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NFL Scouting Combine: Dynasty Quarterback Winners and Losers

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Michael Penix Jr | © Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Tim Riordan Posted On March 5, 2024
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The NFL Combine is a series of measurements to test an athlete’s athletic skills. It’s not a game. It isn’t a competition. It is a test. Despite that, when the event is over and the NFL world clears out of Indianapolis, we analyze the winners and the losers of the events. Can you really win when you’re competing against a ruler? Can a player really lose if a stopwatch is a couple of centiseconds slower than the next guy?

I suppose it is, when the first question Caleb Williams has to answer when he faces the media is: are you afraid to compete? In the middle of saying hello to the assembled media and clearing his throat, a fantasy analyst with a credential blurted out the question, and the NFL world exploded with takes.

Drake Maye didn’t do anything at the Combine. He didn’t have to answer that question. Jayden Daniels didn’t do anything at the Combine, and wasn’t even measured. He didn’t have to answer that question. What is it about Williams that invites so much scrutiny from the public?

I was in the media room in Indianapolis, and I was three feet away from the stage for Williams’ one-on-one interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio. I was incredibly impressed with the person I saw. When he walked by Malik Nabers, he yelled out to everyone: “that’s the WR1 right there.” In the interview, he smiled and joked around with the hosts. He was pleasant, personable, confident, but never cocky.

I’m rooting for Williams and can’t wait to see where his NFL career takes him. He’s so incredibly talented on the field, and a unique, fun personality off the field.

Wiliams wasn’t a winner or a loser at the NFL Combine, so he won’t be discussed further in this article. But, he won me over, and he should be one of the top two picks in superflex rookie drafts this season, no matter how many bad questions he has to answer.

All of that being said, let’s move on to the actual “winners” and “losers” at the quarterback position at the NFL Combine. There are more winners and losers from the past week, because it’s really tough to knock a quarterback down for practice throws. Game film is so much more important for these players than the ability to make a pass in shorts, so we can’t overreact too much to what happened at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday.

Winners

Michael Penix Jr, Washington

Since the elite quarterbacks in this class didn’t do much of anything at the NFL Combine, the focus shifted to the second tier of 2024 quarterbacks who are trying to crack the first round of the NFL Draft. From the group of Bo Nix, JJ McCarthy, and Michael Penix, Penix had the most impressive showing in Indy.

Medicals and measurements went very well for the National runner-up. He measured in at 6’ 2” and 216 pounds. His hand size was historic at 10.5 inches, a top-ten measurement all-time for quarterbacks at the Combine. Penix entered the Combine with major medical question marks, but all reports are that the checkup and MRIs came back clean and shouldn’t be a problem heading into his NFL career.

On the field, Penix was as impressive as any other quarterback there. He displayed nice footwork and hit his receivers consistently between the numbers. On the go routes, he displayed good arm strength and timing. Rich Eisen said on the broadcast, “the spiral has been a thing of beauty.” He didn’t run, so all eyes will be on Washington’s Pro Day for a 40-yard dash time, but Penix, showed his talent and ability as a pocket passer. He is certainly on the day one radar for the NFL Draft.

Joe Milton, Tennessee

We all knew that Milton has a cannon for a right arm, but seeing it showcased in Indianapolis was awe-inspiring. The go route drill was the big ticket event for Milton and he certainly came through. His longest throw measured 73.5 yards in the air. The longest throw in the NFL over the past seven years was a Josh Allen throw that went 69.3 yards in the air. We all knew it already, but Milton can chuck a football deep down the field.

While the go route was the most impressive, the rest of his workout was very clean as well. I was impressed with his ability to take something off his throws and he even displayed accuracy targeting his receivers on the sideline.

As I stated before, there is a big difference between practice throws, and in-game throws, but Milton’s stock has to be increasing after he was the talk of the NFL Combine. He is still likely to be a very late-round pick, or even go undrafted, but he is on the radar after a good week.

Devin Leary, Kentucky

If you watched the NFL Network broadcast on Saturday, then you heard Leary’s name over and over again. Daniel Jeremiah in particular kept saying how impressed he was with Leary’s workout and looked forward to watching more tape from him after the workout. I’m sure NFL teams and fantasy analysts are doing the exact same thing!

Leary’s throws were eye-opening on Saturday. He showed he has a big and accurate arm. The timing was perfect and the footwork looked good the whole way through. Prior to this week, Leary was not ranked amongst DLF’s Rookie Quarterback Rankings. After his showing this weekend, he absolutely should be.

Losers

JJ McCarthy, Michigan

As I mentioned before, it’s tough to name any losers from the NFL Combine at the quarterback position. McCarthy is on this list because, of the second-tier quarterbacks, I think he looked the worst of the group during the throwing sessions. That’s not even to say it was bad, I just thought Penix and Bo Nix looked better. McCarthy’s timing looked off at times and he had the worst miss of all the quarterbacks in the first session.

That being said, you could argue that McCarthy had a good week. He impressed at interviews and measured in just fine. His footwork in the throwing session was clean and, once he got settled in, he made some beautiful throws on the go routes and to the sidelines. He even put up a better 3-cone than most of the receivers!

McCarthy is trying to jump up from the second tier of quarterbacks into the first tier, but I don’t think he did anything at the Combine to show he should be an early first-round pick. He’s still the fourth-best quarterback in this class, and is probably in a tier by himself over Nix and Penix, but of all the top quarterbacks who worked out on Saturday, he was the only one I could consider a loser.

Sam Hartman, Notre Dame

Did I name Hartman in this list just so that I could have an excuse to include this video? Probably. But, while his luscious locks won over the hearts of many in attendance, his arm did not live up to his follicles.

 

Hartman’s footwork was off. His accuracy was all over the place. His arm strength was weak. Hartman wasn’t considered a future fantasy football star going into the Combine, and his performance solidified that trajectory. He may be lucky to be drafted and make a team out of training camp. Even if he doesn’t have a bright future in the NFL, his glorious head of hair will take him places off the field.

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