Post-Combine Prospect Rankings

I was fortunate enough to attend the NFL Scouting Combine this weekend. After attending press conferences, watching on-field workouts, and collecting all available data, I have updated my positional rankings. These post-combine prospect rankings represent the current moment in time but will continually be updated as we approach the NFL Draft. The cycle of Pro Days will be very telling for some prospects who did not test at the combine or those who tested poorly. 

For now, I will be breaking this down by positional group. One thing to keep in mind, not all rankings are created equal. The gap between RB1 and RB2 is not necessarily the same gap as between RB2 and RB3 or WR1 and WR2. The overall takeaways from the combine are: The QB class falls off pretty quickly after the top group. The RB class has some good depth but not an elite prospect. The WR class has a ton of depth and an elite top tier. The TE class is very murky after Brock Bowers. Let’s get to the specifics… 

Quarterbacks

1. Caleb Williams (USC) – Caleb Williams came into the combine as my top quarterback and still holds that spot. He is the presumptive top overall pick and one of the best QB prospects we have seen in a handful of years.
2. Drake Maye (North Carolina) – Drake Maye underwhelmed a bit this year but has prototypical size and is going to be a great consolation prize for the Commanders if they take him second overall.  
3. Jayden Daniels (LSU) – Next up, Jayden Daniels skyrocketed up draft boards this year on his way to winning the Heisman trophy. The biggest question for me is if Daniels has enough weight to endure the rigors of an NFL season.
4. JJ McCarthy (Michigan) – JJ McCarthy has vaulted his way into serious contention for a top-15 pick. There is a lot of upside but also plenty of questions about his lack of on-field production.
5. Michael Penix Jr (Washington) – I have some serious concerns about how high Penix will get drafted. His age and injury history are serious red flags for NFL teams. However, he also has been one of the most prolific college QBs over the last two years.
6. Bo Nix (Oregon) – Bo Nix came into the combine hoping to showcase his ability to make all the NFL throws. I think he earned a passing grade but his upside limits how high I think he should be drafted.
7. Spencer Rattler (South Carolina) – Oh how the mighty have fallen… Spencer Rattler has done a pretty good job of resurrecting his draft hopes after losing his starting job to Caleb Williams. I think we’ll see him get drafted between rounds 3 and 4.
8. Joe Milton III (Tennessee) – Joe Milton is one of the most perplexing prospects. If football was played in shorts and t-shirts, he would be the top overall pick. He had an incredible throwing session in Indy but it’ll be hard to overcome his lack of production on the field.
9. Michael Pratt (Tulane) – The draft buzz around Michael Pratt has fallen off a little bit. I think he has some good traits but he’s a late-round prospect at best.
10. Kedon Slovis (BYU) – Slovis went from a potential early-round NFL draft pick to a combine afterthought in just a few years. I could see him developing into a very solid backup QB but beyond that it’ll be a challenge. 

Running Backs

1. Braelon Allen (Wisconsin) – I think this will be the most surprising ranking of all. I had Braelon Allen as my top RB prior to the combine and since he didn’t do most of the testing, it’s hard to move him down for me. He is a completely different kind of back than most of the rest of these players. He could drop significantly with a poor Pro Day performance. 
2. MarShawn Lloyd (USC) – After running a 4.46 40-yard dash and posting a respectable 36” vertical, MarShawn Lloyd helped his draft stock greatly in Indy. I think most people will have him somewhere in their top-3 RBs.
3. Blake Corum (Michigan) – I was pleasantly surprised by Blake Corum this week. He ran a faster 40 time than I expected (4.53) and posted a solid 35.5” vertical. I think he’s been a little overlooked in this process.
4. Jonathon Brooks (Texas) – Brooks is still recovering from his ACL injury. He could have pushed for the RB1 spot if he were healthy. It might end up providing value for both NFL teams as well as dynasty drafters.
5. Trey Benson (FSU) – I may end up being too low on both Benson and Wright. Benson tore up the 40-yard dash (4.39) but had an underwhelming 33.5” vertical. 
6. Jaylen Wright (Tennessee) – Jaylen Wright is one of the hottest RB names right now. He tested off the charts (4.38 in the 40, 38” vertical, 11’2” broad jump). 
7. Will Shipley (Clemson) – Shipley came into the year hoping to be the RB1 in this class. He’ll be lucky if he ends up this high by the time of rookie drafts. 
8. Ray Davis (Kentucky) – Ray Davis was a little inconsistent in his drills this week but his 4.52 40 time was solid. He can be a solid back in the right situation.
9. Bucky Irving (Oregon) – I expected to see a little bit more speed out of Irving than the 4.55 40-yard dash time. He shows good burst on film but the top gear may not be there.
10. Kimani Vidal (Troy) – One of my favorite backs in Indy was Kimani Vidal. He was one of only a few players to complete all of the athletic tests at the combine. Vidal was a monster at Troy and could be a sneaky late-round value.
11. Tyrone Tracy Jr (Purdue) – Another player that tested off the charts was Tyrone Tracy Jr. The top of this RB class may not be elite but there are a lot of prospects that could find fantasy value.
12. Dylan Laube (New Hampshire) – Another one of my favorite RBs at the combine was Dylan Laube. He can win all over the field as a rusher and receiver. In fact, he spent time doing receiver workouts after the RB drills were done.

Wide Receivers

1. Marvin Harrison Jr (Ohio State) – The top spot at WR did not change after combine performances. Marvin Harrison Jr is still the best receiver prospect by a sizable margin.
2. Malik Nabers (LSU) – My WR2 spot also remains unchanged. I was hoping to see Nabers on the field in Indy but he’ll hold the WR2 spot for now and we’ll hopefully get to see him at the LSU Pro Day.
3. Rome Odunze (Washington) – Rome Odunze impressed in everything that he did in Indy. It wouldn’t shock me at all to see him be taken before Nabers. I would be shocked if he falls out of the top-10 picks.
4. Xavier Worthy (Texas) – You undoubtedly have seen Xavier Worthy break the 40-yard dash record with his blazing 4.21 time. I’ve been high on Worthy all year but his size does have me a bit concerned. However, this is speed we have never seen before so it wouldn’t surprise me if he got picked much higher than we expected prior to this performance. 
5. Ladd McConkey (Georgia) – We saw quite a few sub-4.4 40-yard dash times and Ladd McConkey was another one of them. I think it would be much easier to present these in tiers as the WR5-14 spots are all very close for me. I think McConkey might go in the late 1st round.
6. Adonai Mitchell (Texas) – Adonai Mitchell is a perplexing prospect. His athletic profile suggests he should have done a lot more on the football field. His 4.34 time in the 40-yard dash at his size is incredibly impressive.
7. Keon Coleman (FSU) – Keon Coleman didn’t run a very impressive 40-yard dash time (4.61) but speed has never been a major key in his game. The rest of his testing showed why he’s such an intriguing prospect.
8. Xavier Legette (South Carolina) – Legette can do just about everything you want in a receiver. His 4.39 40-yard dash time was faster than I expected to see. 
9. Brian Thomas Jr (LSU) – If not for Worthy’s record 40 time, Brian Thomas Jr might have been the big story out of the combine. He ran 4.33 at 6’3”, 209 lbs. Thomas at WR9 feels wrong.
10. Tez Walker (North Carolina) – Tez Walker impressed with a 4.36 40 time, 40.5” in the vertical, and 11′ 2” in the broad jump. I expect Tez to go fairly early on day 2 of the draft.
11. Roman Wilson (Michigan) – I’ve seen Roman Wilson ranked significantly higher than WR11, and I get it. The margins between WRs in this class are razor thin.
12. Brenden Rice (USC) – This might be a little higher than you’d expect for Brenden Rice. But, he showed that he has the speed (4.50) to get on top of defenses in addition to being a big bodied option closer to the line. I think we’ll see Rice continue to rise throughout this process.
13. Ricky Pearsall (Florida) – I did not see Ricky Pearsall putting up 4.41 in the 40-yard dash, a 42” vertical, a 10’9” broad jump and a 6.64 3-cone drill. Pearsall should go in the second round of the NFL Draft after this performance. 
14. Troy Franklin (Oregon) – Despite running 4.41, I had Franklin drop a little bit in my rankings. It was a combination of a lot of other players performing well and Franklin measuring in smaller than expected. 
15. Luke McCaffrey (Rice) – A prospect that really helped his draft stock this week was Luke McCaffrey. He tested really well and may be drafted on day 2.
16. Johnny Wilson (FSU) – There were a lot of people that thought Johnny Wilson was going to need to switch to TE. However with this kind of speed (4.52), he could stay at WR and be a nightmare for defenses. 
17. Jalen McMillan (Washington) – As I mentioned with RBs, there is a ton of depth at the WR position. Jalen McMillan all the way down here feels criminal. 
18. Jacob Cowing (Arizona) – Jacob Cowing showed off his smooth speed (4.38) at the combine. He looked good getting in and out of his breaks in the on-field workouts.
19. Jamari Thrash (Louisville) – I was not expecting to see 4.46 speed out of Jamari Thrash. He could be a major value later in drafts.
20. Jermaine Burton (Alabama) – Jermaine Burton is a bit of a forgotten name. He fizzled after a ton of off-season hype prior to the 2022 season. He’ll likely be a day 3 pick but could be worth a later round stash.

Tight Ends

1. Brock Bowers (Georgia) – No surprise here, Brock Bowers is the top TE in this class and it’s not close. He didn’t work out at the combine but that doesn’t matter for his draft stock.
2. Ja’Tavion Sanders (Texas) – For me, the TE2 position is nearly solidified. Ja’Tavion Sanders is a dynamic pass catcher and could make an early impact, wherever he goes. 
3. Dallin Holker (Colorado State) – Next up is Colorado State’s Dallin Holker. He really blew up this year for the Rams. Landing spot is hugely important for TEs but Holker can be a weapon at the NFL level.
4. Theo Johnson (Penn State) – Theo Johnson isn’t quite the athletic freak as some of the former Penn State tight ends, but he will likely sneak into the second day of the NFL Draft.
5. Ben Sinnott (Kansas State) – Ben Sinnott has risen up draft boards throughout the pre-draft process so far. He ran a 4.68 40-yard dash and astonished with a 40” vertical and 6.82 3-cone drill.

As I mentioned, these rankings will change throughout the time leading up to the NFL Draft. What are your thoughts? Who do I have too high? Too low?

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