NFL Combine Winners & Losers: Fastest Draft Class EVER?!
After more than a year without the combine taking place due to COVID, it is officially back and it showed us another crop of amazing young talents that are set to enter the league. What happens at the combine is one of the biggest ways risers and droppers in mock drafts and overall draft stock happens. With all of that being said, let's get into our winners and losers of the combine!
WINNERS
In a draft class that is becoming notorious for "having no star potential QBs", one name that is truly sticking out to me so far is Malik Willis. I've been a huge fan of his since before the season, and while he played a pretty up and down season, we all know the star potential he really does have. I don't want to constantly use this comparison, but he feels like Lamar Jackson but with a BETTER arm. He may be even faster than Jackson, just probably not as wildly elusive, but still, that little comparison means he has potential to be BETTER than a former NFL MVP. Willis showed out all day during the QB drills. There were a few moonballs that he threw in front of everyone watching, and man, I haven't seen some tight spirals that far down the field in a minute at the combine. These balls went straight up, perfect spiral, and came straight down in the bucket of the WR who was 40+ yards down the field. I mean right in the bucket. The WR didn't even have to break stride or adjust to it at all. Willis is the best QB in the draft in my opinion and should be a top 10 pick. Do what you please with that take.
Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State -
Big Christian Watson of NDSU is another guy I've been high on, but now after a stellar showing at the combine, he is going to draw the eyes of the nation. In my mock draft 1.0, I had him sneaking into the backend of the first round to the Green Bay Packers. I haven't seen many other mocks with him in the first. Now you are going to start seeing them. Watson brings an unreal skillset to the table. He's 6'5, 210 pounds, and just came out and ran a 4.36 FORTY! Are you kidding me?!! Everyone who knows Watson knows he's fast, but he just showed his faster than fast, 4.3 speed is simply different, ESPECIALLY AT 6'5. While we have a long way to go, Watson feels like he will be inevitably drafted in round 1 after that plus his visible prowess in the route running drills. He's more polished than given credit for, and he showed it at the combine.
The thing that is so awesome about the combine is that, while the first round stars usually show out, little know guys, like Calvin Austin III, get to make a name for themselves as well. That is exactly what the 5'7 and a half Austin did in Indy. He started it off with a blazing 40 yard dash of 4.32 which was near the top of the mark for WRs. He also broke an NFL combine record by being the smallest player to have a broad jump of over 11 feet! Austin also was top 3 amongst all WRs in vertical jump with 39" and again, he's just 5'7 and doing these things. This really shows the kind of athlete teams would be getting with the small deep threat Calvin Austin. Not only is he explosive, but he's going to be able to go up and catch a lot of balls.
Ikem Ekwonu, OT, NC State -
It is pretty shocking that we don't have a true favorite for the top pick in the draft right now, or even a true idea of which of 4-5 prospects has the upper leg at the current moment. However, "Ickey" Ekwonu's performance at the combine is going to boost him for the time being at least. Ekwonu showed us he truly is an unreal athlete to go along with his size and strength. Ekwonu ran a 4.93 forty yard dash which is very impressive given his size but the true impressive part of his day was how smooth and light on his feet he looked during drills. Ekwonu did a lot to give himself a chance to be the first name called on April 28th.
Zion Johnson, OG, Boston College -
Johnson is a name getting a good amount of first round draft hype in mocks, and after this showing at the combine, we should see his name pop up even more. Johnson has been lauded for his strength/size to go along with his elusiveness on his feet. He recorded the most reps on the bench press with 32 and then excelled in the footwork drills on the field. It was a great showing for Johnson who has a real shot to be a backend of the first round kind of guy.
I don't want to go so far as to declare Davis THE winner of the combine, but find me someone who proved more than he did? Jordan Davis absolutely dominated the combine and turned a lot of heads who didn't think he was a first round prospect. At 340 pounds, Davis ran a 4.78 forty yard dash. Are you kidding me?! To put that in perspective, Aaron Donald ran a 4.68 forty which is considered to this day out of this world for an interior DL. Donald only weighs 270 pounds. Davis has a good 70 pounds on him and ran just .10 seconds slower. He is going to be a problem in the middle of a defense. Davis also leaped over 10 feet in the broad jump and 32 inches vertical which are just some more unheard of numbers for a 340 pounder. On the field, he was possibly the most impressive talent there was as well, showing off a ton of elite technique that will translate instantly to the NFL. Davis was considered the best run stuffer in the draft, but that was mainly about it. Now teams are going to take a long, hard look at him within the top 15. I don't know if anyone did more for their draft stock than Davis during the combine.
Amaré Barno, Edge Rusher, Virginia Tech -
Barno is another one of those names who MAKES a name for themself at the combine. Similar to Calvin Austin III above, Barno was not very well known in the draft community before his insane workout. It so happens that he just ran the fastest 40-yard dash for a defensive lineman EVER. That's right, EVER. Barno blazed for a 4.36 forty and left scouts and the NFL world with their jaws dropped. At 6'5, 245 pounds, it's not like he's some undersized prospect either. Barno was set to be a 5th round pick minimum, but this insane speed and juice off the edge he clearly has may see him fly up to become a potential second or third-rounder. Hats off to him.
Travon Walker, Edge Rusher, Georgia -
Walker has always been a surefire first-round prospect, but what he showed at the combine gives him real potential to be a solidified top 10 pick. Walker looked so fluid and athletic all-day at the combine. He tested extremely well, running a blazing 4.51 forty time along with jumping out of the gym with a 35 1/2 inch vert and a 10.3 foot broad. On the field, he was potentially the best player as well. He showcased the burst and bend we all know he possesses and that NFL teams are going to covet. His on the field work was seriously some of the best I've seen for an edge rusher, comparable to Myles Garrett a few years back. Seeing this speed and athleticism from a guy so good and so versatile like Walker is going to turn many heads. Walker can even play some DT but also can drop back into coverage occasionally. Travon Walker is going to be a star.
Kalon Barnes, CB, Baylor -
We all knew this guy Kalon Barnes could run fast, but we didn't know he would be THIS fast. Barnes nearly broke John Ross' 40-yard dash time record as he turned in a 4.23 forty of his own (.01 slower than Ross' 4.22). While he has a lot to work on in terms of actual coverage, this is the fastest defensive player in NFL history based off of his 40. He went from a 5-7 round pick to a top 4 rounder with that run and an overall amazing day at the combine. Just how high could he go will be the question as the draft inches closer...
Tariq Woolen, CB, UTSA -
Woolen is a prospect I'm absolutely infatuated with, and after he tore up the combine, it's going to be safe to say that a lot of other people will be as well. Woolen was the prospect outside of first round hype that I was most excited to see, and he certainly lived up to it for me. Woolen measured insanely well, proving he is the massively rangy corner we all expected him to be. He's 6'4, 205 pounds, and oh yeah, he casually ran a 4.26 FORTY! What?! That is mental! Woolen is new the CB position as he's only played it for two years (previously was a wideout) and he still has so much room to grow! You don't see a player with the physical tools but also the speed and already decent skill like Woolen very often. Woolen could find himself sneaking into the LATE FIRST after a performance this good, seriously, Woolen could have risen that high after this.
The guy with the coolest nickname in the draft may have done enough to secure himself as the best CB in the draft. Gardner had an amazing combine. At 6'3, Gardner has rare speed for the position. He ran an elite 4.41 forty yard dash and then looked really good on the on-field drills. Gardner is rising even higher now, and is starting to feel like a near lock to be the first CB off the board in the draft and almost a top 10 lock. Gardner showing out at the combine coupled with the fact that he didn't allow a single TD in his college career of over 1,000 coverage snaps is going to make him a hot prospect amongst teams picking in the top 15.
Yup, bet you didn't thin you'd ever see a punter on here. Me neither, but this year has a potential generational talent at the position, and he excelled at the combine as well. Matt Araiza, aka "Punt God" might be the best punting prospect I've ever seen. The 2021 Ray Guy award winner led the nation with 36 punts inside of the 20 yard line and also averaged over 50 yards per punt. Araiza also had 18 punts of over 60 (plus two of over EIGHTY) this season! This kid is unbelievable. At the combine he did pretty much all he could do. A video from the combine has gone viral of him kicking a 75+ yard punt and it just downing itself and stopping at the half-yard line. To add to that, Araiza ran a 4.68 forty yard dash which is unreal for a kicker of any sort. He also leapt 32 inches which is very good as well. Araiza has had pretty much a perfect punting season, and literally could go as high as the second round. I'm so serious. His insane combine only strengthened that possibility.
LOSERS
Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh -
While I was very close to just leaving him off of this list entirely, I ultimately decided to put Pickett as a loser. Pickett impressed in some aspects, especially his 40 yard dash, a primary concern of many teams was confirmed during the measurement stage. Pickett's hand size was measured at 8.5 inches which would make him one of the smallest hand sized QBs in NFL history, not just the current day NFL. In fact, in the current NFL, he would easily have the smallest sized hands. Why does it even matter? Well, it is harder to grip a larger NFL football with small hands, especially in bad conditions or cold weather, and it also makes it easier to fumble. There is a list of QBs with under 9 inch hands, and there are pretty much no guys on it that have been major draft hits. Pickett could be an anomaly, but history is not on his side. Already going to be 24 as a rookie, Pickett has enough working against him in that department, but now the tiny hand concern that will scare some teams away...
While I still love Burks, and many should too, his combine performance was less than electrifying like we expected it to be. The enamor with Burks is his size/speed combination that have some pegging him as the next Deebo Samuel but potentially bigger AND faster. While all of that could still be true, his combine performance did not do him any solids nor did it help him become the WR1 in a class so top heavy with talent at that position. Burks is working to try and be considered the WR1 in the class, so running a less than ideal 4.55 forty yard dash along with average jumping numbers are going to set him back a little. The tape is obviously there and a thing, but he didn't prove he was that explosive open-field menace like we all know and expect him to be on the combine field. While he's still a surefire first rounder, that performance definitely set him back and it now feels a lot more unlikely he is the first guy off the board at the position.
Kenyon Green, OL, Texas A&M -
Aside from the top tackles + Tyler Linderbaum, Kenyon Green feels to be one of the only other interior OL to have a shot at going in the first round. While he was in some first round mocks and left out in others, his performance at the combine did not help his case to be in the former. Green ran a 5.24 forty yard dash which is disappointing for teams hoping he truly can be a versatile guard/tackle swingman in the NFL. He also recorded bottom 3 fewest reps on the bench which furthermore proves that statement. Green will have time to recoup some value, but that was a pretty damaging showing for the young guard.
Just like Treylon Burks, Devin Lloyd's performance at the combine was not great, and potentially drops him from the chance of also being the first player off the board at his own position, yet it was damaging enough to drop out of the first round. Lloyd was considered pretty firmly the top LB in the class, though Nakobe Dean was on his heels, now after the combine (which Dean didn't participate in), Lloyd has some real competition. The in-game tape speaks for itself, but Lloyd did not showcase his athleticism at the combine to the best of his abilities. He ran a 4.66 forty which is pretty subpar for a top LB. Other than the 40, Lloyd did average in most of the other drills. None of this means the end of the world for Lloyd, but doing average/below average really doesn't help his chances of being the top 10-15 pick that some saw him as.
RB's as a whole -
While some could make the case for guys like Breece Hall, Kenny Walker, and Pierre Strong being really good RB prospects and options, none of them truly stood out to me. None of them showed any out of this world ability during the combine to further cloud up one of the weakest RB classes I've ever seen. I thought Isaiah Spiller from A&M was the clear best back in the draft but then even he pooped the bed. This RB class is a crapshoot at best, and I don't know if we will see one go in the first two rounds at all...
While Hamilton is still my no. 1 player in the class and will probably still be a top 5 pick, the combine was not great for him. Hamilton is a unicorn prospect so it's truly hard to grade him against what we know the norm to be for a safety. Kyle plays like a linebacker at the safety spot. He is 6'4 and 220 pounds but has great burst, ball skills, and also tackling ability. Think Derwin James or Jamal Adams. Still, he ran a 4.59 forty which was very disappointing given a lot of us expected him to be at least in the 4.4s if not the 4.3s, he almost wasn't even in the 4.5s with that time. Hamilton is still a likely top 5 pick, but this workout could have hurt him.
Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU -
A bit of a fall from grace for a guy who was seen as potentially the greatest CB prospect ever after his freshmen season at LSU. He's been banged up for the last two years ever since then, but still, he could be the first CB off of the board in the upcoming draft. Speaking of that, not participating in the combine makes him a loser. Guys like Sauce Gardner have done a lot to unseat him as the potential CB1 in the class and the fact that he still isn't fully recovered from this lisfranc injury is going to seriously worry some teams. I know he possesses the skill to be a stud CB in the NFL, but after an injury prone last two years and then not being able to participate in the combine, Stingley is probably not seen by many as the draft's CB1 anymore. A lot will come down to what he is able to do at his LSU pro day in a couple of weeks.
For weeks we have heard a ton of hype about how Kyler Gordon is one of the best athletes in the draft and how he is going to kill it at the combine. Due to this, many were mocking him in the mid to late first round of mock drafts. Things didn't go according to plan for Gordon. Touted as one of the fastest CB prospects in the class, Gordon clocked a 4.52 forty yard dash. That is not good at all, especially considering he is just under 6 feet tall and under 200 pounds. He was supposed to show off 4.3-4.4 speed. Gordon didn't even do either of the jumping events either, leaving us pretty much with only this abysmal forty time. As much as I hate to base this much off of an event, Gordon likely is out of the first round for at least the time being. He is going to need to blow his pro day out of the water to recoup the draft stock he lost in Indy. Rough showing for the UW man.
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