What to Watch for NFL Combine Day 3

The most highly anticipated day of the NFL Combine has arrived. Today, quarterbacks, wide receivers, and running backs will take the field to showcase their talents and skills.

Needless to say, it’s a big day for the quarterback-needy New York Giants, who, although they won’t be able to see all the quarterbacks throw –Cam Ward and Sheeur Sanders reportedly do not plan to throw until their respective pro days–they’ll at least get a chance to see some of the other quarterbacks in action.

The Giants will also get to look at receivers. If Darius Slayton leaves in free agency, as is anticipated, the team will have a big hole for a WR2. Getting a complementary piece for Malik Nabers is one of those sneaky needs that the Giants are believed to want to fill via the draft, given the exorbitant contracts top receivers tend to get.

Running back is probably the least of the three needs on display today, but it’s still a need. The Giants have Devin Singletary under contract for one more year’s worth of guaranteed money, and they also have Tyrone Tracy, Jr., who passed Singletary for the RB1 role last year. Getting a future running mate for Tracy with a Day 3 pick is thought to be among the Giants’ to-do list.

So, let’s get into the drills and the prospects to watch.

NFL Combine, new york giants — Feb 28, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; A general overall view of Lucas Oil Stadium, the home of the Indianapolis Colts and and site of the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

What Drills Matter?

Quarterback testing doesn’t matter so much at the combine. Athletic quarterbacks show up on tape, and an offense can work around athleticism.

The most important measured drills at running back are the 40-yard dash, vertical, and broad jump.

The jumps typically translate to lower-body explosion and leg drive. The 40-yard dash could be eye-opening for some backs today - and if Cam Skattebo were running, he could’ve benefited from a good time.

Wide receivers have the gauntlet drill that teams love to use as a tool, such as seeing how fast a receiver can run along the line without looking at it while having to catch footballs throughout. Expect to see Keon Coleman’s gauntlet drill from last year if you plan to watch the workouts on television.

The three-cone for receivers has greatly decreased participation, partially because the media got hung up on D.K. Metcalf’s poor three-cone. That led to people overthinking the process, yet Metcalf has done fine for himself since then.

The 40-yard dash for receivers and backs is both helpful for showing off long speed. Even though colleges have adapted GPS timing mechanisms, seeing someone run at their top speed could help sell a team on a player.

WR/RB Savion Williams, TCU

Savion Williams is among the few players working out at multiple positions during the NFL Combine. He ended the season with six straight games of at least five carries.

Williams is listed at 6’5” and 225 pounds, and as a receiver/running back hybrid, the Cordarrelle Patterson comparisons will be impossible for him to avoid at this point.

The film for Williams shows a raw football player who’s more of an athlete than anything else. He needs a strong combine performance to reinforce his athletic profile while using drills to show off some polish.

RB Bhayshul Tuten, Virginia Tech

There are few players as fun to watch as Virginia Tech’s Bhayshul Tuten, who routinely skates by defenders and has shown legitimate track speed on film.

In the past, there have been reports of Tuten running in the low 4.30s with explosive lifting numbers, which should help convince teams of his ability.

Unlike some speedy backs in this class, Tuten’s 5-8 and 211-pound frame is slightly more filled out despite the height.

WR Isaiah Bond and RB Jaydon Blue, Texas

Texas has two expected big-time athletes at the combine today: wide receiver Isaiah Bond and running back Jaydon Blue.

Bond said during media days that he’s planning on breaking the record for the fastest 40-yard dash, set at 4.21 seconds last year by Texas receiver Xavier Worthy.

While that’s an outlandish thing to hear at first–and this isn’t a direct comparison to track and the 40–Bond did have faster 100-meter and 200-meter times than Worthy.

Texas running back Jaydon Blue also claimed potentially breaking the 40-yard dash record today.

On film, Blue consistently runs away from defenses, and while I don’t think he’s going to break the record, it wouldn’t be surprising to me if he ran in the 4.28-4.32 range.

RB Marcus Yarns, Delaware

In addition to Savion Williams, we have another wide receiver/running back Combine participant in Delaware’s Marcus Yarns.

I think this situation may differ from Williams’s, as some teams think Yarns can’t play as much as a back in the league, so I want to see his receiver skills.

Yarns is just 5’10” and 189 pounds, which works especially when he’s faster than the lower level of competition, but in the NFL, it likely means he doesn’t have the frame to handle running back duties.

Reaffirming his athleticism and looking explosive in drills could convince a team that Yarns has a role at the next level.

QB Jalen Milroe, Alabama

In my opinion, no single player can help himself more on Saturday than Alabama’s Jalen Milroe.

It’s unclear exactly what testing Milroe will participate in, but he’s expected to perform well, which is one reason he might not participate in much of the athletic testing—we know he’s an athlete.

Throwing drills will be huge for Milroe, and I’d expect to see him try to take the top off the invisible defense to show off his arm.

Milroe will need to focus on a few long throws with velocity to show that he can throw accurately, something we didn’t see much of on film.

As a viewer, it’s important to remember that there will be some leeway on accuracy at the combine. NFL general managers have often said that quarterbacks throw to receivers they have no chemistry with and don’t know their speed, so judging them there is challenging.