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Top eight storylines for NFL Scouting Combine

Leonard Fournette

3. The interviews

This is a relatively big deal for all potential NFL draft picks. How will they handle individual team interviews? What questions will be thrown their way? How will that translate to where said player might be selected? More than anything, it’s a paramount theme for quarterbacks. That’s only magnified in what promises to be a wide-open draft at this position.

Teams will give us the company line when it comes to interviews. From that perspective, nothing will break officially at the combine in Indianapolis. But as we saw back in 2014 when reports broke that Teddy Bridgewater didn’t give the best of interviews, there will surely be leaks here. That’s important to focus on as the events get going this week.

Outside of quarterback, one of the biggest questions will be how Alabama pass rusher Tim Williams handles the interview process. Despite being arrested in-season, Williams will take part in the combine. That’s primarily due to the fact that charges against him were eventually dropped. Despite this, there’s some widespread concern over Williams’ character.

“He (Williams) doesn’t get enough credit for his edge-setting ability either,” an unnamed scout told MMQB’s Albert Breer back in December. “But off-field stuff will drop him in the draft.”

Coming off a senior season that saw him record 16 tackles for loss and nine sacks, the 6-foot-4 EDGE rusher will absolutely dominate the individual drills at the combine. That’s not really in question. It’s how he answers to the gun incident that will heavily impact Williams’ stock. Talent-wise, we’re looking at a top-five pick. With off-field concerns, there’s a chance Williams could fall to Day 2. That’s where the interview process will be big here.

We can go up and down the list here, but the primary focus should be on quarterbacks and Williams himself. Sure teams will want to know why Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey skipped their bowl games. That will definitely come up. But it’s really about off-field issues and how those tasked with playing football’s most-important position handle the process.

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