The NFL’s annual Scouting Combine won’t make or break a player’s pro career. It can, conversely, drastically affect his draft stock.
The week-long string of interviews, measurements and workouts is an opportunity for players to answer questions about their talent and character. But mostly it’s a chance for scouts and NFL decision makers to salivate over 40-yard dash times and analyze drills with an overzealous capacity once reserved for TiVo’ed episodes of Lost in its heyday.
For some players, the combine is where cracks in their games widen. Others will use the workouts to prove they’re capable of shining on Sundays. The 15 players featured below all had questions to answer about their talent and each shined en route to significant bumps up expert rankings and mock drafts as the 2023 NFL Draft begins to come into focus.
Let’s talk about the guys who helped themselves the most — in no particular order but starting with the week’s unquestioned biggest winner.
1
QB Anthony Richardson, Florida
Richardson presided over a relative lull in Florida football. The big-armed passer went 6-7 in his lone season as the team’s unquestioned starter. He only threw 17 touchdown passes in 12 games and completed 53 percent of his passes. But he possessed physical attributes similar to another project QB who looked the part even if he didn’t reach great heights in college — Josh Allen. Indianapolis provided a chance to prove he can be that kind of athlete.
The result: Richardson had the greatest Combine any quarterback has ever had. This is not exaggeration. We have proof.
There’s a lot of Josh Allen upside on that scorecard. Maybe even enough to make him the top overall pick.
2
EDGE Nolan Smith, Georgia
Smith was a vaunted five-star prospect who threatened to get lost in the shuffle of UGA’s vast ocean of defensive talent. He was trending up in 2022, but a torn pectoral limited him to eight games in the Bulldogs’ latest national championship run.
The result: Like Jordan Davis before him, Smith put together a ridiculous combine to cement his place as not only a first round pick, but someone who could be snapped up in the first half of Day 1.
😳 Per the NFL Network, Nolan Smith is the heaviest player to have a vertical over 40" & a 40-yard dash less than 4.4 in NFL combine history.
Nolan ran an official 4.39 40-yard dash and jumped a 41.5" vertical at 238 lbs.
— Jon Tweets Sports (@jontweetssports) March 3, 2023
Smith’s athleticism was always apparent on the field. His performance in Indianapolis further spoke to his versatility. This was arguably 2023’s most impressive performance from a player who’ll be expected to have an immediate impact at the next level.
3
WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State
Smith-Njigba proved he can be a devastating presence in the college game. He failed to prove he could do it for long. His 60 catches, 958 yards and six touchdowns over the final five games of Ohio State’s 2021 season set him up to be 2023’s first wideout drafted. But a hamstring injury limited him to only three games in 2022, leaving massive questions to be answered in Indianapolis.
The result: Smith-Njigba didn’t run the 40 and still left a lasting impression on observers. His work in agility drills created immediate comparisons to 2021’s offensive player of the year Cooper Kupp as well as Odell Beckham Jr.
Short shuttle
Jaxon Smith-Njigba 3.93
Cooper Kupp 4.083 cone
Jaxon Smith-Njigba 6.57
Cooper Kupp 6.75Don’t care what JSN’s 40 time is. The route running is at a high level on tape and the short area burst is confirmed here.
— Brandon Robinson (@BRobNFL) March 5, 2023
There’s no clear alpha wideout in this year’s draft. With his combine performance, Smith-Njigba may have worked his way into that role.
4
DT Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh
Kancey was a solid and occasionally dominant interior lineman at Pitt, racking up 14.5 sacks his last two seasons. But he’s also undersized as an NFL lineman at 6-feet and 270 pounds. Of course, we’ve seen an undersized Panther DT take the league by storm before, but there was no way Kancey could match Aaron Donald’s sublime combine from 2014, right?
The result: Yep, that’s just about what happened.
UPDATED: Fastest 40-yard dash times by a DT at #NFLCombine since 2000.
1. Calijah Kancey – 4.67 ⏱
2. Aaron Donald – 4.68 ⏱#H2P » @NFL » @NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/HjBKdMw3Vc— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) March 2, 2023
Kancey already had first round buzz before Indy. His ridiculous athleticism should make him a Day 1 staple in most mock drafts leading into April.
5
CB Deonte Banks, Maryland
Banks was a strong cover corner at Maryland whose lack of big counting stats — only two career interceptions — threatened to leave him overlooked in a stacked class of defensive back talent. He needed to show off elite athleticism to back up his case as a first round talent among a crop that includes guys like Christian Gonzalez (who also killed it in Indianapolis), Devon Witherspoon and Joey Porter Jr.
The result: Banks clocked a 4.35 second 40 — top five among all participants — and big time vertical and broad jumps to showcase his explosion. In a week where cornerbacks across the board showed out, Banks may have gained the most ground and could work his way into the Gonzalez-Witherspoon-Porter tier in scouts’ estimation.
Few things better in the world than watching a dominant press rep.
Banks has this dude in shackles. pic.twitter.com/hTzMHdkaiK
— Derrick (@Steelers_DB) March 6, 2023
6
TE Zack Kuntz, Old Dominion
Kuntz was fighting just to be selected in this year’s draft. The Mock Draft Database’s consensus big board clocked him as the 226th-best prospect based on a survey of media expert draft boards coming into the combine. The Penn State transfer showed flashes of NFL talent after arriving at ODU in 2021 (73 catches, 692 yards) but injury stunted his impact in 2022 and made him an afterthought for most prognosticators.
The result: Two players earned perfect 10s in Kent Lee Platte’s Relative Athletic Score ratings — a system that measures a player’s combine performance against the rest of the players at his position in both the current year and historically. Richardson was one. Kuntz is the other.
Suffice to say, he’s gonna get drafted now.
Zack Kuntz blew the doors off athletic testing at the combine, posting a perfect 10.00 RAS score (#1 of 1000+ TE’s tested in the last 30+ yrs)
• 4.55 40-yard-dash
• 23 reps on the bench
• 40 inch vertical (highest ever for a player 6’7)@zackkuntz_717 pic.twitter.com/WuRDpa4XJ5— IKE Packers Podcast (@IKE_Packers) March 6, 2023
Even if you run his numbers against wide receivers’ historical production at the combine, he comes out looking pretty, pretty good.
7
LB Jack Campbell, Iowa
Campbell was a stellar defender for the Hawkeyes, wrapping his career by being named the Butkus Award winner as the country’s top linebacker.. But he wasn’t considered an elite prospect when it came to off-ball LBs — that honor went to Drew Sanders and Trenton Simpson thanks in part to a perceived athleticism gap that left questions about whether he’d be able to excel in coverage in the pros.
The result: Campbell tested out as the most athletic linebacker in Indianapolis.
Iowa's Jack Campbell is the only linebacker since 2003 to measure in over 6'4, jump more than 37" in the vertical, 10'8" in the broad jump, and run a sub-4.70 40.
Campbell holds the top NGS athleticism score (89) among LBs at this year's combine.@HawkeyeFootball | #NFLCombine pic.twitter.com/aLgHWndsKj
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) March 3, 2023
His closest athleticism score comparisons are TJ Watt and Leighton Vander Esch. That’s a compelling case to make him the first off-ball linebacker selected in 2023.
8
WR Andrei Iosivas, Princeton
The former zero-star recruit from Hawaii emerged as a breakout star at Princeton, lighting up the Ivy League en route to All-American honors. But tearing up the FCS left lingering questions about whether or not he could have similar success on Sundays against a much higher class of athlete.
The result: Iosivas’ combine lends disbelief to the idea he couldn’t even be a blip on recruiting services’ radar. The former Tiger oozed athleticism as he crushed drills in Indianapolis.
Iosivas showcased legitimate NFL size and strength while dropping a 4.4 second 40 and top-of-his-class numbers across the rest of his workouts. He still requires polish, but if we see another run on receiving talent like we did in 2022 the Ivy Leaguer could work his way into a Day 2 selection.
9
DE Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern
Like Kancey, Adebawore was an undersized but productive defensive lineman who needed to prove his athleticism could either compensate for his lack of bulk or be the precursor to a position change. He had 9.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss the previous two seasons at Northwestern, and helped prove his worth with a strong Senior Bowl showing. Pushing that momentum into the combine would secure his place as a solid Day 2 prospect and possibly even a first round pick.
The result: The man weighs 282 pounds and runs a sub-4.5 second 40. This should not be physically possible, yet here we are.
Northwestern EDGE Adetomiwa Adebawore put up an elite combine performance for his weight (282 lbs), earning a 97 athleticism score pending shuttle drills.
Combine Ranks since 2003 (275+ lbs):
🔹 4.49 40-yard dash (1st)
🔹 10' 5" broad jump (T-2nd)
🔹 37.5" vertical (3rd) pic.twitter.com/oDHpgHxDHS— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) March 2, 2023
Add in a strong showing on the bench press and big agility/explosion scores and you’ve got a player who measured out among the most athletic specimens in combine history. Everything about but his height suggests NFL stardom — which quarterbacks probably won’t notice when a 280-pound blur is bearing down upon them.
10
TE Luke Musgrave, Oregon State
The race for the draft’s second tight end behind Notre Dam’s Michael Mayer looked like a two-man race coming into March. Musgrave looked the part of an NFL tight end, but after only 47 college receptions had to rely on his physical abilities to convince scouts he could start on Sundays — and that the injury that limited him to two games in 2022 wasn’t a lingering concern.
The result: Mayer came into the combine as the draft’s top tight end. But after a modest showing, he could cede ground to Musgrave. The Senior Bowl proved the Oregon State product was fast:
Top size/speed combo at @seniorbowl? It was Oregon State TE Luke Musgrave, who had 16th fastest max speed (20.05 mph) of any player…AT 255 lbs! Next heaviest who ran faster was Cincy LB Ivan Pace Jr (20.58 at 231 lbs). Trusted sources think Musgrave could run 4.4 at Combine.👀 pic.twitter.com/qa3xtXm3WA
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) February 11, 2023
and a 4.61 second 40 helped back that up. Strong numbers in the jumping drills and best-in-class acceleration — his 1.54 second 10-yard split in the 40 led all tight ends and was better than wideouts like Jordan Addison and Marvin Mims — will make him a solid consolation prize for a team that misses out on Mayer.
11
CB Julius Brents, Kansas State
Like Banks, Brents was a very good player threatened with being left behind by a potentially great class of cornerbacks. After measuring in smaller than his listed 6-foot-4 (he’s 6-foot-2 and change, which is still pretty big) he was tasked with displaying the fluid hips and change of direction skills that could push him into consideration for a Day 1 pick.
The result: Brents isn’t just a big frame and long arms — he’s explosive and smooth. While his 4.5 second 40 time wasn’t a top of his class number, big performances in the vertical jump (41.5 inches, tied for second among CBs) and broad jump (11-foot-6, first) showcased the burst that allows him to close up shop on routes and create incompletions. With smooth hips and agile feet, he may have worked his way into the top 30.
Julius Brents read, backpedal, flip, drop weight, and then finish pic.twitter.com/a0SigeD0RQ
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) March 3, 2023
12
OT Peter Skoronski, Northwestern
Skoronski was the top offensive lineman in many early mock drafts — including mine — but he slid as questions about his NFL position came into play. Could he stick at tackle, or would concerns about his athleticism push him to a guard spot? The difference between the two was unlikely to cost him a Day 1 draft spot, but it did threaten to drop him five to 10 places in the pecking order.
The result: The Northwestern starter looked like he could make a difference anywhere on the line in the NFL. His fluidity and explosiveness proved he can handle his business at tackle on Sundays. With quick feet and fluid hips, he has the chops to mirror edge rushers or get out in space to flatten linebackers on run plays.
Peter Skoronski: Flawless
Darnell Wright: 📈Our guy @joethomas73 checks in from the #NFL Combine with offensive linemen that impressed him in today's workouts 💪 pic.twitter.com/Mph2ZePhaa
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) March 5, 2023
13
S Sydney Brown, Illinois
Brown was a key link in the Illini’s impressive secondary, but after measuring in at 5-foot-9 was tasked with proving he had the explosiveness to attack the ball and not get roasted by the NFL’s bigger wideouts. A weak combine threatened to erase the progress of a six-interception senior season.
The result: Brown showcased more than enough power and speed to make up for his relatively short stature. The All-Big Ten standout ranked among the top four safeties in every drill he performed in Indianapolis despite being the heaviest player in his class.
The official results for the 2023 safety combine class are in.@IlliniFootball's Sydney Brown earned the top NGS athleticism score (89) among his position group. Brown weighed in as the heaviest safety (211 lbs) in the class while recording the 3rd-fastest 40-yard dash (4.47). pic.twitter.com/LgBJsCI3fV
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) March 4, 2023
In a week where the top-ranked safeties faltered, Brown proved his value and boosted his draft stock significantly.
14
RB Deneric Prince, Tulsa
The Texas A&M transfer had a limited body of work at Tulsa — only 314 carries over three seasons along with only 17 receptions. A solid showing at the Shrine Bowl set up his chance to impress scouts with his running ability in Indianapolis. If he could capitalize, it would suggest he can be an NFL power back instead of merely a special teams role player.
The result: One of Prince’s concerns revolved around his lack of “burst.” On Sunday he unveiled a top five 40 time among tailbacks and finished near the top of his class in both the vertical and broad jumps at 6-feet and 216 pounds. With running back a consistent source of late-round finds recently, Prince may have become a Day 3 priority for a needy team looking for someone who can push piles but also showcase breakaway speed.
15
TE Darnell Washington, Georgia
Washington wasn’t even the top tight end on his own team. Fortunately, that team was Georgia, which means he was still very, very good. He averaged more than 17 yards per catch as a massive target for Stetson Bennett, but was his speed and playmaking ability the product of a stacked roster and the illusion of a house-sized man wrecking shop? Or was he really as agile as he seemed?
The result: As it turns out, the 6-foot-7, 264-pound hellbeast with hands the size of frying pans is in fact that impossible. He’s got the size of an edge rusher and the handling of a wide receiver. An *elite* wide receiver.
this is insane
fastest short shuttles of the ENTIRE combine
1. 196 lb, 6'1"
2. 198 lb, 6'3"
3. 264 lb, 6'7" <— 👀👀TE Darnell Washington is a freak
fastest short shuttle by a player weighing at least 260 lbs in 8 years pic.twitter.com/8AcZqIVp8C
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) March 6, 2023
2023 is a great year to be in the market for a young tight end.
