OFFENSE
Quarterback
Best team fits: Pittsburgh Steelers, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos.
The conversation regarding Pickett has been hyper-focused on his hand size, and while that might end up mattering down the road, it wasn't top of mind Thursday night. Pickett displayed the same composure that powered him to become a Heisman finalist in 2021, hitting receivers in stride and delivering the ball with confidence throughout his on-field workout. He also ran a 4.73-second 40-yard dash, which is pretty darn good, even in this new era of mobile quarterbacks. There's a high floor/ceiling difference between the Pitt product and Liberty's Malik Willis: Pickett seems to be the most pro-ready passer in this class with the capability to play early, while Willis' cannon for an arm and incredible athleticism have many dreaming of a dazzling future. This was certainly on display Thursday night in a class that didn't offer too many special glimpses otherwise.
HONORABLE MENTION: Malik Willis, Liberty; Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati.
Running backs
Best team fits: Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, Houston Texans, Atlanta Falcons.
Hall entered the week as the projected top back in the class and supported this notion when speaking with reporters Thursday. He went out and backed it up with his actions Friday. Hall put together an excellent workout, becoming one of just six running backs since 2003 to earn a Next Gen Stats overall draft score of 99. His 4.39 40 backed up what we've seen on tape, and he thrived in every on-field workout save for one, slipping on a Texas route before recovering to catch the pass and burst up the field. His three-down ability should make him the top back off the board in April.
Best team fits: Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, Houston Texans, Atlanta Falcons.
Walker proved in 2021 he's an unpredictable and potentially devastating back -- just ask Michigan -- but the biggest knock on him came in the passing game. He certainly didn't hurt himself in that regard with the on-field portion of work Friday night. Walker had an excellent workout and looked very comfortable running a variety of routes and seeing the ball into his hands. Add in his 4.38 40-yard dash and you have a back with true workhorse potential in the 撸先生AV.
HONORABLE MENTION: Pierre Strong, South Dakota State; Kyren Williams, Notre Dame; James Cook, Georgia; Isaiah Spiller, Texas A&M.
Wide receivers
Best team fits: New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills, Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions.
Olave entered the combine as the second of the two Ohio State receivers on the big board of 撸先生AV Network draft guru Daniel Jeremiah: Garrett Wilson was the No. 6 overall prospect, while Olave was down at No. 26. But that gap closed in Indy. In fact, Olave made a strong argument for a leap into the top 15 picks in April. The wideout began Thursday night by running a quick 4.39 40-yard dash, then put together a stellar series of field drills. Olave is video game smooth and as fast as his 40 indicates, chasing down a bomb thrown by Malik Willis in the go-route drill for the most impressive completion of the night between any two players. In between, he was consistently sharp, running crisp routes with ease and drawing plenty of cheers from the fans in attendance. He didn't test as well as Wilson in the vertical leap (36 inches versus 32) but was slightly better than Wilson in the broad jump, and his on-field performance was indisputably excellent. He certainly made himself a lot of money at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Best team fits: New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles, Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals.
Wilson and Olave are different types of receivers, but Wilson answered an important question about his speed by posting a 4.38 40-yard dash on his first attempt. Wilson wisely sat on that number, then showed out in the on-field drills, running most of his routes with the same precision that elevated his status at Ohio State and making a handful of highlight grabs in a variety of locations. Wilson had a few hiccups along the way, something he told 撸先生AV Network's Stacey Dales that he plans to clean up with his pro day in Columbus, but the tape is what put him on the national radar, and that tape is chock full of expert-level route running. Add in a surprisingly fast 40 time and you have a strong r茅sum茅 for a guaranteed first-round selection in a deep WR class. The Buckeyes owned the second receiver session on Thursday night, and Wilson very well could end up being the first receiver off the board in April.
Best team fits: New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, Atlanta Falcons, Houston Texans, Detroit Lions.
Moore was a stud in the Mid-American Conference, but the 撸先生AV -- and the combine -- is not mid-major football. No matter for Moore, who was remarkably impressive from start to finish in Indy. Moore was steady and smooth throughout the on-field drills, running every route without any noticeable hitches and only encountering one hiccup when he broke down in a route a step early. He still ended up adjusting in time to make the catch. Moore wasn't a name on everyone's radar, but after Thursday night, he seems like a second-round lock who should be able to make an immediate impact.
HONORABLE MENTION: Jahan Dotson, Penn State; Jalen Nailor, Michigan State; Slade Bolden, Alabama; Kevin Austin Jr., Notre Dame; Alec Pierce, Cincinnati.
Tight ends
Best team fits: Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Chargers, New York Giants, Arizona Cardinals.
Dulcich did everything right Thursday night: gauntlet, the various route drills, and he ran a solid 4.69 40-yard dash. The skills and success from his game film at UCLA were evident on the field in Indianapolis, as Dulcich was just better than the rest of a class that has some sneaky depth to be found in the later rounds.
Best team fits: Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders.
Trey McBride was impressive, carries more value as a tight end than Heyward and will be selected before Heyward, but I'm placing Cam's younger brother here because we'd talk about him a whole lot more if he were just a few inches taller. Heyward did everything right in his on-field drills and made a few impressive, difficult catches along the way. He'll find a fit somewhere in this league and he certainly belongs. I envision a Kyle Juszczyk type of role for him, in which he should flourish.
HONORABLE MENTION: Trey McBride, Colorado State; Isaiah Likely, Coastal Carolina; Jelani Woods, Virginia.
Left tackle
Best team fits: Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, New York Giants, Chicago Bears.
Ekwonu posted a Next Gen Stats overall draft score of 91 and was clearly the best lineman of his group during the on-field drills. With Evan Neal choosing to sit on his (stellar) film and save his testing/drill work for the safe space of his pro day, Ekwonu certainly made the discussion regarding the draft's top tackle more interesting with his workout in Indianapolis. Do I think he's better than Neal? No. But with Neal sitting out, there wasn't a better tackle on the field Friday night.
HONORABLE MENTION: Trevor Penning, Northern Iowa; Bernhard Raimann, Central Michigan; Zach Tom, Wake Forest.
Left guard
Best team fits: New York Giants, Los Angeles Chargers, Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers.
This guard group doesn't include a bunch of headliners, but Strange stood out in his drill performance and finished with the second-best Next Gen Stats athleticism score among all interior linemen in the class. His 31 reps on the bench tied for the second-most among all offensive linemen, and he led the way with a 10-foot broad jump. Power and explosiveness? Check. And the drills showed fluid movement that could help him become a starter in the future.
HONORABLE MENTION: Ed Ingram, LSU; Kenyon Green, Texas A&M.
Center
Best team fits: New York Giants, Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers.
Jurgens made some progress Friday evening. With the best center in the class, Iowa's Tyler Linderbaum, not out on the field, Jurgens became the best center in the drills, showing off his excellent and powerful feet in a variety of different scenarios. He was quick, agile and explosive in all of them and rarely wasted a step, repeatedly catching my eye from the upper-suite level of Lucas Oil Stadium. His film shows areas that need improvement, but he had a quality showing in the March audition process.
HONORABLE MENTION: Luke Fortner, Kentucky; Alec Lindstrom, Boston College; Dawson Deaton, Texas Tech.
Right guard
Best team fits: Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago Bears, New York Giants, Carolina Panthers.
Parham kicked off his night right in Indianapolis, posting a 40-yard dash of 4.93 seconds. He followed that up by carrying that speed over to the drills and adding agility, strength, balance and fluidity to the mix. Parham was sharp in every drill, repeatedly landing in my notes with the same description: Impressive. Add in smooth and tremendous -- the latter coming when Parham nailed a drill designed to test a lineman's ability to pick up a stunt -- and a Next Gen Stats overall draft score of 80, and you have a strong night from a prospect who should rise thanks to his performance.
HONORABLE MENTION: Andrew Stueber, Michigan; Vederian Lowe, Illinois; Ja'Tyre Carter, Southern.
Right tackle
Best team fits: New York Giants, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Chargers, New York Jets.
We're doing a bit of projection with this choice, as Cross was a left tackle at Mississippi State but could realistically fill a team's need on the right side, too. The man wearing the OL6 shirt continuously caught my eye, starting with his 4.95 40-yard dash, which contributed to a Next Gen Stats overall draft score of 91, matching Ickey Ekwonu. Like Ekwonu, Cross was consistent in the on-field work, displaying smooth footwork that was valuable in pass-protection and stunt-pickup drills. The same detail showed up in my notes a few times: Great change of direction. That mix of balance, stability and powerful hands should serve him well at the next level.
HONORABLE MENTION: Max Mitchell, Louisiana.
DEFENSE
Interior linemen
Best team fits: Las Vegas Raiders, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Chargers, Detroit Lions.
Davis started his day by melting the stopwatch, running a 4.78-second 40-yard dash at 341 pounds, the fastest time posted by any player over 310 pounds at the combine since 2003. That was just the beginning. Davis' mobility was on full display during the on-field workout, showing explosion in his change of direction, light feet, fluid hips and wasting zero steps in a variety of drills. With the top overall Next Gen Stats draft score among defensive linemen and a Next Gen Stats athleticism score considered elite, Davis put together a monster workout and stole the show for the first group Saturday.
Best team fits: Cincinnati Bengals, Las Vegas Raiders, Cleveland Browns.
Not to be outdone by his Bulldogs teammate, Wyatt ran one 100th of a second faster than Davis with a 4.77 40. Then he put that time into practice, completing great reps on the bags with quick feet that left 撸先生AV Network's Daniel Jeremiah marveling, "He can move." Wyatt showed off the power and speed packed into his 6-foot-3, 304-pound frame and looked to be even more fleet of foot than Davis, completing a Bulldogs DT duo that shined.
HONORABLE MENTION: Phidarian Mathis, Alabama; Logan Hall, Houston; Travis Jones, Connecticut; DeMarvin Leal, Texas A&M.
Edge rushers
Best team fits: Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns.
Walker is an athletic freak. The long defender weighs 275 pounds, but moves as if he's 235, posting a 4.51 40 and a 35 1/2-inch vertical jump that played a significant role in earning him a Next Gen Stats athleticism score of 87. He was consistently smooth in the field drills and ran the hoop with ease while bent at a near-constant 45-degree angle. He looked like a natural in pass-coverage drills, fluidly dropping back, tracking and catching the ball without difficulty. He certainly helped his case Saturday.
Best team fits: Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Minnesota Vikings.
The potential No. 1 overall pick didn't run his 40 quite as fast as some may have expected (4.74), but the rest of the workout lived up to the hype. Hutchinson thrives with his technical skills, which were easy to see during his pass-rushing work Saturday. His hands are quick, accurate and decisive, inspiring visions of Chargers stud Joey Bosa, to whom Hutchinson compared in both his Next Gen Stats athleticism score (73 to Bosa's 2016 score of 74) and overall score (93 to Bosa's 91). Hutchinson is long and in control of his body, and with his combine work now finished, it's time for him to get back to focusing on football preparation before he waits to hear his name called in April.
Best team fits: New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns.
Johnson spent Friday repeatedly telling reporters he'll perform well at the next level as long as he's lined up outside the opposing tackle. He'd fit well standing up in a 3-4 scheme and put his talents on display Saturday, finishing with a Next Gen Stats overall score of 81, then showing off his athleticism with surprising success in coverage. There were moments in which he didn't look entirely comfortable when attacking the ball, but he reversed his fortunes late by pulling off the best catch of the night for any defender when he dropped back in coverage against an imaginary wheel route, tracked the ball in the air and made a fantastic one-handed, over-the-shoulder catch near the end of the workout. In between, he showed off fluidity and seemed to improve as the session progressed. His rip in the speed rush was powerful, which shouldn't come as a surprise. The workout largely backed up the 2021 tape.
HONORABLE MENTION: Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon; George Karlaftis, Purdue; Arnold Ebiketie, Penn State; Josh Paschal, Kentucky; David Ojabo, Michigan; Boye Mafe, Minnesota, Myjai Sanders, Cincinnati.
Linebackers
Best team fits: New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, New York Giants.
Lloyd was solid throughout Saturday evening, completing an excellent, efficient four-bag rep, exhibiting strong change-of-direction ability and fluidly dropping in coverage in backpedal and react drills. He made a great adjustment to complete a difficult catch in a drill designed to force linebackers to defend a running back on a wheel route and finished with the third-best Next Gen Stats overall draft score among linebackers. The Darius Leonard comparison is accurate, at least Saturday on the same field Leonard calls home.
Best team fits: New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos.
With Nakobe Dean choosing to skip workouts and wait for his pro day, other linebackers had a chance to turn heads Saturday. One of those who did was Tindall, who repeatedly popped up in my notes throughout the workout, earning an athleticism score of 90 and an overall score of 82 thanks in part to a 4.47 40. Tindall was explosive in the backpedal and react drill, attacking the ball in the air before tipping it and recovering in time to catch it. He had a few small things to clean up in some of the rushing drills, but the athletic ability is evident in a player who looked like a natural in traditional linebacker roles.
Best team fits: New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, Denver Broncos.
Harris started his evening by posting the second-fastest 40 time of any linebacker, then carried that momentum into the on-field drills. He was smooth and precise throughout the workout, completing very solid reps in a number of drills that tested his agility, change of direction and reaction. Harris was fluid and looked comfortable in coverage, making an impressive catch with arm extension in the short zone drill and a diving, highlight-reel grab in the deeper wheel drill. Harris finished with a Next Gen Stats overall draft score of 81, one point ahead of his 80 athleticism score, capping a solid night for the former Crimson Tide linebacker.
HONORABLE MENTION: Quay Walker, Georgia; Darrian Beavers, Cincinnati; Chad Muma, Wyoming; D'Marco Jackson, Appalachian State.
Cornerbacks
Best team fits: Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers.
Gardner called his shot on Saturday when he said he'd run in the 4.4 range in the 40-yard dash. Then he did just that on his second attempt, getting through his drive phase and crossing the line at an official time of 4.41. Gardner won the measurable portion of the combine, finishing with the best Next Gen Stats overall draft score at 93, and his on-field workout was stellar. The man nicknamed "Sauce" was smooth, fluid and remained under control, making some reps look easy, showing excellent burst out of his breaks and mirroring what's on the tape. He should be the first corner off the board in April.
Best team fits: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Arizona Cardinals, Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco 49ers.
McDuffie doesn't necessarily wow with one specific trait, but he is a complete, polished corner with a heady approach to the game. On Sunday, he thrived in every drill, rarely wasting a single step. With a 4.44 40-yard dash under his belt, McDuffie finished third among corners in Next Gen Stats' overall draft score at 84 and did everything well in his workout.
HONORABLE MENTION: Roger McCreary, Auburn; Cam Taylor-Britt, Nebraska; Kaiir Elam, Florida; Kyler Gordon, Washington; Tariq Woolen, Texas-San Antonio; Coby Bryant, Cincinnati.
Safeties
Best team fits: New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Texans.
Hamilton is regarded as perhaps the best player in this entire class, regardless of position, so it was no surprise to see him stand out in Indianapolis. Hamilton lived up to the hype, earning the best Next Gen Stats overall draft score among safeties with a 90. When he took the field, Hamilton put on a show, displaying his athleticism and appearing entirely comfortable with his fluid movement. He completed excellent reps in nearly every drill and was springy in his steps and jumps, leaping to make an excellent grab in the backpedal-and-90-degree-break drill, his best play of the afternoon. He should be a top-five pick in April.
Best team fits: Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions.
The tape translated to the combine. Hill was fluid and in control throughout his workout, making the drills look easy and displaying the same ball skills that stood out on his game film. The safety was explosive out of his breaks, especially in the backpedal-and-90-degree-break drill, and kept his feet underneath him, making every step count in deeper drops and completing catches without difficulty. Add in his Next Gen Stats overall draft score of 88 -- a number boosted by a 4.38 40-yard dash and 6.57 three-cone drill -- and you have a highly enticing safety prospect.
HONORABLE MENTION: Jalen Pitre, Baylor; Lewis Cine, Georgia; Verone McKinley III, Oregon.
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