Canadians Blake & Crawford earn high praise at NFL combine

The C in front of Philip Blake’s name at the NFL Combine stood for Center. It could also have designated him as one of two Canadians participating at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. What it did not reflect was his grade.

That was an A.

The Baylor University offensive lineman raised in Toronto, who did not play American football until his senior year in high school, caught the eye of NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock, who gave Blake the kind of review he will hope was written down verbatim in the notebooks of NFL team scouts.

“I had a third or fourth round grade on him, and I believe that he’s a starting centre in this league,” said Mayock. “I like the big Canuck. From a value perspective, Philip Blake, you’re my man.”

Blake stands six feet two and weighs in at 311 pounds. He played one year at Father Henry Carr Catholic Secondary School then at Champlain Regional College and Tyler Junior College before Baylor showed an interest. For the Bears, he became a three-year starter and protected Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III.

The NFL.com Combine analysis of Blake describes him as ‘a large body who fits well on his blocks. Once there, he can sustain and fight to stay involved. He is quick when pulling. He will stay in front and mirror defenders in his pass set and has been a stalwart for Griffin and the Baylor offense up front.’

Blake ran his 40-yard dash in 5.25 seconds, benched 22 reps, and his vertical leap (29.5″), broad jump (105″), cone drill (7.86 seconds) and 20-yard shuttle run (4.65 seconds) peaked Mayock’s interest.

“I thought he did everything today that I hoped he would do, and he actually did a tad better in the measurables than I expected,” he added.

Boise State defensive end Tyrone Crawford hails from Windsor, ON, and not to be outdone by his compatiot, came to the attention of Sports Illustrated, whose NFL writer Tony Pauline listed him among his ‘Risers’ at the NFL Combine:

‘Crawford could be the sleeper at the defensive line position. He clocked 4.85 seconds in the 40 at 275 pounds, more impressively posting a 1.65 10-yard split on his initial try. Crawford was fluid and natural in all his movement skills and looked very good in position drills. He showed terrific hand punch in bag drills and his 28 bench press reps was better than expected. Look for Crawford to be selected before the second day of the draft ends.’
A reserve defensive lineman who appeared in each of Boise State’s 13 games, Crawford received a SI.com All-America honorable mention, registered 32 tackles on the season (13 solo), including 13.5 tackles-for-loss – tied for most on the team – and 7.0 sacks, the second-most on the Broncos.

His 40-yard time of 4.89 seconds was tied 17th among participants and he impressed with his broad jump (113″), vertical leap (33″), three-cone drill (7.09 seconds and 20-yard shuttle (4.44 seconds).

Crawford’s NFL.com analysis says: ‘He has a ton of upside considering his play history, and posses prototypical NFL athletic ability and speed on the perfect frame. He can play in various spots across a defensive line and could be plugged in to a number of schemes. He is a bit of a late riser and has second- or third-round value as a developmental prospect with starting traits.

‘Crawford is quick to get out of his stance off the snap and has the instincts to slant and hit a gap without being touched. He is consistently disrupting plays in the backfield and is a solid tackler. He is a strong player who shows an explosive arm jolt when keeping blockers at bay. Crawford shows good change of direction when stopping to pursue plays laterally. As a rusher, his motor is the key to his success. He never gives up on a play and can use a strong burst to get to the quarterback. He has a ton of upside, which undoubtedly increases his values to teams who are set at the position and willing to patient and work with him. Despite his size, he could even play special teams early on in his career because he has such a nasty demeanor.’

Blake and Crawford will hope those glowing endorsements from Mike Mayock and Sports Illustrated will be remembered come the NFL Draft in April.