It’s been a long week, and I’m running on fumes, folks. So, let’s just cut to the chase this morning, shall we? This is my list of my big winners from the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine.
2023 NFL Scouting Combine Winners
- DL Jalen Redmond – Redmond looked like a twitchy, competitive athlete at the Senior Bowl. He kept that train rolling with a smooth performance at the Combine.
- DL/EDGE Adetomiwa Adebawore – Just call him “Tomi.” The run at the first round continues for Adebawore. He is one of the most explosive, disruptive athletes in this entire draft class. He has game-wrecking potential, and he just keeps passing the tests in front of him.
- DL Zacch Pickens – Pickens had a nice workout that showcased his ability as a fluid mover and his potential as a late-round value interior pressure guy.
- DL/EDGE YaYa Diaby – If you didn’t know about the physical traits of YaYa Diaby, well, now you know.
- EDGE Isaiah Foskey – For Foskey, his game has been about power more so than athleticism. He’s been a fringe first-rounder, but showing he does have some solid athletic traits might’ve been enough to get him one of those first 31 slots.
- EDGE Nolan Smith – Yeah…think it’s safe to say he belongs among the crop of first rounders this year.
- DL Ikenna Enechukwu – I have to find some tape on this kid, ’cause holy shit, what a workout.
- DL Isaiah McGuire – I like McGuire as a pure edge setting defensive end, but he had a smooth workout that highlighted a more versatile athletic profile than I initially thought. He’s moving up my board.
- CB Riley Moss – Moss is a crisp athlete and a violent runner with solid ball skills to boot. The natural way in which he ran through the drills stood out to me.
- CB Darrell Luter Jr. – Luter showed some nice body control and smooth movement during the drills – it was an underrated combine performance, nice high point catches, nice build, good ball skills in the gauntlet
- S Daniel Scott – Scott had a nice anticipation interception at the Senior Bowl from undercutting a route. He looks like a value add late, but his athletic traits give him some real upside. This guy has a great build, too.
- QB Clayton Tune – I found Tune to be an adequate scanner of the field and mid-range thrower at the Senior Bowl. But, he threw well at the Combine, and holy smokes, those athletic traits came in as a major stock boost.
- QB Malik Cunningham – I mention Cunningham here because I thought he was wildly inconsistent as a passer at the Senior Bowl, but seemed to rein some of that in on Saturday. His deep ball lacks a little drive, but his placement on some of those shorter and mid-range throws was pretty. He already has the ready-made rushing ability built in to his game. He could be a fun developmental quarterback to watch.
- QB Aidan O’Connell – He ain’t going to be your franchise guy, but hot damn if this kid can’t sling that ball. He’s a pure pocket passer that throws with good ball placement. You draft him, and he just might be your backup quarterback for the next 10 years.
- WR Josh Downs – Downs looks like a natural slot receiver who offers plus explosiveness. Where the rest of this receiving group was a little underwhelming on Saturday, he was more consistent and up for the moment, proving that he should be considered among the top of the class.
- WR Tre Tucker – Tucker is small and I get that, but he just has some mojo going for him throughout this draft process. He showed his speed and athleticism at the Senior Bowl, where he also showed us his value as a returner, and he matched that up with a solid performance at the Combine. This might be bold of me to say, but I think he’s closer to what people want Tank Dell to be than Tank Dell is.
- WR AT Perry – Perry ran the drills with great speed, but it was a particularly quick and twitchy whip route that caught my eye.
- TE Sam LaPorta – Iowa just seems to grow tight ends on trees, huh? I was mesmerized by how gracefully and quickly LaPorta ran and how naturally he caught the ball.
- TE Darnell Washington – Did anyone solidify his first round status quite as firmly as Washington did? I mean, this guy might be TE1 for me by the time it’s all said and done. He does it all.
- OT Matthew Bergeron – It’s not a surprise that Bergeron ran the drills well. He’s an athlete. For me, I think he showed that he belongs with the left tackles. Enough talk of him moving inside.
- OL Jon Gaines II – Where on Earth did Jon Gaines II come from?!?! How am I just now hearing about this guy?! He absolutely popped as a plus athlete with solid footwork, change-of-direction ability, lateral movement, and outright speed. I get it – he’s only 290 pounds. But, I don’t care. I haven’t seen the tape on him yet, but I want more!
- OT Jordan McFadden – The other offensive lineman that I hadn’t watched any of who popped during the workouts. He looks like a good mover, but he’s short for an offensive tackle. An intriguing guy because of his athleticism. I still have to see how the game action lines up.
- OT Darnell Wright – My goodness, what an athlete. Having the physical traits to go along with the size means this guy ought to be a first round pick come April.
- G/C Emil Ekiyor Jr. – Ekiyor was solid at the Senior Bowl, but lacked a little in consistent explosiveness. But, he looked pretty good running the drills yesterday, moving fluidly and showing a little of that explosiveness I wanted to see out of him back in Mobile. He has center/guard versatility and should continue to rise up draft boards if he keeps stringing good performances together. He is a guy that I feel is getting better throughout the draft process.
- T/G Tyler Steen – I still want to see him get that center of gravity a little lower, but I’m not hopping off the Steen bandwagon just yet. He had a good workout yesterday, and I still believe he could surprise at the next level.
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Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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