Day three of the NFL Combine in Indianapolis brought us another chance to see a former D2 Football star work out on the field in front of scouts, coaches, and management in hopes of becoming an NFL Draft pick.
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After seeing Alex Cappa and Desmond Harrison tear it up during the offensive line portion of drills, another lineman – this time on the defensive side of the field – did just the same as he was able to wow scouts for the first time since being injured at the Senior Bowl.
RELATED: Alex Cappa, Desmond Harrison Tear Up The NFL Combine
Nathan Shepherd has been buzzed about as a sleeper pick that could go as high as the second round, but was still being debated because of the aforementioned injury while in Mobile. But once he took the field in Indy, it was clear that the former Fort Hays State Tiger will no longer be talked about as a sleeper, but as a potential second round pick – the second year in a row we could see a D2 player picked that high.
Take a look at exactly how Shepherd did in the drills and measurements, and where his stock goes from here.
Continue to follow along at HERO Sports for all D2 Draft coverage, as well as on Twitter at @HEROSportsD2FB and my own page at @zach_prosba.
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Nathan Shepherd, DL, Fort Hays State
Measurements
| Height | Weight | Hands | Arms | 40-YD Dash | Bench Press | Vertical Jump | Broad Jump | 3 Cone Drill | 20-YD Shuttle | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combine Results | 6-5 | 315 | 10 1/8 | 32 3/8 | 5.09 | DNP | 31.0 | 112.0 | 7.50 | 4.53 |
Simply put, Shepherd can move for a 315-pound down lineman. His 5.09 40 time was raved about during the NFL Network broadcast, and he finished above or near average for the other categories. But his biggest standout was the 20-yard shuttle, where he excelled and topped some players that are projected to be first round picks even.
Up about 15 pounds from his weight at the Senior Bowl, this native of Canada proved he can move and carry the weight of an interior d-lineman.
Positional Drills
Shepherd was a standout in position drills as well, showing good feet and the ability to bend and move just as well as he did in some straight-line drills. Just take a look at how he performed with the down bags on field with his movement and ability to keep his eyes up while maintaining a fluid, quick motion.
Very clean by Nathan Shepherd pic.twitter.com/ppoDsoc4BH
— Billy Marshall (@BillyM_91) March 4, 2018
Another drill where Shepherd showed he belonged with some of the top interior lineman was the "punching bag" drill, where he demonstrated his monstrous punch to clear away blockers. While scouring the web for thoughts from premier draft analysts, some thought that the MIAA Defensive Player of The Year for 2017 had the best punch of any d-lineman.
Some strong punches by Nathan Shepherd. Whew pic.twitter.com/adBcId8ZWD
— Billy Marshall (@BillyM_91) March 4, 2018
Interviews / Potential Interest
One team that keeps coming back to rumor mill with Shepherd are the nearby – to FHSU that is – Kansas City Chiefs who have surely gotten a great look with the MIAA right in their backyard. But the rising prospect has said that he has heard from every team in some capacity thus far.
With his pro day coming on March 12, we are just about a week away from knowing which teams are supremely interested depending on the brass they send and a potential for seeing just how high another Canadian lineman could climb on draft boards.
Draft Stock: Up and Rising
Shepherd continued the trend of D2 prospects raising their stock while on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium, and of any of the three we have seen thus far will keep it rising as everything goes well.
Draft guru Mike Mayock said during the NFL Network telecast that his speed for his size will get him looked at, but where he is drafted will depend "on if teams think he can rush the passer from different positions along the line."
Looked at as an inside lineman for a 4-3, I believe the best fit might be as a 3-4 five-tech where he can stop the run first, and then rush the passer as a secondary role. Either way, it seems that the seven-year journey Shepherd has been on since first playing NCAA football at Simon Fraser in 2011 is about to culminate in an NFL Draft selection.
