Allen, Cromartie perform damage control

Tennessee's Jason Allen and Florida State's Antonio Cromartie helped themselves on the final day of the combine.

Originally Published: February 28, 2006
By Todd McShay | Scouts Inc.
The final day of this year's scouting combine was highlighted by the performances of two cornerbacks who suffered season-ending injuries in 2005 -- Tennessee's Jason Allen and Florida State's Antonio Cromartie. By posting impressive marks across the board and showing little rust in position drills, both Allen and Cromartie relieved much of the concern regarding their health.

Allen, who missed the final six games of the season because of a hip injury, is actually a tweener corner/safety prospect. In addition to answering questions about his hip, Allen also displayed the ability to play the cornerback position in the NFL. He finished near the top of the defensive backs in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump (39½ inches), broad jump 10-11), short shuttle (3.81), long shuttle (11.17) and three-cone (6.75). Once considered a first-round lock, Allen has seen his stock decline dramatically, but the strong showing in Indy will at least get him back into the second-round mix.

Cromartie entered this week as an even bigger enigma. Instead of returning to Florida State for his final season of eligibility, he elected to make the NFL leap, despite missing the entire 2005 season with a knee injury. NFL decision-makers were left with very little film to study and lots of stones unturned.


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Todd McShay

Scouts Inc.
  • ESPN College Football and NFL Draft Analyst
  • Joined ESPN in 2006
  • Played quarterback in high school and was a backup QB for the University of Richmond.

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