2014 NFL Combine, Day Four Recap: Foot Injury Sidelines Jimmie Ward

The defensive backs were featured on the final day of the 2014 National Football League Combine.  This meant that the final two participants in the Combine from the Mid-American Conference would be Jimmie Ward of the Northern Illinois Huskies and Travis Carrie of the Ohio Bobcats.

Until today, we presumed that both would participate in the workouts, but things obviously changed.  Ward was held out from today's drills due to a foot injury.  According to NBC's ProFootballTalk.com, the injury is believed to be minor.  As for Carrie, he also did not work out.  We cannot find any specific reason at this time, but given his tweener draft status, it almost certainly must be injury-related.

Ward is regarded as one of the better safeties in this year's draft class and could be taken on the second day of the NFL draft.  This injury, provided it isn't serious, should not hamper his status much (if at all).  This situation is where his participation in the Senior Bowl will be particularly helpful.  He had a good week in Mobile, Ala., and that will help mitigate missing these drills.  If he can get healthy enough to do some things at NIU's Pro Day, he should be one of the first few safeties taken in the draft.

As noted above, Carrie is what many would call a "tweener".  He lurks in that dark area between a potential late-round draft pick and falling into undrafted free agency.  His NFL.com Combine profile is complimentary, especially of his size and special teams ability, but it would have been very helpful if he could have participated in drills today.  At this stage, anything he can do to impress scouts and improve his draft stock will help his cause.

Now, getting healthy and being ready for Ohio's Pro Day will be very important for Carrie, if he is to have realistic hopes of being taken in the NFL Draft.