Normally Penn State players are a regular at the NFL combine, and Nittany Lion fans have a handful of players to watch run through cones. This year Penn State had a small senior class, and only Stefen Wisniewski was given an invite. Let's preview what to expect from him.
What He Will Show The Scouts
When Wisniewski showed up at Penn State as a freshmen, the coaches were said to say he was already the most technically sound offensive lineman on campus. I guess having an uncle that went to eight NFL Pro Bowls as an offensive lineman and a dad that played three years in the NFL as a defensive lineman gives you a leg up in that regard. So expect Wisniewski to impress the scouts with his fundamentals.
We can also expect Wisniewski to ace the all-important Wonderlic test. Wisniewski is a three time first team ESPN Academic All-American, and is an extremely bright and dedicated individual.
What He Needs To Show The Scouts
The NFL scouts will be watching Wisniewski intently for signs of strength and toughness. He's got to kill it in the bench press and agility drills. Wisniewski has never been great at getting a push off of the line. The big knock on him is his size, so he's going to have to show them a nasty streak so they know he's not going to get pushed around in the league.
(BSD - My mistake. An astute reader pointed out that Evan Royster was also given an invite. I'll recap his performance along with Wisniewski's next week.)
Watch the NFL Scouting Combine Feb 24 - Mar 1, 2011.