NFL Combine Day 3 Testing Notes
The most watched day of the NFL Combine is in the books after quarterbacks, receivers, and running backs put on an absolute show. Receivers, in general, put forth one of the most impressive athletic performances I've seen from a single position group in my years covering the Draft.
Let's take a look at the Day 3 winners and losers.
Receiver Adonai Mitchell (Texas) began turning heads at the combine during his media session with how he presented himself. On Saturday, he dominated workouts with a 4.34 40-yard dash time, 39½” vertical, and 11’4” broad jump.
Mitchell’s testing, combined with his interviews on and off camera, might have gotten him into the conversation as high as pick 15 with the Indianapolis Colts.
RB Audric Estime (Notre Dame) is probably among those prospects who wish he had a mulligan after running a 4.71 in the 40-yard dash. Testing times are just testing times, but NFL teams have thresholds they set where if a player doesn’t meet a certain mark, they will be penalized, which will likely happen for Estime out of Notre Dame.
Estime's 40-time will hold someone back, as there has been zero running backs that have run a 4.7 or worse 40-yard dash time only to be drafted in the top 40 slots. That is likely what will happen to Estime, even if he does better during his pro day.
Quarterback Devin Leary (Kentucky) followed the lead of most of his fellow quarterback classmates in declining to participate in testing. However, he threw to the first group of receivers on Saturday. He had a good day, showed good zip on his passes, and was consistently accurate in an environment with no chemistry with receivers.
Leary isn't suddenly in the franchise quarterback conversation, but he's helped himself in the Day 3 conversation for a team looking for a developmental prospect.
Receiver Isaiah Williams (Illinois) had a type of day similar to Estime in which his 40-yard dash time (4.64) didn't do his draft stock any favors. It also doesn't help his case that he came in as one of the shortest and lightest receivers in Indy. In short (no pun intended), it was a forgettable showing for Williams, who ran the slowest 40-yard dash time of any receiver.
Quarterback Michael Penix, Jr (Washington) came into the combine with various questions regarding his medicals. Fortunately for him, everything checked out just fine, saving him from potentially tumbling down teams' draft boards.
Running back Bucky Irving (Oregon) plays faster on film, but like I’ve said multiple times, NFL teams have their thresholds. A running back with a Relative Athletic Score of 2.28 or worse has only been drafted twice, dating back to 2000, once in the past 15 years. And Irving recorded a 2.28. That said, his 40 time won’t be a killer for him but those explosive testing numbers are just poor. Agility drills can change his RAS, but the numbers are hurting his stock so far.
Isaac Guerendo (Louisville) was the top running back performer in the 40-yard dash and vertical and had the second-best broad jump. That kind of athleticism will be enough to make some teams take another look at his film and see if there’s a spot for him on their roster, either for offense or special teams.
Quarterback Austin Reed (Western Kentucky) came into the combine with questions about his ability to throw the long ball at the NFL level. During the go-route portion of throwing, Reed was putting a lot of effort into his long ball, and it still came out with very little juice. Bailey Zappe played in that Western Kentucky Air Raid and had a more functional deep ball than Reed. That's a solid indicator of where Reed’s ceiling is right now.
Let the headlines write themselves about receiver Xavier Worthy's (Texas) worthiness for the NFL. Worthy’s first 40-yard dash time came in at 4.25, and then he decided to run it again, and boy, did it pay off. Worthy’s official 40-yard dash time came in at 4.21, meaning he has the fastest 40-yard dash time in NFL Combine history.
There were some issues for Spencer Rattler (South Carolina) to consistently connect with receivers during on-field throwing sessions, but Rattler throws the ball effortlessly. The way the ball jumps out of Rattler's hand, he will convince some teams that he can be a mid-round pick they can mold into a legit starter.
Testing wasn't great for Rattler, but his tape shows the ability to create some plays with his legs and has some real juice in his arm. With his extensive experience in multiple offenses, it wouldn't be surprising if he impressed on the whiteboard, either.
