Is anybody (besides me) put off by low bench press numbers?

chuckeycharles · March 2018

I first really noticed it last year with McCaffrey's whopping 10. Now Ballage, who I was excited about until he lifted only puts up 15. Here are some numbers from past combines. 40 numbers are electronically timed where possible. All numbers came from Draft Scout

chuckeycharles · March 2018

Sorry, the numbers did not paste

Don · March 2018

Can’t say I care much about bench reps for running backs. I notice it, but usually not a dealbreaker

chuckeycharles · March 2018

DNL = Did Not Lift

PLAYER Height Weight 40 Yds Bench
Adrian Peterson 6.01.4 217 4.40 DNL
Marshawn Lynch 5.11.1 215 4.46 20
Rashard Mendenhall 5.10.1 225 4.45 26
Ray Rice 5.08.0 199 4.47 23
Matt Forte 6.01.3 217 4.46 23
Darren McFadden 6.01.2 211 4.33 13
Johnathan Stewart 5.10.2 235 4.48 28
Chris Johnson 5.10.0 197 4.24 DNL
Beanie Wells 6.01.0 235 4.59 25
Knowshon Moreno 5.10.5 217 4.62 25
LeSean McCoy 5.10.3 198 4.50 17
Rashad Jennings 6.01.0 231 4.52 29
Shonn Greene 5.10.4 227 4.55 23
C J Spiller 5.10.5 196 4.37 18
Ryan Matthews 5.11.5 218 4.45 19
Jahvid Best 5.10.1 199 4.35 18
Ben Tate 5.11.0 220 4.34 26
Mark Ingram 5.09.1 215 4.66 21
DeMarco Murray 5.11.5 213 4.33 21
Mikel Leshoure 5.11.5 227 4.65 21
Ryan Williams 5.09.3 212 4.64 19
Trent Richardson 5.09.2 228 4.48 25
Doug Martin 5.09.2 223 4.55 28
LaMar Miller 5.10.6 212 4.40 INJ
Eddie Lacy 5.11.0 231 4.64 DNL
Montee Ball 5.10.4 214 4.66 15
Giovanni Bernard 5.08.3 202 4.53 19
Le'Veon Bell 6.01.3 230 4.60 24
Christine Michael 5.10.0 220 4.54 27
Carlos Hyde 5.11.7 230 4.66 19
Bishop Sankey 5.09.4 209 4.49 26
Tre Mason 5.08.4 207 4.50 DNL
Jeremy Hil 6.00.5 233 4.66 20
Devonta Freeman 5.08.2 206 4.58 14
Jerick McKinnon 5.08.7 209 4.41 32
Todd Gurley 6.00.5 222 4.52 17
Melvin Gordon 6.00.5 215 4.52 19
Ameer Abdullah 5.08.6 205 4.60 24
Jay Ajayi 5.11.6 221 4.57 19
David Johnson 6.00.5 224 4.50 25
Ezekeil Elliott 5.11.6 225 4.47 DNL
Derrick Henry 6.02.5 247 4.54 22
Devontae Booker 5.10.6 219 4.56 22
Kenneth Dixon 5.10.1 215 4.56 18
Jordan Howard 5.11.7 230 4.59 16
Alex Collins 5.10.0 217 4.59 18
Kenyan Drake 6.00.5 210 4.45 10
Leonard Fournette 6.00.1 240 4.51 DNL
Christian McCaffrey 5.11.2 202 4.48 10
Dalvin Cook 5.11.1 210 4.49 22
Alvin Kamara 5.09.6 214 4.53 15
Joe Mixon 6.00.6 228 4.45 21
Kareem Hunt 5.10.4 216 4.62 18
Jamaal Williams 6.00.0 212 4.59 18
Saquon Barkley 5.11.6 233 4.40 29
Derrius Guice 5.10.6 224 4.49 15
Sony Michel 5.10.5 214 4.54 22
Nick Chubb 5.11.2 227 4.52 29
Ronald Jones II 5.11.1 205 4.39 DNL
Rashaad Penny 5.11.0 220 4.46 13
Kerryon Johnson 5.10.6 213 4.45 11
Royce Freeman 5.10.6 229 4.54 17
Kalen Ballage 6.01.0 228 4.46 15

OdellBeckhamSr · March 2018

McKinnon thirty two

Ipkiss · March 2018

You could make the argument the lower the better.

GuinnessIsGoodForYou · March 2018

You could make the argument the lower the better.

lol

chuckeycharles · March 2018

You could make the argument the lower the better.

Ya... with that logic then McCaffery is WAYYYYYYYYYYY better than Barkley, DJ, Bell and everybody else on that list

Don · March 2018

If we were taking O-line then I’d put more stock into bench press. I care more about speed, agility, and weight with RB’s. Namely are they built to carry the load or just built to be a satellite 3rd down back

bwags · March 2018

There is zero evidence to suggest that upper body strength correlates to success at the rb position. Now if you’re talking 40 time, that’s a whole different ball game

chuckeycharles · March 2018

There is zero evidence to suggest that upper body strength correlates to success at the rb position. Now if you’re talking 40 time, that’s a whole different ball game

If that is true then there must not be any advantage to upper body strength and all those STUD running backs have wasted time and energy in the gym?

bwags · March 2018

There is zero evidence to suggest that upper body strength correlates to success at the rb position. Now if you’re talking 40 time, that’s a whole different ball game
If that is true then there must not be any advantage to upper body strength and all those STUD running backs have wasted time and energy in the gym?

Upper body strength. Lower body strength is a different animal, that’s vitally important for rbs so no they aren’t wasting their time there. The combine should test rbs on squats and cleans imo. Save the bench press for lineman

Ipkiss · March 2018

I'm just saying you have guys like Christine Michael, Sankey, Trent Richardson, Tate, Moreno, McKinnon versus Melvin Gordon, Donta Freeman, Beastmode, McFadden, Gurley, Hunt, Kamara, McCaffrey, Howard, McCoy.

CoolHand · March 2018

There is zero evidence to suggest that upper body strength correlates to success at the rb position. Now if you’re talking 40 time, that’s a whole different ball game
If that is true then there must not be any advantage to upper body strength and all those STUD running backs have wasted time and energy in the gym?
Upper body strength. Lower body strength is a different animal, that’s vitally important for rbs so no they aren’t wasting their time there. The combine should test rbs on squats and cleans imo. Save the bench press for lineman

You should know that Barkley would be atop those categories as well!

Iceman · March 2018

I first really noticed it last year with McCaffrey's whopping 10. Now Ballage, who I was excited about until he lifted only puts up 15. Here are some numbers from past combines. 40 numbers are electronically timed where possible. All numbers came from Draft Scout

NO! Really at any position, this particular drill is way overrated by some IMO.

chuckeycharles · March 2018

Bench press is overrated?

chuckeycharles · March 2018

This one is better... Ya... the bench press is overrated.

chuckeycharles · March 2018

Check out the nasty stiff arm (bench press-like skill) from the once darling of many Christine Michael

chuckeycharles · March 2018

Crap... denied by the No Fun League

You can still follow the link

chuckeycharles · March 2018

I'm just saying you have guys like Christine Michael, Sankey, Trent Richardson, Tate, Moreno, McKinnon versus Melvin Gordon, Donta Freeman, Beastmode, McFadden, Gurley, Hunt, Kamara, McCaffrey, Howard, McCoy.

Nearly every one of these guys were fantasy darlings at least during their first fantasy draft season. I listed as many hot fantasy draft prospects as I could for the purpose of this topic.

Michael, Sankey, Richardson, Tate and Moreno failed for other reasons and some of the ones to whom you compared them did not have great 40 times. McFadden is basically a bust in my opinion and McKinnon is far from a bust.

We are all looking for the 3 down back for fantasy purposes. The more I have the better I like it. McCaffrey will never fit that mold and I say it is in part his overall size, but, his pathetic efforts in the weight room factor into it also.

So, it is not that I won't take Ballage if he falls to me. But, it will be with less confidence. Time in the weight room suggests commitment to me.

Iceman · March 2018

A common theme in everything you showed is both (all) players are moving, functional strength, leverage, momentum, body position, etc, etc, etc all play a role on how football players interact with each other. If they walked up to each other stopped and then tried to lift the other guy up and out of the way and the one that could do it would win the block or the interaction then it would mean much more to me.

bwags · March 2018

This one is better... Ya... the bench press is overrated.

What does this have to do with bench press? His balance and leverage from his legs is what makes this happen.

Troy_Polamalyourass · March 2018

When you know it's the off-season....

bwags · March 2018

There is zero evidence to suggest that upper body strength correlates to success at the rb position. Now if you’re talking 40 time, that’s a whole different ball game
If that is true then there must not be any advantage to upper body strength and all those STUD running backs have wasted time and energy in the gym?
Upper body strength. Lower body strength is a different animal, that’s vitally important for rbs so no they aren’t wasting their time there. The combine should test rbs on squats and cleans imo. Save the bench press for lineman
You should know that Barkley would be atop those categories as well!

I have very little doubt that this is true

chuckeycharles · March 2018

A common theme in everything you showed is both (all) players are moving, functional strength, leverage, momentum, body position, etc, etc, etc all play a role on how football players interact with each other. If they walked up to each other stopped and then tried to lift the other guy up and out of the way and the one that could do it would win the block or the interaction then it would mean much more to me.

I'd like to see McCaffrey truck somebody the way that Bell did. I'm sorry, I just don't see that happening. Yes, there are other factors in those stiff arms, but the movement is very similar to the bench press.

As far as the "Underwear Olympics" are concerned, I don't understand why all of those skill are not performed in full pads, with perhaps the exception of the bench press. At least we would have a better idea of the player's football speed and agility as opposed to a track setting

chuckeycharles · March 2018

By the way, it seems to me that there was nearly as much oooooing and ahhhing over Barkley's bench as there was over his 40 and vertical numbers.

It is all a package, strength, speed and agility in addition to ball skills, vision and a bunch of other factors.

Heck, I am even interested in a RB's Wonderlic score. Not as much as I am for QB's, but, intelligence, if the Wonderlic actually means anything is helpful. As far as intelligent RBs are concerned, I give you Marshall Faulk. No I have not looked up his Wonderlic score, but, nobody on the field seemed smarter than Marshall when he played.

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Is anybody (besides me) put off by low bench press numbers?

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