Hughes, Lewis clock in at NFL combine

IT WAS THE defensive backs' turn at the NFL Combine today and a pair of Oregon State cornerbacks did not disappoint. Brandon Hughes and Keenan Lewis both clocked impressive times in the 40 in Indianapolis. Although, making sense on the wide disparity between between the unofficial and official times proved to be something of a head scratcher.

Brandon Hughes was clocked -- handheld and unofficial -- at 4.36 and 4.41 in the 40 on the NFL Network's broadcast today. Hughes was the only defensive back who ran a sub-4.4 time on the network's clock.

However, the official time Hughes was credited with at the combine was 4.50 -- making for more than a tenth of a second difference between the official and unofficial clocks.

Hughes' 4.50 was still good for third best among all corners according to nfl.com.

Keenan Lewis was clocked unofficially at 4.49 on both of his runs. His official times were not immediately available -- Lewis was not listed in the top five on nfl.com as of this afternoon, the fifth place finisher on nfl.com's list had a 4.52.

Hughes also clocked the third best time, a 11.25, in the 60-yard shuttle, according to official nfl.com results.

\ Lewis has to this point been generally considered by several draftnicks to be the second player taken in the NFL Draft from Oregon State, behind Andy Levitre.

Said one of the analysts on the NFL Network's broadcast said of Hughes, "He doesn't get quite as much publicity as his teammate from Oregon State, Keenan Lewis, but he's a pretty good football player."

Former Beaver corner Coye Francis hoisted 24 reps in the bench press, good for third best among all cornerbacks at the combine. Francis was dismissed from OSU prior to the 2007 season after an arrest for possession of a loaded firearm. The charges were eventually dismissed. Francis last season at San Jose State had 69 tackles and three interceptions.