Put the stopwatches and measuring tape away: The NFL scouting combine is in the books (or it will be officially after Monday’s final group of bench presses).
With the final prospects taking the field Sunday, the annual event in Indianapolis once again sparked plenty of intrigue about what the fallout would be for top prospects and their draft stocks. Discerning that, however, can be difficult, as the ever-important team interviews and medical evaluations remain behind closed doors, and the testing and on-field workouts often serve more as a check on prospects rather than the final word.
With that in mind, here’s our look at the winners and losers of the 2023 NFL scouting combine:
Winners
1. Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
Despite entering the combine with perhaps the biggest buzz of any prospect, Richardson somehow managed to amplify the hype that follows him. The 6-4, 244-pounder set combine records for a quarterback with his 40 ½-inch vertical leap and 10-9 broad jump. But the most stunning number was his 4.43-second 40-yard dash, the fourth-best number for a passer since 2003, with the others not coming close to Richardson in size. His throwing session reinforced his otherworldly arm strength as well as his still-spotty accuracy. While a combine workout can at best capture an infinitesimal sliver of the meaningful factors of being a productive quarterback, this much is clear: The NFL doesn’t have any other player comparable to Richardson, even at a time when his tools are in high demand.
2. Nolan Smith, edge rusher, Georgia
Thursday began with a bit of concern for Smith when he measured in at a mere 6-2 and 238 pounds. By the end of the day, Smith had shifted the focus with a dazzling display of his explosiveness. Most notable was his receiver-like 4.39-second 40-yard dash, the second-fastest time of any edge rusher since 2003. Smith was also head and shoulders above the field with a 41-inch vertical leap. While his frame might not make him a fit for every team, Smith appears to be a solid bet not to make it past the top 20 at this point.
3. Adetomiwa Adebawore, edge rusher, Northwestern
If not for Smith, Adebawore likely would have been the talk of the first two days of the combine. Following up a strong Senior Bowl week, the 6-2, 282-pounder astounded observers with a 4.49-second 40-yard dash as well as a 37 ½-inch vertical and 10-5 broad jump. Those marks all bested the numbers posted last year by Georgia edge rusher and eventual No. 1 pick Travon Walker, who had one of the best combine performances by a defensive linemen in recent history. Adebawore’s ascent won’t take him to the same heights as Walker, but there’s little question his stock is on a rapid rise.
4. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
In his first on-field display since October, Smith-Njigba reminded many that he is peerless among this draft’s receivers when it comes to polish. The 6-1, 196-pounder was on a different level in his workout, looking effortless in all of his movements and easily reeling in passes. And while Smith-Njigba didn’t run a 40-yard dash, his combine bests in the short shuttle (3.93 seconds) and three-cone drill (6.57) served as additional proof of his elite agility. In an uninspiring class of receivers, there’s a solid case to be made for him to be the first off the board at the position.
5. Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
With Illinois’ Devon Witherspoon not testing or working out due a hamstring issue, Gonzalez made a strong bid to be the first cornerback selected. The 6-1, 197-pounder looked like the total package at the position, easily changing direction and snagging passes. As expected, he was a top-tier tester with a 4.38-second 40-yard dash, 41 ½-inch vertical leap and 11-1 broad jump.
6. Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland
This year’s collection of cornerbacks appears to be the strongest and deepest group of any position in the class, a point reinforced by the performances in Indianapolis. Yet Banks – who ranked third among his peers in the 40-yard dash (4.35), second in the broad jump (11-4) and first in the vertical leap (42 inches) – still managed to stand out. Once seen by some as a fringe first-rounder, Banks now seems solidly on a Day 1 trajectory.
7. Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia
Any reasonable person might expect a 6-7, 264-pound tight end to be little more than an extra blocker. Not the case for Washington, who turned heads with a 4.64-second 40-yard dash and the best short shuttle (4.08 seconds) at the position. His twisting one-handed catch also served as one of the best highlights from the event, while he manhandled the sled that proved far more difficult for his peers. Given that there might not be much separating the top four tight ends and that all could make the first round, Washington might have helped himself significantly with this outing.
8. Zack Kuntz, TE, Old Dominion
It shouldn’t take much convincing for NFL teams to take a flier on a 6-7, 255-pound tight end with a 40-inch vertical leap and a 4.55-second 40-yard dash, making him the tallest player ever at the combine to clear those thresholds. The Penn State transfer still has shaky hands, and his overall athleticism doesn’t always translate onto on-field fluidity as a pass catcher. But the potential payoff for this project is astronomical.
9. Byron Young, edge rusher, Tennessee
As a soon-to-be 25-year-old with an underdeveloped skill set as a pass rusher, Young had to do something special to grab teams’ attention. He delivered by finishing second among edge rushers, trailing only Smith, in the 40-yard dash (4.43 seconds) and vertical leap (38 inches) while tying with Iowa State’s Will McDonald IV for the best broad jump (11-0). That raw physical ability paired with his hard-charging approach should help him stand out among the pass rushers potentially on the cusp of Day 2.
10. Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa
Old-school build meets new school athleticism. That’s what Campbell can sell to teams thanks to his well-rounded testing (37 ½-inch vertical, 10-7 broad jump) and 6-5, 249-pound frame. Most impressive of all: a 6.74-second three-cone drill that was easily tops among linebackers and underscored his nimbleness.
11. Calijah Kancey, DT, Pitt
The Aaron Donald comparisons have always been unfair to Kancey, a 6-1, 281-pound fellow Pitt product with a rapid first step. But they’ll be hard to elude after a combine performance in which Kancey bested Donald’s 40-yard dash mark by .01 seconds with a 4.67 time. In a class light on disruptive interior defenders, Kancey just elevated his case to crack the first round.
12. DJ Turner II, CB, Michigan
Leaving Indianapolis with the fastest 40-yard dash might not mean much for one’s football future, but it’s a nice boost ahead of the draft. Turner took the crown this year with his 4.26-second mark while also posting fine numbers in the broad jump (10-11) and vertical leap (38 ½ inches). His 5-11, 178-pound frame might limit him to the slot for some teams, but there’s serious playmaking potential here.
13. Chase Brown, RB, Illinois
His twin brother, Illinois safety Sydney Brown, easily could have been selected for this category as well thanks to an impressive testing profile. But give the nod to Chase Brown for easily standing out among a somewhat uneven group of running backs. The 5-9, 209-pounder paced the position with a 40-inch vertical leap and 10-7 broad jump while adding in a 4.43-second 40-yard dash and crisp, complete workout.
Losers
1. Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU
A year ago, Boutte looked on track to be a first-rounder, as his playmaking flair both on deep throws and after the catch made him an electric option for any passing attack. A disappointing junior season, however, left him with something to prove at the combine. But after the 5-11, 195-pounder posted concerning jumps (29-inch vertical, 9-10 broad jump) along with a pedestrian 4.50-second 40-yard dash, Boutte looks to be a long way from capturing his early-career form – and could be in jeopardy of tumbling down draft boards.
2. Mike Morris, edge rusher, Michigan
It’s hard to make a splash as an edge rusher without upper-echelon athleticism, and Morris’ testing profile (4.95-second 40-yard dash, 28 ½-inch vertical leap, 9-2 broad jump) fell well short of that bar. His workout didn’t alleviate concerns, either, as he looked rigid throughout the session. Morris’ size (6-5, 275 pounds) and strength should help him stick with a team for a while, but he might have a hard time earning opportunities to develop as a pass rusher.
3. Jordan Addison, WR, USC
Small and slight, Addison always seemed bound to challenge evaluators at this platform after a prolific college career at USC and Pitt in which he scored 26 touchdowns in his last 25 games. Teams will just have to decide how comfortable they are with a 5-11, 173-pound target whose ability didn’t exactly shine through in his testing (4.49-second 40-yard dash and 34-inch vertical). Addison, however, still should be of high interest to teams on the back end of the first round given his acceleration and savvy.
4. Andre Carter II, edge rusher, Army
It should be noted that, due to his Army commitments, Carter II couldn’t indulge in the same single-minded training or weight-room work that his counterparts could in the run-up to the event – which might explain why he ranked last among edge rushers with 11 bench press reps. Still, Carter also has to answer whether his subpar vertical leap (30 inches) and broad jump (9-1) are indicative of a larger problem or merely a matter of his athleticism not translating well to testing. Whatever the case, it’s not a great trend for a player who saw his sacks fall from 15 ½ in 2021 to 3 ½ last year.
5. Clark Phillips III, CB, Utah
Phillips’ coverage credentials are solid, as evidenced by his six interceptions last season and his smooth showing during combine drills. But a 5-9, 184-pound corner with short arms and 4.51-second speed in the 40-yard dash is likely to get pigeonholed as a nickel only. That doesn’t mean that Phillips can’t be a quality contributor as a pro. But the measurements might put a cap on his draft outlook and provide the opportunity for several of the rangier, faster cornerbacks to leapfrog him.
Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz on Twitter @MikeMSchwartz.
