break the 100-yard mark 15 times wearing the Blue and White. Including a perfect 15 for 15 record when he breaks the century mark. In fact, he becomes just the 7th Nittany Lion to post multiple 1,000 yard seasons joining the likes of Curt Warner, Tony Hunt, Blair Thomas, Curtis Enis, Ki-Jana Carter and John Cappalleti.

To overcome the lack of breakaway speed, Royster must show scouts that he is ready to take on the carries required of a workhorse back but preliminary analysis does not bode well for the running back. “Runs a little high and lacks the power to be a strong runner between the tackles… Also, he is not a very powerful runner and will not gain many yards after contact.”  Even his bench press numbers are a little disappointing at 20 reps, well outside the Top 15 for running backs.

In four seasons at Penn State, Royster has only had 6 games of 20+ carries including just 3 in his senior campaign. Evan Royster must show scouts he is capable of the increased workload if he is to have any hope of sneaking into the second day of the Draft.

Arm Length: 30 3/4 inches

Hand Length: 9 1/4 inches

40-yard Dash: 4.65 seconds

Bench Press: 20 reps

Vertical Jump: 34.0 inches

Shuttle Run: 4.18 seconds

Cone Drill:

Broad Jump:

Check out Royster’s official NFL Draft profile:

Evan Royster RB 30 Height: 6’0″ Weight: 212 lbs. Arm Length: 30 3/4 in Hand Size: 9 1/4 in. Position: RB STRENGTHS Royster is tall with adequate bulk. Possesses very good vision and patience to read blocks and exploit cutback lanes. Shows good balance and runs through arm tackles. Smart player that sells play fakes and takes pride in blocking in pass protection. Extremely productive college player. WEAKNESSES Does not have the breakaway speed to turn the corner and he is not elusive enough in the open field to consistently make defenders miss. Runs a little high and lacks the power to be a strong runner between the tackles. Raw route runner with inconsistent hands that is not weapon out of the backfield. ANALYSIS Royster is Penn State’s all-time leading rusher, but he lacks the explosiveness to be as effective at the next level. He shows the ability to consistently find running lanes and can make defenders miss in the hole. However, he lacks the breakaway speed and lateral agility to consistently pick up big chunks of yards. Also, he is not a very powerful runner and will not gain many yards after contact. Overall, Royster is a productive football player that does al l the little things well, and he could sneak into the second day of the draft.

Both Stefen Wisniewski and Evan Royster will get another opportunity to impress scouts at Penn State Pro Day on March 16th. As of right now, Royster is not projected to be any higher than the fifth round in April’s Draft, one that will be held regardless of whether or not the the NFL owners and NFLPA agree to a new collective bargaining agreement. For a league that has dominated its professional peers in television ratings, fan attendance and revenue as well as NFL betting that amounts in the billions, a lockout is the last thing everyone, including these draft prospects want.