Thursday’s NFL Scouting Combine Takeaways

Thursday’s NFL Scouting Combine Takeaways

All eyes in the NFL are on Indianapolis right now. There will be some news that will trickle out about free agency or the franchise tag options for each team, but everything right now is centered around The NFL Scouting Combine.

Today, we got to witness the tight ends, quarterbacks, and wide receivers participate in the on-field workouts. Yes, the 40-yard dash is riveting and there were certainly some standout performances, but the on-field drills also had their value as we attempt to sort and sift through what each of these prospects bring to the table.

The purpose of this article here is to provide you with the key takeaways from Thursday’s on-field workouts. If you weren’t able to watch the event, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered here at FantasyPros.

Key Takeaways

1. Albert Okwuegbunam (TE – Missouri) runs an official 4.49 40-yard dash.

Okwuegbunam came in to the NFL Combine at 6’5/258 and proceeded to run a blazing 4.49 40-yard dash. While his tape isn’t spectacular, the offense at Missouri was atrocious this past season with Kelly Bryant at the helm. Albert O didn’t show this level of athleticism on the field in 2019, but this run is going to cause myself, and a lot of other people, to go back to his tape to see if there’s more to his game.

2. Brycen Hopkins (TE – Purdue) runs an official 4.66 40-yard dash.

Brycen Hopkins is as explosive off the snap as you’ll find in a college tight end. He demonstrated that explosiveness by showing up to the Combine and moving extremely well for a tight end that’s 6’3/245. With him also performing very well in the on-field drills, Hopkins should move to the top (or near the top) in consensus rookie tight end rankings.

3. Jalen Hurts (QB – Oklahoma) runs an official 4.59 40-yard dash.

While Jalen Hurts doesn’t profile as a prototypical NFL QB, his athleticism makes him an intriguing option in the middle rounds of the NFL Draft. A NFL team will certainly have to cater their scheme around his abilities, but he could make an immediate impact in the NFL with his legs, if given an opportunity. Hurts showed up and ran a great time in the 40-yard dash with a 4.59 time, while standing at 6’1/222 pounds. He needed to run well in order to have a team feel comfortable bringing him in and he did just that.

4. Chase Claypool (WR – Notre Dame) runs an official 4.42 40-yard dash.

Chase Claypool came in to the NFL Combine at 6’4/238. The buzz surrounding him at the beginning of the event was that he might be asked to transition to tight end at the NFL level with that size. While there’s still that sentiment hanging in the air, Claypool absolutely destroyed the Combine and performed insanely well. He ran an official 4.42 40-yard dash, he jumped 126 inches in the broad jump, and finished it up with 40.5 inches in the vertical jump. For someone of his size, those are insane numbers. If Claypool does end up transitioning to tight end, goodness gracious.

5. Devin Duvernay (WR – Texas) runs an official 4.39 40-yard dash.

Devin Duvernay was someone who I highlighted in my 2020 NFL Combine primer as a candidate to perform very well in the 40-yard dash. Duvernay came out and ran an official 4.39, which is flying. Duvernay’s going to primarily operate out of the slot at the next level and he’s someone who I think is going to be a steal in Dynasty rookie drafts.

6. Justin Jefferson (WR – LSU) runs an official 4.43 40-yard dash.

The consensus on Justin Jefferson coming into the NFL Combine was that he was a great prospect, but there were concerns about just how fast he truly was. Would he have the long speed to become a threat downfield? Jefferson set Twitter on fire Thursday night by coming out and running a 4.44 40-yard dash. That’s better than everyone anticipated and we could have just seen Jefferson insert himself as a Top-20 pick in the NFL Draft.

7. Quintez Cephus (WR – Wisconsin) runs an official 4.73 40-yard dash.

Quintez Cephus was an intriguing name to monitor coming into the NFL Combine. While no one expected him to perform extremely well in the 40-yard dash, that’s not how he wins on tape, the expectation was for him to perform better than what he put up. Cephus ran an atrocious 4.73 40-yard dash, which will most certainly sink his draft stock. While he can always fall into the right situation, it’s hard to see NFL teams putting faith in him to come out and be a contributor for their team right away.

8. Jalen Reagor (WR – TCU) has an anti-climatic showing.

Jalen Reagor was expected to put on a show coming into the Combine…and he delivered in a couple of workouts. Reagor soared 42 inches in the vertical jump and 138 inches in the broad jump, which are insane measurables for his size. However, Reagor came out and didn’t live up to expectations in the 40-yard dash with a 4.47 unofficial time. While this is still very fast, Reagor was expected to run in the low 4.4’s to even the high 4.2’s. A time like that would’ve sent his stock skyrocketing into the 1st round, but now we may still be left seeing Reagor on the board after day one.

9. Donovan Peoples-Jones (WR – Michigan) jumped out of the building.

Donovan Peoples-Jones has some question marks surrounding him when you put on his film. However, his athleticism has never been something that’s been doubted. In order to convince NFL teams to take a chance on him, DPJ needed to come out and prove that his athleticism wasn’t a mirage. If his athleticism stacked up, teams would be more willing to take a chance on him and try to iron out the kinks later on. DPJ showed up when it came to the vertical and broad jump, where he put up 44.5 inches in the vertical and 139 inches in the broad. He added on a time of 4.48 in the 40-yard dash, which is impressive at his size.

10. CeeDee Lamb (WR – Oklahoma) runs an official 4.51 40-yard dash.

Lamb possesses incredible hands and elite ball tracking ability downfield, but there were questions surrounding his true long speed. Lamb answered those questions here by coming out and running a 4.51, which is more than enough at his increased weight. Lamb solidifies himself as a round 1 prospect.

11. Henry Ruggs III (WR – Alabama) is insane.

Henry Ruggs III came out and ran a 4.28 40-yard dash, jumped 131 inches in the broad jump, and jumped 42 inches in the vertical jump. Those are ridiculous numbers! Ruggs showed us the explosiveness and top-end speed that is all over his tape and moved himself squarely into top-15 pick consideration. The NFL loves speed and Ruggs has that and much more.

Other Combine Notes

Combine Dynasty NFL NFL Draft

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Kyle Yates is an independent content creator that's passionate about helping people dominate their fantasy football league. He's spent time previously as a writer for The Fantasy Footballers, was a full-time fantasy analyst for FantasyPros from 2020-2022, and was the Fantasy Football Content Director at Pro Football Network.

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