Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy had a relatively low total of 23 repetitions of 225 pounds on the bench press a couple weeks ago at the scouting combine.
Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz, whose team might select McCoy with the second overall pick in next month’s NFL draft, thinks the bench press will matter just as soon as the NFL starts setting up benches and barbells on the field.
“His good strength is he’s got really, really good lower-body strength and things like that,” Schwartz said. “If you watched him play, I don’t think that you would say, ‘Wow, he lacks upper-body strength.’”
McCoy decided not to bench press at Oklahoma’s pro day, suggesting that he doesn’t think his 23 reps were a problem, either.
Considering that Warren Sapp managed just 17 reps when he was coming out of Miami in 1995, it’s safe to say that Schwartz is on to something in thinking you can be a great defensive tackle without being a great powerlifter.
Your last paragraph just shows how retarded using combine drills in isolation is. Yet teams will continue to do so.
Hips, hips are where it’s at.
I would think that in terms of raw power and lifting, the squats and/or clean and jerks would correllate to DT better than the bench press.
What is their problem? Before it was a WR every year. Now they want another QB?????
Not concerned cause he’s not planning to take him in the draft.
Welcome to Detroit Runaround Suh
great points
except when you said that powerlifting involved sets with high repetitions
So why do they do it? It’s like having offensive linemen run the 40.
Football is all about technique for the most part. 80% technique 20% strength.
I could be wrong, but don’t you have to stronger than a WR to play D-Line?
“What is their problem? Before it was a WR every year. Now they want another QB?????”
Anyone?
FireJerryJones,
Don’t be surprised if they take McCoy over Suh. Think Albert Haynesworth from Tenn who JS coached.
I would take Suh but the other senario could happen.
McCoy will bench press again on the 25th.
Maybe he slept wrong the night before at the combine and his arms felt weak. You never know.
He’ll get another chance to show if he’s improved.
ShruggingGalt: //What is their problem? Before it was a WR every year. Now they want another QB?????//
Wow….LOL!!! Hope this is a joke and you at least have been following the NFL good enough to know there’s 2 players with the name McCoy. Detroit is referring to the DT, not the QB.
Next, upper strength is great but for a DT it’s from the legs and hips. Upper body strength is not as big a deal if you have a strong lower frame and weigh 300+ pounds.
The fact of the matter is, that stuff does not matter to nfl coaches and scouts, as long as he is putting up like 14 reps at a dtackle then they have nothing to be worried about. Some of the weakeast weight room people I played with in college were the best and most explosive players on the field. It’s all about the film
Kevin Williams “only” did 23 reps at the combine also. It’s really hurt his game as he has been selected to just 5 Pro Bowls in 7 years.
Bench pressing 225lbs is NOT powerlifting, Michael David Smith, you moron.
“What is their problem? Before it was a WR every year. Now they want another QB?????”
Anyone?
not colt mccoy the qb from”texas” gerald mccoy from okla,hope that answers ur question
@The Notorious V.I.C.: Choose from one of the following insults:
1. “Yo momma was powerlifting my 225 last night.”
2. “It’s more than you can lift in a week.”
You do realize that 225lbs is just two 45lb plates on each side of the bar, right?
Having these NFL prospects benching this weight proves absolutely nothing, other than maybe muscle stamina. They might as well make them do pushups – that’s about as relevant to being in the trenches against some 300lb. offensive lineman as benching 225lbs is.
Come on folks, if you don’t think being able to bench press more than 23 times is a big deal, then you seriously underestimate the strength of 99% of the competition he will be going up against!
I am 5’11″ tall, and in HIGH SCHOOL, when I weighed 155 punds, I could bench 225 ten times!
Face it, the guy is WEAK and that is going to be a problem for him when trying to MOVE a 325 pound guard or center against NFL-caliber talent. Playing DT in the NFL is going to require GREAT upper body strength coupled with a solid lower body.
Explosiveness? Please. The guy on the other side of the line is going to weigh more than him. He’s only 295 pounds! If the guy is just going to be a fish, slapping against a 325 pound OG, he’s not going to be effective at ALL!
The guy has played in college and has done well. How does a DT with a weak upper body stand to perform against PROFESSIONAL talent?
Hopefully they Pass….Give me Suh, Spiller, or even Okung…..
Ok the curse of bobby layne part 2, when your selected in the top 5 in the NFL Draft then you can talk shit but if your some guy that jus sits around on the computer u have no room to talk, Mccoy is going to be good nfl player
Bobby Layne:
that is fine and all, and impressive for a 155 pounder to do it 10X (I could only do it 5X when I was 155, though I’m 200 now and have done it for 27), but the 225 bench does not equte muscle strength, it shows muscle endurance that can only be built up through work in the gym. A guy can be naturally powerful and not be able to lift 225 for a lot of reps.
Michael David Smith:
Warren Sapp won the NFL Lineman challenge a couple of times and part of it was due to his bench press. Warren was naturally strong but didn’t bench 225 for a ton of reps because he lacked dedication in college.
Attention PFT Morons:
The 225-lb bench shows one thing, muscle stamina which can only be improved by working out consistently and being a regular visitor and worker in the gym. It is a great exercise to show dedication of an athlete. ALL participants of the NFL combine can do 225 and many of the guys that only did reps in the low reps might be stronger than some of the guys doing higher reps of 225, but that is from natural strength, the guys with the higher reps work harder in the gym. This is a fact.
I work my tail off in the gym and at 200 lbs I’ve hit 225 27X and I’ve never been able to bench more than 365 in my life. I’d be willing to be that Gerald McCoy A) can bench nearly 500 lbs and B) is not a big worker in the gym.
Are these two points important? Yes, McCoy is strong but not as dedicated as other athletes.
BTW, Smith, powerlifting has nothing to do with benchpresses for reps. It is a one-rep max that can be done in 1 of 3 different exercises, bench, deadlift, or squat.
To further illustrate the point, former Bucs and Texans OL Todd Washington only managed 21 reps of 225 coming out of Virginia Tech but he set numerous records at VT for powerlifting. Warren Sapp was extremely strong as well.
grisslygopher:
If I was drafted anywhere in the NFL draft, I wouldn’t even be ON here commenting!
If you think being weak in the bench press is o.k., then good, that’s your opinion. My opinion is that this is a sign that a 290 pound DT is a bigger fan of White Castles and donuts, more than than the weight room.
He’s only 290 pounds AND weak!
Just watch how that translates against 325 pound guards! Juuuuuuust watch!
@ The curse of bobby layne:
you’re an idiot. enough said
Albert Haynesworth- 17 reps of 225 at his pro day (and he was 323 pounds when he did his)
Real Deal deuce-douche: thanks for the positive comments!
You’re comparing Gerald McCoy to Albert Haynesworth?
Okay!
How much does Gerald McCoy weigh? 285?
Okay!
If you put down your Run Spot Run book for a minute and actually read what I wrote, you will see that I pointed out that, if he’s not weak then he’d better have the mass (weight in your world), exceptional technique, and intangibles.
We’re talking a number 2 pick on a DT! He HAS to be like Albert Haynesworth to picked at #2…..I suspect he is not. He’s less than 300 pounds, and has questionable strength. So what does he have to rely on, to make it against 300-plus pound guards?
There’s a reason QB’s and LT’s go so much higher in the draft!