February 24, 2015
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2015 NFL Scouting Combine: Mixed results for four Canadians in Indianapolis

Four Canadians had a chance to impress scouts from 32 NFL teams at the 2015 Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

CLICK HERE FOR PREVIOUS NFL SCOUTING COMBINE ARTICLE

Christian Covington NCAA

However, Christian Covington was unable to participate.  The 6’3, 300 pound defensive tackle from Vancouver, British Columbia was still suffering effects of his season-ending knee surgery.  He sustained the injury this past fall during the regular season with NCAA Division 1’s Rice Owls. Covington has officially declared for the 2015 NFL Draft.

Tyler Varga experienced a roller coaster ride during the Scouting Combine.  Due to a minor bone spur, the 5’11, 224 pound running back from Kitchener, Ontario saw limited action as he was regulated to bench events.  Varga was unable to complete in any jumping and running drills. Tyler Varga In the bench press, the running back had 23 completions at 225 pounds.  That result was ranked eighth among all participants.  However, all is not lost for Varga as he will get an opportunity to complete the events he missed out in a “Pro Day” near the University of Connecticut on March 31st. “Obviously, it was a disappointment, but he had a lot of good interviews,” commented Varga’s agent, Joe Linta in an interview with Yale Daily News. Varga is projected to go in either the third or fourth round of the NFL Draft. Lance Zeirlein of the NFL Network gave the bottom line for his chances to crack a team roster. “Varga’s ability to run and catch gives him a shot at the back end of a depth chart, but he might have to show he can take snaps as a move fullback and shine on special teams to make an NFL team,” analyzed Zeirlein.

Brett Boyko NFL

As for Brett Boyko, he did complete all testing at the combine – 5.6 second  40 yard dash, 25 inch vertical jump, 103 inch broad jump, 7.91 second cone-drill and 4.5 second 20 yard shuttle.

In his commentary, Steelers Depot writer Alex Kozora did not give Boyko a glowing analysis in his combine report:

“Brett Boyko out of UNLV is one of the tallest tackles…but has disappointingly unporportional arms at 32 inches,” said Kozora.  “He was unable to run a stable time in the 40, getting a little out of control, running a slow 5.6 flat because of it.”

For his part, the 6’7, 310 offensive lineman from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan hopes to improve on his results by the time his “Pro Day” comes around.

“I felt like there were some things that I did better than others,” Boyko said in an interview with CBC. “The good thing is I have another pro-day workout where I’ll be able to redo some of the things I feel like I need to do over again.”

Zierlein gave his bottom line: “[Boyko] lacks the athleticism to play outside and the strength to be a guard in the NFL.”

Brandon Bridge south alabama The fourth Canadian, Brandon Bridge also completed all of his testing – 4.72 second 40 yard dash, 33 inch vertical jump, 110 inch broad jump, 7.18 second 3 cone-drill and 4.37 second 20 yard shuttle. One of the team’s interested in the 6’5m 235 pound pivot from Mississauga, Ontario are the Houston Texans as Scout’s Inside Houston Editor PD Starr reported. “Considered a raw prospect that has an “elite” arm but poor accuracy to go along with it according to some scouts,” said Starr of Bridge. Zierlein offers his take on Bridge: “His arm strength is pure NFL, but his lack of functional accuracy simply cannot be overlooked… size, arm and athleticism are definitely traits worth taking a chance on, and Bridge could become an interesting talent down the line if a team is able to get his mechanics and touch where they need to be.”

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