Montez and Taylor improve NFL Draft stock, Shenault and Brown holding strong

The 2020 NFL Scouting Combine concluded following four days in Indianapolis, Ind., where a quartet of former Colorado Buffaloes were among 300-plus participants showcasing their skills in front of NFL scouts.

Here’s a look at the combine performances of wide receivers Laviska Shenault Jr. and Tony Brown, quarterback Steven Montez and linebacker Davion Taylor.

LAVISKA SHENAULT JR., WR

Projected by many to be a mid-to-late first round/early second round selection in April’s draft, Shenault’s combine results were skewed due to an injury. The 6’1, 227-pound wide receiver put up 17 reps on the bench press and ran a 4.58 second 40-yard dash, which ranked towards the bottom half of all the wideouts in attendance. The day following his less-than-expected performance, ESPN’s Adam Shefter revealed the DeSoto, Tex. native had been dealing with a core muscle injury and “will have surgery that is expected to sideline him 4-6 weeks”. As a result, Shenault will be unable to perform at Colorado’s Pro Timing Day, which is scheduled for Wednesday, March 11.

STEVEN MONTEZ, QB

ESPN.com lists Montez as the 12^th best quarterback prospect for the 2020 Draft. They may want to update their rankings following Montez’s performance in Indianapolis. The 6’4, 231-pound signal caller from the 9-1-5 (El Paso, Tex.) ran an official 4.68 second 40-yard dash, which tied him for third among quarterbacks with Oregon’s Justin Herbert. Montez also registered a 33-inch vertical jump and a 117-inch broad jump, eight inches behind frontrunners Kelly Bryant (Missouri) and Jalen Hurts (Oklahoma). Known for his arm strength, he finished his career at Colorado with a 62.4 completion percentage and a school-record 63 touchdown passes. Quarterbacks will be a hot commodity in this draft, and without a doubt, Montez should be off the board in the mid-to-late rounds.

TONY BROWN, WR

The 6’1, 198-pound receiver from La Mirada, Calif. ran a 4.65 second 40-yard dash. He also finished with 14 reps in the bench press and a 33.5-inch vertical jump, a full 11 inches behind Donovan Peoples-Jones’ (Michigan WR) combine best 44.5. What Brown lacks in speed and leaping ability however, he makes up for with his precise route-running, which could make him a steal for a team in the later rounds of this draft. During his final season in Boulder, Colo., Brown tied for the team lead with Shenault in receptions (56) and led the team with five receiving touchdowns. The wide receiver class for the 2020 Draft is deep, and while Brown may not hear his name called, he’d make a great undrafted free agent selection for any team looking for an intelligent receiver with upside.

DAVION TAYLOR, LB

CBSSports.com lists Taylor as the 33^rd best linebacker in the 2020 draft class. This should change after the jaw-dropping performance he put on Saturday in Indianapolis. Taylor, who doubled as a star on Colorado’s track team, was among the leaders in just about every workout at the linebacker position. His 4.49 second 40-yard dash ranked 3^rd behind Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons and Mississippi State’s Willie Gay Jr.

He also finished tied for fifth among linebackers in the bench press (21 reps) and fourth in the broad jump (127 inches) and three-cone drill (6.96 seconds). Plain and simple, despite his impressive combine workouts, Taylor is raw. He didn’t play football in high school due to religious beliefs. That said, he’s got tremendous upside and yours truly wouldn’t be surprised to see an NFL team select him in the mid-to-late rounds come April.

Taylor, Brown and Montez will each have a chance to better their combine numbers next week at the Buffaloes Pro-Timing Day. Per the below tweet from CUSportsNation.com writer Justin Guerriero, other Buffs to participate include: CB Delrick Abrams, TE/RB Beau Bisharat, OT Arlington Hambright, P Alex Kinney, C Tim Lynott, S Mikial Onu, OT Jack Shutack and LB Alex Tchangam.