Breaking Down the NFL Combine: Who Came Out on Top and Who Fell Short among Wide Receivers?

After a hiatus, we are back.

Tomorrow, the ROTL UK podcast will discuss the combine more generally, but I am making a headstart on a short series discussing the NFL combine, which is happening this weekend.

The Wide Receivers went together with the Quarterbacks on Saturday, with some stand-out performances, including Xavier Worthy from Texas, who only ran the 40-yard dash, but ran two sub 4.30 runs, including the NFL Combine record 4.21!

Here is a quick list of 5 winners, and 5 losers from this group:

Winners

1. Ladd McConkey, Georgia - An excellent performance all around, his weight and speed was better than I anticipated and he showed incredible polish in route running and ball skills. Currently a fringe 1st round prospect, I expect him to rise into mid 1st round territory. If not, teams have not learned the lesson Amon-Ra has taught.

2. Brenden Rice, USC - The son of Jerry Rice had a fantastic day. He ran an impressive 40 at his weight and had a smoothness to his running and a rare suddenness in his cuts, he was hugely impressive. He should see his stock elevate from it's current mid-Round 3 level.

3. Cornelius Johnson, Michigan - A fantastic performance, he ran a sub 4.5 at 212, and apart from double clutching his first catch, he had exceptional play speed, nice exaggeration on his routes, great ball skills and route running. It's hard to see him stay in mid-Day 3 territory.

4. Bub Means, Pittsburgh - A consensus borderline draftable prospect, he showed a great combination of height, weight, speed, and combined that with some good hands and consistent route running and balance. This performance should push him firmly into day 3 territory.

5. Ricky Pearsall, Florida - He was already gaining an ascending reputation after a great 2023 season and Senior Bowl, but he backed it up here. He played fast, and showed off his penchant for making difficult catches. This could push him from Round 3 to mid round 2 territory.

NB: Xavier Worthy was omitted, given that he only ran the 40-yard dash. It was a surprisingly fast time, even knowing that he is a speed merchant and backs up what he shows on tape.

Losers

1. Troy Franklin, Oregon - A receiver looking to push himself into Round 1 conversation, he didn't run as fast as expected given his low weight. He weaved a lot in the gauntlet, and otherwise lost balance on a few reps, and also mistimed a jump or two. An inconsistent day.

2. Adonai Mitchell, Texas - Another receiver with many fans, he ran very fast for someone above 200lbs, but really struggled in ball tracking and dropped a few balls. His route running was also quite inconsistent.

3. Brian Thomas Jr., LSU - A possible top 20 pick, he ran exceptionally fast for his weight, like Mitchell, and like Mitchell, he struggled with drops and his balance, and decelerating in curl and comeback routes.

4. Roman Wilson, Michigan - Wilson has been ascending after a great senior bowl, such that he is firmly in Round 2 conversation, and murmurs that Kansas City may be interested at no.32. Today his route running was very inconsistent, he dropped an easy catch, struggled with balance and was late to find the ball a few times. He did have time to make a circus grab in the End Zone Fade drill.

5. Jalen Coker, Holy Cross - It seems harsh to classify a consensus UDFA as a loser, but he has been getting plenty of love recently which has him discussed as a high Day 3 pick. He ran a little slower than expected, weaved a lot in the gauntlet, and didn't make some catches in bounds despite having the room. However, he did show some good catching form and was very smooth as a route runner.

The NFL Draft in Detroit is going to be huge and the combine has put some players firmly in my "need to watch again" list. Who did you like from the combine?

We're going to be there, and we hope to meet you there. Get in touch if you want to meet for a drink on draft week!

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