Dynasty Rookie Draft Risers and Fallers: Post-Combine Edition
The NFL Draft Combine is an annual rite of passage for hopeful college players wanting to make the transition into the NFL. This year’s version was no different as 329 participants converged on Indianapolis to run, jump, lift, throw, talk and catch. And, as always, there are players who increase or decrease their draft stock. The truly elite players skipped many (or all) of the drills in hopes of impressing teams at their own Pro Day, but others took the field in an attempt to impress NFL Coaches and Scouts. Some did and some didn’t. Let’s take a look at some Combine risers and fallers as we continue to build our rookie draft cheat sheets in anticipation of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Risers
Bhayshul Tuten, RB Virginia Tech
Tuten ran the fastest 40-yard dash time for running backs (fifth fastest overall), had the fastest 10-yard split time (1.49), had the top vertical jump among running backs (40.50″), and the fourth-highest broad jump (10’10”). He also rocked it in the drills and some believe he could even be in line to be the top running back in the NFL Draft – high praise indeed. While being taken ahead of Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton may seem a bit of a reach, Tuten’s stock is soaring.
Matthew Golden, WR Houston
Golden’s performance at Texas was admirable last year as he posted 58 catches for 987 yards and nine touchdowns. He also averaged a healthy 17 yards per catch, looking like the next great Longhorns speedster to enter the NFL Draft. He backed up his impressive game tape with a 4.29 40-yard dash, second best at the Combine. With that performance, tape that shows real dynamic ability and a track record of Texas receivers performing well at the next level, Golden’s ranking is trending up.
RJ Harvey, RB UCF
The numbers are solid as Harvey posted 1,577 rushing yards a whopping 22 touchdowns this year for UCF. However, the level of competition is a concern. On the plus side, he did run for nearly 200 yards and two touchdowns against a solid Iowa State team. With a 4.40 40 and other solid numbers in the drills, he looks the part of a late round gem this year. There are some concerns about his size as he’s only 5’8″ tall, but someone is going to take a chance here as he’s clearly on the NFL Draft radar.
Terrance Ferguson, TE Oregon
He posted the third best athleticism score amongst tight ends according to NFL Next Gen Stats. He’s been a consistent performer for Oregon over the past four years, but his Combine showed there may be a little more to the story here. He’s not going to make anyone forget about Brock Bowers, but he’s also very much on the radar at this point.
DJ Giddens, RB Kansas State
He ran for over 1,300 yards this year but was still a little under the radar heading into the Combine. However, his 4.43 40, which was No. 7 among running backs, has changed that in a hurry. He’s already getting some “Top 30” visits from teams and the attention some are showing indicate he’s clearly a prospect on the rise.
Omarion Hampton, RB North Carolina
Hampton proved he was fast with a 4.46 in the 40-yard dash. He also looked electric with a 10-foot, 11-inch broad jump and a 38-inch vertical. With a season boasting more than 2,000 all-purpose yards and a Combine performance that backs up his stats, Hampton could find his way to a team on the first two days of the NFL Draft. In fact, it’s been reported more than a few teams have him as their RB1 on their draft boards. While many other blue chip prospects didn’t compete at the Combine, Hampton showed the courage to back up what he thinks he is – a stud.
Other risers to note: Jalen Royals, Quinshon Judkins, Jaylin Noel, Jayden Higgins, Elic Ayomanor
Fallers
Will Howard, QB Ohio State
Throwing for 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns and ten interceptions en route to a National Championship at Ohio State should be enough to get you drafted, right!?! Well, not so fast. Howard was a mess at the Combine, missing throws all over creation and looking like an average athlete. Teams are authentically wondering if his supporting cast was just so much better than the competition that it hid a lot of flaws in his game. He’s still a decent prospect, but his Pro Day is looking more and more important.
Tez Johnson, WR Oregon
His 4.51 40 was disappointing, but even more so, he’s back down into the 150s in terms of his weight. If he’s slower and lighter than most expected, that may not be the best combination. In short, Johnson is getting some real mixed reviews on his workout. His three-cone drill time of 6.65 was best amongst receivers and that’s going to help. However, he went into the weekend trying to work his way out of being a third day draft pick and that likely didn’t happen.
Kyle Monangai, RB Rutgers
Monangai just wasn’t great at the Combine. He measured in at 5’8″ and 211 pounds, which isn’t exactly prototypical. However, undersized running backs can survive in the NFL if they have elite level ability. Unfortunately, he looked anything but elite in his workouts as he had a lot of drops and didn’t look fluid at all. He’s facing a real uphill climb for relevance at this point.
Ollie Gordon, RB Oklahoma State
He’s a big back at 6’2″ and 226 pounds and essentially performed as such. He ran a 4.61-second 40-yard dash and that isn’t awful for someone his size. He also posted a 10-yard split of 1.60 seconds, posted a 34.5-inch vertical and a 10-foot broad jump. In short, he was fine. Unfortunately, Gordon needed to be better than fine to really boost his stock. Many dynasty managers were simply hoping for a more dominant performance to accompany his size but he just fell short of it. He may not be truly falling, but he isn’t rising, either.
Kaleb Johnson, RB Iowa
His 4.57s 40-yard dash wasn’t great and his 1.62 10-yard split was the lowest in the entire running back class. He also skipped all the agility, jumping and bench press tests and that decision (combined with his poor 40) is raising some serious questions about just how much of an athlete he really is. He was certainly a fast riser this season, but it seems some NFL Scouts may think that was a bit of a mirage and he looks like a player who may have something to hide. His Pro Day is going to be important as well.
Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK
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