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The 2024 NFL Combine is officially here! For the next few days, prospects from all over the country will be working out for/meeting with pro teams as they hope to see their dream become realized. The multi-day event will give all of these players a platform to showcase their skills in a variety of ways. For some, this is a real opportunity to raise their preconceived draft stocks and skyrocket up draft boards.
Jaylen Wright
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This is a guy who has battled some injury issues — though averaged over seven yards a carry last year. This sort of explosiveness is certainly something NFL teams will want to check out. The RB class as a whole is not deep nor overly strong. As such, Wright has a chance to emerge as one of the earliest rushers off the board with strong testing. He wouldn’t necessarily be an every-down back in the NFL. However, as a luxury change-of-pace option, there’s value.
Bo Nix
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Nix was fantastic this past year at Oregon. His accuracy numbers were tremendous, and it wasn’t a huge surprise to see him lead Oregon to a double-digit win total this past year. At 24 years of age, he is on the older side of the spectrum. Going head-to-head with Michael Penix and JJ McCarthy at this event provides Nix the chance to showcase his downfield throwing ability — while also potentially putting himself in the position to be the fourth quarterback off the board after the big three of Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye.
Darius Muasau
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Muasau has been a tackling machine throughout his college career. After transferring to Westwood from Hawaii, Muasau proved he was good enough for the jump up in level. The combine will be fascinating when it comes to measuring his height and weight. He’s bordering on the 6-foot line — and probably doesn’t weigh more than 235 pounds. Being a smaller middle linebacker, Muasau can help out his draft stock by running a very good 40-time. We still think he’ll make an NFL roster. He’s quite similar to former NFL LB Tedy Bruschi and even current NFL LB/former UCLA Bruin Eric Kendricks. With that said, Muasau can make some money in Indianapolis.
Adonai Mitchell
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Mitchell was one of Quinn Ewers’ trusted targets this past year. He hauled in 11 TDs and 845 receiving yards for the Longhorns. While he’s likely not going to be a high first-round pick, Mitchell does have the profile of a guy who could grow into a very solid No. 2 receiver in this league. As is the case with virtually all receivers, accruing explosive 40 times will go a long way towards raising his stock. When you’re 6’4″ and an explosive athlete, you’ve got a chance to be a productive player.
Jaden Hicks
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The difference between being a second-round pick and sneaking into the first round might depend upon Hicks’ 40 times. He was a fantastic safety at Washington State. One could make an argument he was one of the top three safeties in all of College Football a season ago. Hicks plays in a manner which is both fast and physical. He’s very smart when diagnosing plays in front of him and reacting accordingly. Had he played for a bigger school, Hicks would’ve gotten much more notoriety. Even then, a strong combine could go a long way toward securing a first-round selection.
Terrion Arnold
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Arnold has been flying up draft boards the last few weeks and could solidify himself as a Top 15 pick with a big-time combine performance. According to a report from Daniel Jeremiah, Arnold has impressed scouts and personnel people with his energy and love of the game. The tape shows a player with very good ball skills. He nabbed five picks and broke up 12 passes this past year. When further factoring in his Alabama pedigree courtesy of DB guru Nick Saba, Arnold is in a very good spot.
Johnny Wilson
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Wilson is understandably a unique prospect. At 6’6″ and roughly 240 pounds, you don’t see receivers this big very often. The rub for him in this combine setting will be how he tests. This not only includes a 40-yard dash time but also general agility and quickness. Can he remain a receiver on the next level? Or, will teams want to bulk him up a bit and use him more so as a tight end? It will be fascinating to watch — and a 40-time under 4.5 will have plenty of people shaking their heads in disbelief.
Michael Penix
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The medicals with Penix will be key here. We know how good he is at slinging the pigskin. Penix decided to throw at the combine, pitting himself head-to-head with Nix and McCarthy. Of the three, Penix is probably the slowest from an acceleration standpoint — though he can assuage some of those concerns by performing well in the drills testing general mobility. Perhaps more so than anything, if he proves to be head-and-shoulders above the rest with downfield touch, accuracy, and velocity, Penix may find himself going between picks 10 and 20 in the first round.
Calen Bullock
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Bullock came into this season as a projected Top 15 pick. Whether it was the poor scheme at USC — or just general inconsistency with his tackling — Bullock didn’t have a great year. Most projections now have him as a Day 2 pick. There’s still a lot to like about his game. He’s thought to be a very strong leader, and Bullock also possesses an impressive blend of athleticism and size. Between the on-field test and the interview process, it’ll be curious if he can reverse course and trend back towards the First Round.
Ladd McConkey
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McConkey is going to have a long professional career. The guy just gets it when it comes to exploiting pockets of space on the field. He grades out exceptionally well versus both single coverage and zone coverage. McConkey is a quick, shifty player who gets in and out of his breaks well. At 6’0″, the question will be how fast he runs. This could be the difference between being a Round 3-4 pick, or perhaps even a second-rounder.
Tyler Nubin
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Nubin is your traditional Big Ten safety. A thumper in the box, he fills run gaps exceptionally well when accelerating towards the line of scrimmage in run support. Nubin also has the reputation of being a tough and physical tackler with a headiness and understanding of the game well beyond his years. Arguably the best safety in this draft, a main concern with him is overall athleticism. If he runs decent 40 times and looks good in agility testing, Nubin could end up a top 20 pick.
Trey Benson
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With the running back group not featuring a signature guy, Benson has the chance to become the first rusher off the board. He’s a big back at 6’1″ and roughly 225 pounds. It’ll be fascinating to see how fast he runs his 40, as some project a sub-4.4 time for the Mississippi native. He’s run for a combined 23 TDs and nearly 2,000 yards rushing despite registering only 210 carries. Don’t be surprised if Benson is starting at some point for an NFL team next year.
Spencer Rattler
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Rattler’s journey to this point was a bit turbulent. A former top high school prospect, he began his career at Oklahoma before eventually losing his job to Caleb Williams and transferring to South Carolina for a fresh start. We saw glimpses of a very good quarterback. Rattler should test well — he has good arm strength and solid mobility. For him, nailing the interviews will be key. He’ll be a developmental quarterback for whoever drafts him. If he can connect with a team and start to build slowly, there’s no reason to think he can’t stick in the NFL for a long time. Rattler has the talent to do it.
Keon Coleman
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If you’re looking for a ‘combine warrior’ who could test off the charts, it’s Coleman. Teams will fall in love with his combination of leaping ability and downfield speed. He doesn’t get the publicity that the other receivers do — but there’s enough here for Coleman to become the fourth receiver off the board at some point toward the back half of the first round. Who knows…a strong performance could even see Coleman leap up the board close to the top 10.
Bralen Trice
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Trice’s stock has been a bit up and down throughout the year. There’s something to be said about being the top defensive player on a team that played for a National Championship. He reportedly only weighed 245 pounds at the combine — which is a bit light for someone who was thought to be an every-down defensive end. For context, Trice was listed at 274 pounds on the official University of Washington roster. Teams will be attracted to Trice’s pass-rushing ability — though he might now be thought of more so as a situational player rather than someone playing on all three downs.
Blake Corum
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Corum is the homerun threat every team is searching for. We’ve seen it time and time again, where a dynamic speedster can take a five-yard pass and turn it into a 50-yard big chunk play. Corum had a rock-solid career at Michigan. With his experience in a Pro-Style scheme, his transition to the NFL should be a seamless one. Corum’s value might be scheme-dependent based on how he’d be used, but there’s no denying the athletic ability he brings to the table. Running a 4.3 40 time seems like a solid bet.
Roman Wilson
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Due to the run-heavy scheme in Ann Arbor, Wilson didn’t have an inordinate amount of opportunity to make plays. But when he did, you saw an explosive receiver with some real ‘run after catch’ ability. We wouldn’t be surprised to see Wilson demonstrate some impressive route-running skills in Indianapolis. The native of Hawaii is quite good at garnering separation downfield. Assuming he runs well (which he should), coupled with Michigan’s unfriendly scheme toward receivers, Wilson has a decent chance of becoming a first-round pick.
Jonah Elliss
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Elliss is the son of former Detroit Lions player Luther Elliss. The younger Ellis had 12.0 sacks in 10 games last year before suffering a shoulder injury. While he’s listed at 6’2″ and 250 pounds, there’s no denying his energy, effort, explosiveness, and technique when it comes to pursuing opposing quarterbacks. Elliss learned a ton from his dad, and possessing that sort of pedigree is something highly valuable. Expect Elliss to crush the interview process, and get drafted higher than you may think.
Maason Smith
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Smith is your classic case of a guy with a world of potential who hasn’t yet realized it. You won’t find many humans on Earth this big possessing unusual athletic abilities. He has every physical tool needed to be a dominant player in the NFL. The length, agility, and sheer size are all there. When it comes down to it, Smith has to become a more consistent football player in all aspects. If a coaching staff can extract the best out of him, you’re looking at a major steal. If not, he could be a bust relative to his draft slot. Regardless, I’d be shocked if he didn’t test off the charts.
MarShawn Lloyd
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Lloyd has the profile of a player who can come in right away and help an NFL franchise. He averaged over seven yards a carry for USC last year after transferring in from South Carolina. Lloyd is hard to bring down based on his running style. While not the biggest guy in the world, he’s very compact — offering short, choppy steps and very good acceleration. Lloyd likely won’t be a first-round pick, but there’s certainly some value here for a team in need of a third-down back.
Chop Robinson
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At the combine, Robinson measured out a shade under 6’3″ — weighing 254 pounds. There’s a world in which teams try to play him standing up in certain situations. Robinson will get a chance to showcase his change-of-direction skills in Indianapolis. If he does well in this capacity, it’ll only help to illustrate his versatility as a player. With that said, when drafting Robinson, you’re doing it under the pretense that you’re nabbing an aggressive player who thrives off the edge with his hand in the dirt.
Troy Franklin
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The talk about elite receivers in this draft has centered primarily around Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze. A host of other pass-catching threats (Brian Thomas Jr., Keon Coleman, Johnny Wilson) are all fighting to become first-round picks. Franklin is somewhat of an afterthought nationally — though scouts are quite familiar with him. He was Box Nix’s top target at Oregon this past year, hauling in 81 catches, 1,383 receiving yards, and a whopping 14 TDs. Assuming Franklin runs a blistering 40 time, he should find his way into the back half of the first round.
JJ McCarthy
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This is a big showcase for McCarthy. Some think McCarthy might be the best quarterback in this draft if you approach things from an analytics standpoint. The underlying numbers speak to a guy who is very accurate and efficient in the presence of pressure. Others believe that Michigan’s run-heavy offense may have limited what McCarthy can do in terms of throwing the football. Well, he’ll get his chance to let it fly in Indianapolis. Based on his physical profile, we’d be very surprised if he didn’t test well. He stands to make a lot of money this weekend.
Laiatu Latu
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Latu is the best pass rusher in this draft. He plays the game with considerable energy and effort. Athletically, Latu demonstrates tremendous bend. His flexibility in getting around players is quite apparent. Pairing that with a long wingspan, the star UCLA Bruin has the look of a multi-time Pro Bowler. The one thing teams might be leery about is his physicals. The University of Washington forced Latu to medically retire over a neck injury. He got cleared by a UCLA doctor after having fusion surgery, and thus made the move down south to his native California. If those potential concerns are cleared, Latu should be a slam dunk Top 10 pick.
