NFL combine primer: Players to watch and storylines to follow throughout the week
With the 2023 season in the past, the off-season is now a full go. The league calendar these next few months is packed with dates to know, the first fueling fire to rumors, evaluations and the overall draft process as a whole: the NFL Combine.
Thursday, Feb. 29, is the first day of on-field drills at the combine. We’ll see defensive line/linebacker prospects take part in workouts starting at 3:00 p.m., followed by defensive backs/tight ends on Friday (3:00 p.m.), quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers on Saturday (1:00 p.m.) and offensive line on Sunday (1:00 p.m.).
This year’s class is loaded with talented prospects, headlined by USC QB Caleb Williams and Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr — two guys who won’t participate in this year’s event in Indianapolis. But alongside them are players looking to prove themselves and stand out. And at the combine, there’s no better place to do so.
I’ve curated a list of players to watch and storylines to follow at each position throughout the week.
Quarterbacks
JJ McCarthy (Michigan) and Jayden Daniels (LSU) are two guys to watch at the quarterback position. While Daniels won’t participate in the combine — he’s choosing to wait for his Pro Day — he’ll be there for interviews and team meetings.
Both McCarthy (6-foot-3, 202 pounds) and Daniels (6-foot-4, 210 pounds) most likely played under their listed weights. If that was the case, their weigh-ins at the combine will be something to watch. Those weights are far from ideal for sustainability at the position, especially with the hits Daniels sometimes takes.
While Daniels won’t throw at the combine, McCarthy will, a choice that could boost his draft stock. He wasn’t tasked with throwing the ball much in Jim Harbaugh’s run-heavy offense — McCarthy threw for over 250 yards in just four games last season. It was at no fault of his abilities; he can make just about every throw on the field. He’s fundamentally sound with a tight throwing motion and a wide base, and I think teams will covet his mechanics.
Running backs
A running back may not get drafted in the first two rounds of the draft, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any good ones. The testing numbers for Blake Corum (Michigan) and Braelon Allen (Wisconsin) could boost their draft stocks mightily. Allen may be the most interesting on the list, standing at 6-foot-2, 245 pounds. He also just turned 20 years old in January.
Corum is on the complete opposite side of the spectrum. At 5-foot-8 and 213 pounds, the 23-year-old was a production monster at Michigan. In his final season with the Wolverines, he rushed for 1,245 yards and 27 touchdowns (27!). But a main concern with Corum is the speed, so we’ll get a better look with the 40-yard dash.
Wide receiver
Keon Coleman (FSU) is fun to watch. His athleticism and 50/50 catching ability stand out on tape, but he struggled to separate, and his vertical speed remains a question mark. If he runs below a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash, he’ll answer questions about the speed.
Swaying away from potential first-round picks, keep an eye on Roman Wilson (Michigan). Wilson stood out at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., and boosted his stock after two days of practice. He’s a burner with exceptional route-running. I expect him to run in the low 4.3s, but the 3-cone drill is one I’m particularly watching.
Wilson played a ton of slot for the Wolverines, and he projects to have a similar role in the NFL, though he could play outside successfully. If you look at all of the premium slot receivers in the league, they all have one thing in common: Short-area quickness. The 3-cone drill measures a player's speed, quickness, change of direction, and agility. Wilson’s extremely quick, so I expect him to test well in that area as well.
Tight end
Brock Bowers (Georgia) is unequivocally TE1 in this class. After him, there is a big drop off, with the next being Ja’Tavion Sanders (Texas).
There has been minimal first-round discourse for the former Longhorn, who is a versatile receiving threat with above-average run-after-catch ability at 6-foot-4, 243 pounds. He could solidify his TE2 at the combine and be a part of more first-round discussions as we inch closer to April.
Offensive line
There are plenty of first-round-worthy offensive tackles in this year’s draft class. Tyler Guyton (Oklahoma) and Amarius Mims (Georgia) are two intriguing ones.
Guyton is a former tight end turned to right tackle. Even with a leaner build, he stands at 6-foot-7, 328 pounds. He’s raw, but he has all the tools to be a perennial Pro Bowl player.
Mims, to put it simply, is a freak. For football, the term freak is endearing. He has a massive frame (6-foot-7, 340 pounds) and the above-average movement skills for the position. I’m excited to watch both of them test.
Defensive tackle
For the defensive tackles, I’m keeping an eye on the two Longhorns from Texas, Byron Murphy II and T’Vondre Sweat.
Murphy is a gifted pass rusher who’s incredibly powerful despite his size (6-foot-1, 308 pounds). He’s an explosive athlete who will test well among the competing class at his position.
His teammate, Sweat, is the epitome of sheer dominance. He put on a show at the Senior Bowl, bulldozing his opponents on many reps. But there was one issue with his visit to Mobile: He chose not to weigh in. That’s concerning for someone who was listed at 6-foot-4, 362 pounds. My belief is that he showed up overweight — and I’d say he was north of 380 pounds.
Edge
Laiatu Latu (UCLA) is my favorite pass rusher in the draft. He’s not the most athletic, but he’ll beat you with power and technique. He had 13 sacks last season and led all FBS edge defenders with a 24.7% pressure rate. It’s not his skills that I'll be paying attention to, though; it’s his medicals.
Latu has a great comeback story, but it can’t be ignored. Before transferring to UCLA for the 2023 season, Latu missed the 2020 and 2021 seasons with Washington due to a neck injury that forced him to medically retire. After being cleared by doctors, he solidified his first-round prospects.
Linebackers
Like the running backs, there is no clear-cut alpha. Many analysts have Edgerrin Cooper (Texas A&M), a rangy, downhill off-ball playmaker who lives behind the line of scrimmage, as their top LB. But if it weren’t for injuries throughout his career, I think Payton Wilson (NC State) could be in that conversation.
Wilson is an athletic freak, and he’s going to test like it. But like Latu, his medicals are important — he’s suffered two ACL tears, a season-ending shoulder injury in 2021 and battled multiple hamstring issues.
Defensive backs
The Senior Bowl helped many cornerbacks boost their stock, particularly Quinyon Mitchell (Toledo). He’s going to test extremely well, likely running in the 4.3s to further solidify his first-round potential and possibly insert himself into the CB1 conversation. But two guys I’m excited to see test are Kool-Aid McKinstry (Alabama) and Ennis Rakestraw Jr (Missouri).
Before the 2023 season, McKinstry was viewed as a better NFL prospect than his teammate, Terrion Arnold, but the latter separated himself throughout the season and in the draft process based on physical attributes and athleticism. But McKinstry is no slouch. He’s a high-IQ player cover corner that is technically sound. While he’s smooth, he has question marks surrounding his athleticism and speed. His 40-yard dash time, if well, will silence much of that.
As for Rakestraw Jr., he was supposed to compete in Mobile with the rest of the star-studded cornerback group at the Senior Bowl but was unable to because of a late-season injury he was recovering from. The stuff he excels at — physicality at the line of scrimmage and willingness as a run defender — we won’t be able to see at the combine, but his athletic traits should boost his stock. I also think teams will fall in love with his fluidity and ability to flip his hips seamlessly.