2023 NFL Scouting Combine: Offensive Player Dynasty Review
The 2023 NFL Scouting Combine was packed with dynasty-worthy happenings late last week. I spent a handful of days in Indianapolis and wrote down everything I heard and saw.
Quarterback
CJ Stroud is impressive when you listen to him speak. I couldn’t wait for him to talk about his athleticism and his unwillingness at times to run the ball at Ohio State and he didn’t disappoint. After admitting he didn’t run enough in college and he wishes now that he had done it more, he said it is “something I’m going to fix.” I got the feeling it was a regular topic of conversation with teams throughout the combine and he realizes NFL teams want him to use his legs more which could unlock an even higher fantasy ceiling for dynasty managers. Those quotes, along with the clinic he put on throwing the ball on Saturday, cemented Stroud as the QB1 in the class for me. His anticipation was better than every other passer and his deep ball was absolutely gorgeous.
Even though Bryce Young didn’t work out, he did talk to the media and I came away thinking he has moxie. He’s cool and confident in his own skin. The overwhelming theme of his time spent with the media was his size (or lack thereof) and he didn’t waver for a moment when asked if it would affect his play at the next level, saying “I’ve been this size, respectfully, my whole life.” As for that size, he measured in at 5’10”, 204 pounds, which is nearly exactly the size of Kyler Murray.
After crushing the interviews Friday while comparing himself to Cam Newton, Anthony Richardson was a record-setter on Saturday, running a 4.43-second 40-yard dash, jumping 40.5″ in the vertical and posting a 10’9″ broad jump. Although he was a little erratic on a few throws, he dazzled with the deep ball and finished his workout with a backflip. The crown buzzed every time he did anything and the hype is real. There is talk about him being the dynasty QB1 but I can’t move him in front of Stroud or Young… yet.
I love Will Levis‘ response to being asked why he decided to throw at the combine: “because I have a cannon.” Perfect. Unfortunately, he didn’t throw well enough to move up my rankings. He clearly has an incredible arm but it looked like he took some off most of his short to intermediate throws.
Hendon Hooker didn’t work out due to injury and got bombarded with questions about reading defenses and going through progressions. He clearly had heard enough about it, saying “I can’t help it if my first read is open.”
Stetson Bennett looked incredible throwing the ball. He was very accurate all day with a very nice deep ball. Also threw equally hard as Levis (59 mph) although he reared up to make the throw and Levis did it with the flick of a wrist. He was a big riser for me and looks like he could get round three or four draft capital.
I was really looking forward to watching Jake Haener and he disappointed slightly. The off-target throws and lack of pop on his passes compared to other QBs were evident. His deep ball lost velocity and ended up a wounded duck. Meanwhile, Tyson Bagent was pretty accurate but doesn’t appear to have NFL arm strength. Malik Cunningham made very few accurate throws. Max Duggan threw well in general and was especially accurate on downfield throws. Tanner Mckee had an awful day throwing the ball. Dorian Thompson-Robinson looks the part of an NFL quarterback (6’2″, 203 pounds) and is athletic (4.56-second 40 time) but outside of a few throws, looked very inaccurate.
Running Back
Bijan Robinson dazzled in his workout, running a 4.46 40 and acing every drill. He also talked to the media about how important it is to have two running backs who complement each other. He spoke to the Falcons, Bears, and Giants and compared himself to Saquon Barkley. He called himself “a difference maker” and that he’s looking forward to expanding his role as a pass catcher even more at the next level by working out of the slot and running, “the full route tree.” We may not have seen the best of Bijan, yet.
Jamyr Gibbs considers himself a playmaker, not just a running back, and said he’s one of the “most versatile” players in the draft. When asked about a weakness, he said he never ran in an offense where the quarterback was under center so he needs to get used to that. He also had an excellent workout and measured in at a solid 5’9” and 199 pounds.
Zach Charbonnet told us he returned to college last year to improve as a pass catcher and he had his best season as a receiver, grabbing 37 passes for 321 yards after catching just 38 balls for 268 yards in his first three college seasons. He looked solid in drills and ran well (4.53) with a great vertical jump (37”) and broad jump (10’-2”) and is in the mix to be RB3 in the class.
Devon Achane moved up my rankings, not because of his 4.32 speed or because he looked dynamic as a pass catcher because we already knew that. He measured well at 5’8.5” and 188 pounds and is confident he can be a great “between the tackles” tailback. I don’t doubt him. He looks like a D’Andre Swift-type playmaker.
Senior Bowl standout running back Tyjae Spears is humble and funny. He talked about playing in the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium and how he was amazed the whole week and that, “they got doors that slide open.” When asked about all the good food in Louisiana he told us his favorite is the 30-piece chicken nuggets from Chick-Fil-A. Luckily, he’ll be able to have his favorite meal from back home wherever he lands. No matter where that is, it feels like he’s going to be closer to a first-round dynasty rookie pick than a third-rounder. He’s a top-15 player for me right now.
I was impressed with Mohamed Ibrahim. He likes playing in the cold, calling November football, “hard boy football.” When you watch him on tape you see him always falling forward for extra yardage and he says that’s coached into him. His motto is “feet don’t die” and said playing with that mentality leads to big yards after contact and attributed his 19-game 100-yard rushing streak to that play style. He didn’t run the 40 but I don’t care, he remains a sleeper for me.
Bijan Robinson spoke very highly of Roshon Johnson calling him, “the best teammate” and suggesting his college teammate could be a draft-day sleeper. Johnson is a big back (6’0”, 219 pounds) and didn’t run particularly fast (4.58) but appears to be moving up dynasty rankings, just not mine.
Deuce Vaughn is a well-spoken and likable guy and spent a lot of time answering questions about his size (5’5”, 179 pounds.) He told us shorter backs have better leverage and can hide behind their offensive line. He wants to be the next Darren Sproles but Sproles played at 190 pounds and is an inch taller.
Sean Tucker is soft-spoken but confident and called himself, “an underrated player.” I wish he could have worked out. Kenny McIntosh didn’t run well (4.62) and wasn’t particularly impressive in drills. I enjoyed Israel Abanikanda’s interview but he was another who didn’t work out. Tank Bigbsy had a solid, although not spectacular combine. All these guys make up a large tier of runners who will rely on landing spot and draft equity to determine their dynasty value.
Wide Receiver
Jaxon Smith-Njigba called himself a top-five player in the draft and after his elite workout, I can’t disagree with him. He was sharp and fast during drills (outside of the gauntlet where he appeared to throttle down) and posted elite acceleration numbers in the three-cone (6.57) and shuttle (3.93) so not running a 40-yard dash doesn’t bother me. It was easily the most impressive wideout workout and he’s locked in as my top receiver in the class and number two pick in single QB leagues.
Jordan Addison didn’t run very many routes but when he did it was impressive. His only dig route was sharp and he extended to make a catch on a very high throw before landing on his feet and instantly turning upfield. His 4.49 40-time is solid and he remains my WR2.
To me, Quentin Johnston appeared uncomfortable answering questions. It’s clear that teams are talking to him about body catching rather than using his hands so he’s been telling them he’s catching a “couple hundred” passes every day to improve in that area. He was scheduled to meet twice with the Giants in Indy but his college teammate, Kendre Miller said when asked about meeting with the Texans, said Houston is, “really interested in Quentin.” Apparently, they asked more about the Horned Frogs wideout than Miller.
Zay Flowers is friendly and has a good presence. He fired back at one question suggesting he’s an inside receiver by saying “I’m not just a slot!” He also put on 13 pounds of muscle since the season (182 pounds) in preparation for the combine and it didn’t slow him down. Flowers ran a 4.42 and looked awesome in drills, snapping off routes and extending for off-target throws along the sideline. He made a highlight catch on a comeback route along the sideline where he made a shoestring grab, got his feet inbounds, and somersaulted before popping onto his feet. He was a big riser this weekend.
Jalin Hyatt left a positive impression on me during interviews. He’s funny, confident and enthusiastic and insisted he’s a good route runner saying “I know how to run routes. I played in the SEC.” Unfortunately, his workout was rough, suffering from inaccurate passes, dropping a high throw, and giving up on a couple more awful tosses. Furthermore, he suffered a hamstring injury so didn’t even finish the afternoon. He also weighed in on the light side, at 176 pounds despite being 6’0” tall and his 4.4 40-time was as fast but not exactly the blazing time some expected.
Josh Downs looked very natural catching the football (outside of the one drop he had on an out route) and was smooth in his routes but measured in at just 5’9″ and 171 pounds. That’s not awful for a pure slot receiver. His 4.48 40-time was solid.
Marvin Mims Jr made enough of an impression to move up to the fringe first round despite a couple of slips on breaks and leaving his feet to catch eye-level passes unnecessarily. He was smooth before the catch, tracked the ball well, and showed the ability to high-point the football on a fade with good awareness to get his feet inbounds. At 5’11” and 183 pounds, his 4.38 40-time and 39.5″ vertical make me wonder if he can play outside as well as in the slot.
Rashee Rice had a drop and let the ball get to his body once but was good where we expected him to be good. He likes to go up to get it, tracked the ball well, and worked the boundary. He also measured in at 6’1”, 204 pounds and ran a 4.51 40.
Jayden Reed didn’t make any mistakes and caught a high-point throw on a goal-line fade I didn’t expect him to reach. He generally looked fast all day, so he’s moving into the third round of my rankings.
Charlie Jones was fast and looked like a good ball catcher. Mitchell Tinsley surprised me a few times, looking athletic and making multiple nice grabs. Trey Palmer ran well and is good at the top of his routes. Puka Nacua and Tyler Scott were also very solid. All of these guys moved into my top 40.
If there was a disappointment at wide receiver, it was with AT Perry who outside of one nice catch on a deep out, didn’t look fast, didn’t break well on the top of routes and dropped passes. Cedric Tillman also didn’t stand out at all.
Tight End
Darnell Washington stole the show in his workout. 6’7”, 264 pounders don’t run 4.64 or a 4.08 shuttle. He looks like he might have elite upside and is now my TE1 in the class.
Michael Mayer commanded the attention of the room during interviews. He’s an alpha male. His workout wasn’t particularly impressive though, as he dropped passes and didn’t look especially fast (4.7 40) or explosive. He’s not a first-round rookie pick.
Luke Musgrave ran well (4.61) and told us his history as an alpine skier helped develop his lower body strength and get him where he is now. He was very short and concise with his answers but said he’s fully healthy.
Tucker Kraft said his ability after the catch is what separates him from the rest of the tight end class and that he entered his final year in college with the goal of being the TE1 in the class. While he may not reach that goal, he certainly helped himself in Indy, running a solid 4.69 at 6’5”, 254 pounds) and showing well in drills.
Dalton Kincaid didn’t work out. Zack Kuntz and Sam LaPorta did, however, and both were impressive. Kuntz measured in at 6’7” and 255 pounds and blazed a 4.55 40-yard dash while posting a 40” vertical. LaPorta isn’t quite as big (6’3”, 245) but ran a 4.59 and was noticeably more athletic than most of the other tight ends. Both are on the third-round radar for rookie drafts.
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