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Defensive end | Eastern Kentucky | Junior

Height: 6 feet, 2 inches | Weight:251 pounds

College stats

2015: In his lone season for the Colonels, Spence recorded 63 tackles (31 solo), 22.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks, ranking fourth in TFLs and fifth in sacks among FCS schools nationally.

Career:Spence, a native of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, started his career at Ohio State. He recorded 12 tackles, including a sack for minus-20 yards against Penn State as a freshman and then vaulted up the ranks as a sophomore in 2013 when he recorded 52 tackles (24 solo), 14.5 tackles for loss and 8.0 sacks to earn a First-Team All-Big Ten selection. Substance-abuse issues led to failed drug tests that resulted in Spence's banning from the Big Ten.

Combine results

40-yard dash: 4.80 seconds

Bench press: 25 repetitions of 225 pounds

Vertical jump: 35 inches

Broad jump: 10 feet, 1 inch *

3-cone drill: 7.21 seconds

20-yard shuttle: 4.35 seconds

*Tied for third among defensive linemen at the combine

Profile

Summary: The production that Spence showed as a sophomore at Ohio State was impressive but undermined when he failed multiple drug tests. Spence eventually admitted his problem with substance abuse (Ecstasy) and received intensive treatment. Rather than entering the 2015 NFL Draft, Spence opted to transfer to Eastern Kentucky and made the most of his second chance by wreaking havoc on quarterbacks.

At 6-2 and 251 pounds, Spence could be undersized for some teams' preferences at defensive end. Spence graduated with a degree in general studies and was one of five draft-eligible juniors invited to the Senior Bowl in January.

Stacking up:NFL Media analyst Mike Mayock slid Spence from second to third in his list of the top edge rushers in this year's class. Following the combine, NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah dropped Spence 10 spots — the most of any prospect — from 20 to 30 in his top 50 list.

Back to the tape:NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks noted that Spence's time in the 40 at the combine might cause some to **pump the breaks** on Spence, noting it was slower than times turned in by Von Miller (4.53) and Khalil Mack (4.65) when they attended their respective combines. Brooks, however, added the final assessment of Spence as a player "will be based primarily off the game-tape evaluation."