Some random thoughts on what's gone down the past couple of days and how it all might affect the draft:

QB

-Arkansas' Ryan Mallett was aggressively questioned by media members on rumors of drug use, but he would not comment on the issue. That was the case even after a reporter asked something to the effect of "Why not deny it, then?"

Some reporters are already fussing, taking Mallett's lack of cooperation on the questions as automatic proof that he's guilty and, in addition to that, confrontational/defensive/dumb/immature. I'm personally still agnostic on this one. I don't see how we can be sure he wouldn't handle that interview the exact same way regardless of whether he's guilty. I know I personally would be a bit irritated if I were interrogated for something I never did, particularly if the interrogators are people who don't mean a thing to my interests (Not that there's reason to believe he's innocent either--I'm just trying to keep up with all the hypotheticals). Given that, Mallett's stance that he'll talk to teams but not reporters about it makes sense to me.

I get the impression that media members felt entitled to knowing everything about his life merely because of the internet rumors that have followed him, which seems unreasonable to me. The only people he owes anything to are his potential employers. If he fails those tests, then let's stick a Ryan Leaf fork in him.

RB

-Wisconsin running back John Clay weighing in at 230 pounds is a point of major interest for me. I doubt he's been that light since high school, and while that fact does nothing to ease concerns about his discipline and/or work ethic, it does leave him poised to display his rare athleticism that the narrative surrounding him has entirely forgotten about. People normally write off Clay as a thumper, but those familiar with him know that he actually has some serious jets, and not just relative to his size. Clay was capable of burning defenses deep while playing in the 250-pound range, so I would be not at all surprised if he ran in the 4.4-second range in the 40-yard dash. If he does that, teams are suddenly getting the impulse to take him as high as the second round, warranted or not.

TE

-Although he's still short (6-2), Arkansas' D.J. Williams just helped himself by unofficially timing in the low 4.6's. He's perhaps the most accomplished pass-catcher out of this draft's tight ends, so if he convinces NFL teams that he can move as well in the NFL as he did in the SEC, he could find a role as a receiving specialist in the NFL.

-Rob Housler (Florida Atlantic) owned the 40-yard dash, posting an unofficial time right around 4.5 flat. Virgil Green (Nevada) and Jordan Cameron (USC) both timed under 4.6 unofficially, and all three were already intriguing as pass-catchers. Green also raised some eyebrows with his ridiculous 42.5-inch showing in the vertical jump. It should be interesting to see whether any of the three draw any consideration as wideouts.

-Wisconsin's Lance Kendricks is probably my top tight end in the draft, and he unofficially timed in the 4.7-second range. Given his prowess as a blocker, I think that's a more than reasonable time, but at 6-3 and under 250 pounds, he still won't convince all teams that his game can translate into anything outside of an H-back role. Kyle Rudolph(Notre Dame) remains likely to go ahead of him.

-Marshall's Lee Smith was a guy who I thought could project to a traditional, I-form type tight end, but his 5-second 40-yard dash should keep him from going any earlier than the fifth round.

OL

-This draft class appeared to be weak at offensive tackle, but showings by Tyron Smith (USC) and Anthony Costanzo (Boston College) have challenged that idea recently.

After Smith weighed in at 307 pounds (he played around 280 at USC) and showed an arm length of 36 and 3/8 inches, it instantly locked him into the top 20 picks, perhaps even top 15. He played right tackle in college and isn't especially refined, but the fact is that he carries almost no fat on him and he will impress as an athlete when he participates in timed drills. He can probably plug into a right tackle role right away in the NFL, but his athleticism and measurables could make a number of teams see him as an eventual blindside blocker. He's sitting out the rest of the Combine with a "knee injury," but it could be that he's just going to sit on his excellent weigh in and measurement numbers until the USC Pro Day comes around.

Costanzo's game film made him an almost definite first-round pick in itself, and he boosted his stock some more by moving well in drills. His intelligence was already a given, so there's not a whole lot more prodding that teams can do with this guy. With Smith looking like a potential top-10 pick, Costanzo might be making a push to land in the top-15.

I'm thinking Smith goes no later than Dallas at 9, and Costanzo no later than to the Giants at 19. Trade-ups could push both higher than those two spots.

Beyond them, it looks like Gabe Carimi (Wisconsin) and Nate Solder (Colorado) have solidified themselves as the next tier. The players are almost exact opposites--Carimi is a polished mauler who doesn't stand out athletically, while Solder is a rare athletic specimen but is a short-term liability due to underdevelopment both in regards to his frame and his game. Solder is a weakside project while Carimi is an instant starter at right tackle. Mississippi State's Derek Sherrod is in the mix there, too.

-Mike Pouncey (Florida) really stands out athletically from the other interior linemen. People should drop the talk of him being a center in the NFL, as anyone who saw him work from the shotgun last year probably can't recall a single worse showing by a center at any point, but he's probably a lock to go in the top 35 as a guard prospect. 300-pounders just aren't supposed to move like this guy can. I can't imagine how he has any serious competition in the race to be the first interior blocker selected. If the competition does exist, however, it's Penn State center Stefen Wisniewski and Baylor guard Danny Watkins.

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Tomorrow is the day where things will really pick up, as the quarterbacks, running backs receivers will get to performing.