Battle Creek Lakeview / Western Michigan H-Back Donnie Ernsberger 2018 NFL Combine Results

Written by
Jeff Corrion
Published
03/28/2018
Photo Credit
AP

The 2018 NFL Combine took place earlier this month and 8 Michigan High School Football graduates participated.

Battle Creek Lakeview / Western Michigan H-Back Donnie Ernsberger graduated from high school in 2014 and played 4 years at Western Michigan.

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 241 lbs

Arm Length: 31 5/8"

Hand Length: 9 3/4"

40-Yard Dash: 4.78 seconds

Bench Press (225 lbs): 15 reps

Vertical Jump: 31 inches

Broad Jump: 114 inches

3 Cone Drill: 7.09 seconds

Short Shuttle: 4.34 seconds

BIO - "Ernsberger's sister, Shalene, created a viral video in October 2017 by running onto the field to celebrate a touchdown by her brother. That was one of four scores the thick receiver caught on the year among his 34 receptions that covered 394 yards. The two-time All-MAC selection (second team in 2017, third team in 2016) was more typically used as a strong lead blocker for the Broncos' rushing attack during his career, starting all 39 games from 2015 to 2017, but only catching nine passes for 112 yards and a score in 2016 and two for 22 yards the previous season. In 2014, the Battle Creek, Mich., native was primarily used as a blocking fullback and on special teams."

Overview - "Ernsberger's size will likely make him an H-back or fullback candidate. As a pass catcher, he will need to improve his route-running in order to free himself against NFL man coverage. As a blocker, he's a willing hitter, but very inconsistent with his technique. Ernsberger could offer special teams value, but he plays a position that may not have many openings so he'll need to find something in his game to stand out in order to become an NFL player."

Strengths - "Has lined up all over the field and may offer flexibility of an H-back, Does a good job of selling the block fake before leaking into the flat, Gets into his routes with adequate quickness and maintains play speed in his routes, Reliable hands catcher in space, Adds run after catch yardage, Aggressive in limited iso-block opportunities, Accelerates into his block, and Should continue to improve as blocker."

Weaknesses - "High-cut and may be caught between positions, Lacks route savvy and gives intentions away before his breaks, Is smallish to be a tight end, Inconsistent blocker, Pad level too high and rarely wins leverage, Leaves his feet behind into contact and falls off blocks, Body control is below average, and Needs to show improvements in adjusting to targets in space as blocker." - NFL.com