You're always going to get remarkable numbers at the NFL combine and during pro days. While assumptions like, "Guys are running faster than ever before!" are probably a bit overstated, I think it's fair to say the depth of special athletes -- I guess "freaks" is the word everyone uses now -- is as impressive as it's ever been. You expect a smaller running back to run fast, but when an offensive tackle is fast, it certainly catches your eye. And some of them run really fast.
I wanted to point out some of the top physical talents in the 2014 draft. But I didn't just want it to be about the workouts. Therefore, there are two factors in play here:
1. Workout performances balanced against dimensions. (If you're fast, it helps to be big and strong, too.)
2. These guys aren't just athletes -- they have to be legit prospects who've produced.
It's not just about how big and fast a player is -- it's also about whether he can also do it when he's in football pads. Here are a couple dozen of them.
Offense
Logan Thomas, QB, Virginia Tech
He deserves a look at quarterback even after a two-year stretch in which development became a major question. As an athlete at his size, Thomas isn't just a freakish QB -- he's pretty comparable to a super-athletic NFL tight end. Thomas, at 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds, runs a 4.61 40, has a 35-plus inch vertical jump, broad jumps 118 inches -- all of which are within a hair of Jimmy Graham's combine numbers -- and also has monstrous 10 7/8-inch hands (bigger than Rob Gronkowski's).
Jerick McKinnon, RB, Georgia Southern