What Emanuel Hall’s elite Combine performance means for his NFL Draft chances

Emanuel Hall used his time in front of NFL scouts, executives, media and the general viewing public Saturday to show why he was such an explosive player at Missouri.

His 4.39-second 40-yard dash was impressive, yes, but his 141-inch broad jump was dang near historic.

Let’s put that performance into perspective, shall we.

Since 2000, which is as far back as Pro Football Reference’s Combine results go, only 18 players — and eight wide receivers — put up a 40/broad jump profile like Hall’s. By “profile,” we’re talking players who jumped at least a half-foot shorter than Hall (so 135 inches or higher) and who ran at least a half of a tenth of a second slower than Hall (so 4.44 or faster).

It’s some fairly rarefied air. Here are all the guys who did it from 2000-2018.

2018
CB Denzel Ward, Ohio St. (5-11/183)
40: 4.32 sec. (T-1st)
Broad Jump: 136 in. (T-1st)
Draft: Round 1, Pick 4

2017
S Obi Melifonwu, Connecticut (6-4/224)
40: 4.40 sec. (10th; leader – 4.22)
Broad Jump: 141 in. (1st)
Draft: Round 2, Pick 56

CB Fabian Moreau, UCLA (6-0/206)
40: 4.35 sec. (4th; leader – 4.22)
Broad Jump: 136 in. (T-2nd; leader – 141)
Draft: Round 3, Pick 81

WR Robert Davis, Georgia St. (6-3/219)
40: 4.44 sec. (T-25th; leader – 4.22)
Broad Jump: 136 in. (T-2nd; leader – 141)
Draft: Round 6, Pick 209

2016
CB Jalen Ramsey, Florida St. (6-1/209)
40: 4.41 sec. (T-11th; leader – 4.31)
Broad Jump: 135 in. (T-1st)
Draft: Round 1, Pick 5

2015
CB Byron Jones, Connecticut (6-1/199)
40: 4.43 sec. (T-18th; leader – 4.28)
Broad Jump: 147 in. (1st)
Draft: Round 1, Pick 27

WR Chris Conley, Georgia (6-2/213)
40: 4.35 sec. (T-4th; leader – 4.28)
Broad Jump: 139 in. (2nd; leader – 147)
Draft: Round 3, Pick 76

2013
WR Justin Hunter, Tennessee (6-4/196)
40: 4.44 sec. (T-27th; leader – 4.27)
Broad Jump: 136 in. (2nd; leader – 139)
Draft: Round 2, Pick 34

2011
WR Julio Jones, Alabama (6-3/220)
40: 4.34 sec. (T-5th; leader – 4.28)
Broad Jump: 135 in. (1st)
Draft: Round 1, Pick 6

2008
WR Jerome Simpson, Coastal Carolina (6-2/199)
40: 4.42 sec. (T-31st; leader – 4.24)
Broad Jump: 136 in. (1st)
Draft: Round 2, Pick 46

2005
CB Scott Starks, Wisconsin (5-8/172)
40: 4.37 sec. (T-11th; leader – 4.27)
Broad Jump: 137 in. (1st)
Draft: Round 3, Pick 87

CB Chris McKenzie, Arizona St. (5-8/185)
40: 4.32 sec. (T-5th; leader – 4.27)
Broad Jump: 136 in. (2nd; leader – 137)
Draft: Undrafted

2003
CB Terence Newman, Kansas St. (5-10/189)
40: 4.37 sec. (5th; leader – 4.32)
Broad Jump: 136 in. (2nd; leader – 137)
Draft: Round 1, Pick 5

RB Justin Fargas, USC (6-1/219)
40: 4.35 sec. (4th; leader – 4.32)
Broad Jump: 137 in. (1st)
Draft: Round 3, Pick 96

As you can see, all but one of them got drafted and all but two went in the top 100 picks.

Now, to be fair, some of these guys probably could have shown up at the Combine, did nothing but camp out at the buffet and still gone very high in the draft — Jones, Ramsey and Newman stand out — but a couple of these guys also made themselves some serious bank with big Combine showings.

Think Bryon Jones and his world-record broad jump, which allowed him to leap (pun MOST DEFINITELY intended) into the first round, Conley solidifying his status as a Day 2 guy with surprisingly good testing or Simpson vaulting from relative small-school obscurity into the second round. Even Ward, a presumptive first-rounder going into the Combine last year, did himself a solid and tested himself into the top five.

Now, there are two things going against Hall.

One, his injury history. Which, according to The Draft Network (via the Kansas City Star) could be his injury present as well, if he ends up needing surgery to repair a hernia.

Two...there were three other receivers who tested very similarly to Hall in this year’s class that don’t have the injury questions. Plus a safety, just for good measure.

WR Emanuel Hall, Missouri (6-2/201)
40: 4.39 sec. (11th; leader – 4.29)
Broad Jump: 141 in. (T-1st)
NFL Draft Scout Rating: Round 5

S Juan Thornhill, Virginia (6-0/205)
40: 4.42 sec. (T-19th; leader – 4.29)
Broad Jump: 141 in. (T-1st)
NFL Draft Scout Rating: Round 4

WR Miles Boykin, Notre Dame (6-4/220)
40: 4.42 sec. (T-19th; leader – 4.29)
Broad Jump: 140 in. (3rd; leader – 141)
NFL Draft Scout Rating: Round 4

WR Parris Campbell, Ohio St. (6-0/205)
40: 4.31 sec. (T-3rd; leader – 4.29)
Broad Jump: 135 in. (T-5th; leader – 141)
NFL Draft Scout Rating: Round 1-2

WR Darius Slayton, Auburn (6-1/190)
40: 4.39 sec. (T-11th; leader – 4.29)
Broad Jump: 135 in. (T-5th; leader – 141)
NFL Draft Scout Rating: Round 3-4

So, while Hall might have done himself some favors at the combine, injury questions plus the fact that it just seems to be a bit of a bumper year for crazy-athletic wideouts might make a Byron Jones-type ascension a little more difficult for him.