Sunday Stars: Lee ends combine on a high note
TORONTO — Laurier defensive end Robbie Smith solidified his status as a top draft prospect, while UBC defensive back Malcom Lee had a dominant showing in one-on-ones on the final day of the CFL Combine presented by New Era.
Sunday marked the last chance for prospects to make their mark before the May 2 CFL Draft, with four more major tests along with one-on-ones on the field at the Varsity Stadium bubble.
CFL.ca’s Marshall Ferguson weighs in with his top three prospects on the second and final day of the combine.
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1. Robbie Smith | DL, Laurier
Laurier stars have brought plenty of swagger to the combine in year’s past, but Smith let his testing do the talking this weekend in Toronto, validating his status as a top prospect with impressive numbers in the bench press, vertical jump and 40-yard dash.
“Robbie Smith sent a message with his 40-yard dash time, combined with his effective one-on-ones,” said Ferguson. “He should be highly sought after coming out of the weekend.”
Smith has drawn comparisons to former Laurier defensive linemen Kwaku Boateng and Ese Mrabure, but after Sunday’s testing, Ferguson came to a different conclusion regarding the rising young pass rusher.
“He’s got flavours of Ese and Kwaku in his game, but he proved this weekend that he’s his own type of player and teams will have to go back to figure out exactly how good he is.”
2. Kurleigh Gittens Jr. | WR, Laurier
Another Laurier product, Kurleigh Gittens Jr. didn’t dominate the one-on-ones or the testing portion of the combine, but still helped his stock with a strong overall showing on Sunday. After a consistent and productive U SPORTS career, Gittens showed off his speed with a 4.62 40-time, third among all participants.
Ferguson called him a polished prospect who could be the top receiver called on draft day.
“He’s the most refined route runner of the talented top end of the receiver class,” said Ferguson. “More important than his athletic ability is the thought process that he displayed on Sunday while running each route in a way that showed he understands more than just running away from defenders.
“If there’s an award that can be given out for university of football, he’s won it, at this point,” Ferguson added. “He’s the most accomplished receiver coming out since Vandervoort in terms of guys that have gotten national recognition and should be considered to go as high as Danny did (third overall in 2017).
3. Malcom Lee | DB, UBC
University of British Columbia defensive back Malcom Lee stood out in everything he did Sunday at the combine. Lee finished in the top three in half of the six testing events, then had his name called often in the one-on-ones.
Lee relished the chance to compete against top receivers like Chris Osei-Kusi and Kurleigh Gittens Jr., and showed it with his confidence on the field.
For Ferguson, long defensive backs with smooth hips are a rarity, and Lee fits the bill.
“Long defensive backs should not be able to transition from a back pedal into driving on the football as quickly as he does,” said Ferguson. “His build allows him to be a possible day one special teamer who clearly deserves the chance to make a roster on defence.
“Lee carried himself like a pro all weekend,” he added. “Outside of the testing or the on-field drills, he would look extremely at home in any team’s training camp come June.”
