Post Combine Thoughts

After coming back from work travels last week, I finally was able to finish up watching the combine, and these are just some quick thoughts after. It will not be as neatly formatted as my usual posts because I need to go verify these thoughts with data and tape, but the normal prospect profiles will be back next week, and I will be starting larger position-group breakdowns soon. All of it with a goal to have an official top 100 that I have truly watched by the Monday of draft week!

If you like my work and think some of your friends will too in the lead-up to the draft, go ahead and share it, it's always more fun to have debates with well-informed people. Without further ado:

Thank you, NFL Network

The coverage last year was probably the worst ever. Never have I remembered missing so many drills on the field and having the programming cut while workouts were still in progress. This year, NFL Network put it right. I still wish there was a way to watch all the on-field drills and a better attempt at not showing half a group after or before a commercial break without physically being in person, but this was so, so much better. I was seriously worried going into watching, but a great production all around.

Starters not Stars

The combine did nothing to assuage my fear that this year's class is less top-heavy than even last year's. The true big-ticket positions do not have the same quality as one would hope. However, there are a ton of intriguing depth pieces who I expect to contribute a ton over their careers in the middle rounds of the draft.

Non-Premium Positions are Insane

If your favorite team needs a Safety, a Linebacker, a Tight End, or a Guard, this is your draft. If you need anything else, there are significantly fewer premium players than usual.

Sonny Styles

The only times I remember being gobsmacked like this on a combine workout are few. To combine with his physical testing, where he posted a 9.99 RAS, he also murdered the on field drills. Over the five I was able to watch he scored by my eye, a 10, 9.5, 9.5, 9, and 9.5. All other LBs combined for eight 9s and nothing else above that. He is an absolute freak.

My Combine Guys

The combine comes at a point where I still have not been able to do a deep dive on most prospects, so for most, this is the first time I am seeing them. Every year, I have guys who I watch and am very intrigued by, and this year, these are the players (none of the obvious top players in the draft, barring insane exceptions):

QB: None

RB: Eli Heidenrich, Seth McGowan

WR: Zachariah Branch, Ted Hurst, Jakobi Lane, Colbie Young

TE: Tanner Koziol, Lake McRee, Eli Stowers

OL: Markell Brell, Chase Bisontis, Parker Brailsford, DJ Campbell, Fernando Carmona, Gennings Dunker, Emmanuel Pregnon, Armaj Reed-Adams, Keylan Rutledge

DT: Lee Hunter

EDGE: Mason Reiger

LB: Jacob Rodriguez, Sonny Styles

CB: Daylen Everette, TJ Hall, Colton Hood, Chris Johnson, D'Angelo Ponds, Avieon Terrell, Collin Wright

S: Bishop Fitzgerald, Jalon Kilogre, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Lorenzo Styles Jr, Dillon Thieneman, Zakee Wheatley

That's it, be back soon with more profiles!