The 2023 NFL Combine is over, and we got a show. There were several impressive performances over the week-long event. Some of the bigger-name players didn’t partake in the drills or on the field work for various reasons. More importantly, several players saw their draft stock rise or fall over the past few weeks. Let’s look at who made the most of the 2023 NFL Combine.
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2023 NFL Draft Stock Up & Down: Anthony Richardson, Nolan Smith, Kayshon Boutte
Draft Risers
C.J. Stroud (QB – Ohio State) & Anthony Richardson (QB – Florida)
There were four first-round quarterback prospects heading into the Combine. Now we likely have four quarterbacks getting drafted in the top seven to eight picks. Stroud entered the Combine as the No. 2 quarterback for most scouts. However, the former Buckeye separated himself from all the other quarterbacks during the throwing drills. Stroud repeatedly made beautiful throws and showed off his natural passing abilities. While he didn’t run a 40-yard dash, the Ohio State star had the best overall performance among quarterbacks.
Meanwhile, Richardson set Twitter and the NFL world on fire, having a record-setting performance. The former Gator ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at 244 pounds. He also had a 40.5-inch vertical jump, setting the NFL Combine record for a quarterback. While the former Florida star might need to sit his rookie year and learn from the bench, Richardson proved he has more athletic upside than any other quarterback in the draft class.
Anthony Richardson with a 40.5 vertical.
Record!pic.twitter.com/iab0F54V4y
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) March 4, 2023
Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR – Ohio State)
After missing most of the 2022 season because of a hamstring injury, Smith-Njigba needed a strong performance at the Combine. While he didn’t run a 40-yard dash, the former Buckeye dominated the rest of the day. He posted a 35-inch vertical jump and a 125-inch broad jump. More importantly, Smith-Njigba destroyed the other wide receivers in the three-cone drill, posting a 6.57 time, finishing 0.28 seconds fast than any other wide receiver.
Furthermore, Smith-Njigba was the only player at the Combine to have a 20-yard shuttle in under four seconds. If his impressive numbers weren’t enough, the former Buckeye was excellent in the receiving drills. Unless he runs an awful 40-yard dash at his pro day, Smith-Njigba will be the first wide receiver drafted in April.
While Will Anderson remains the top edge rusher in the draft this year, Smith might have taken over the No. 2 spot after his combine performance. The former Georgia star had a 4.39 40-yard dash, the fastest among defensive linemen and the eighth fastest among all defensive players. His 40-yard dash was faster than Saquon Barkley‘s in 2018 and Christian McCaffrey‘s in 2017.
DL Nolan Smith ran a faster 40 than CMC and Saquon. ??
(?: @NFL)pic.twitter.com/2PPXZHQdrV
— theScore (@theScore) March 3, 2023
More importantly, Smith’s 1.52-second 10-yard split was the fastest among defensive linemen this year and the fifth fastest ever. His 10-yard split was faster than Nick Bosa (1.55), Brian Burns (1.57), and Danielle Hunter (1.57). Furthermore, the former Bulldog had a 41.5-inch vertical jump and a 128-inch broad jump. The 41.5-inch vertical jump was the highest ever at the Combine for a defensive lineman. While he only weighed 238 pounds, Smith displayed the explosiveness needed to become a top 10 selection.
Draft Fallers
Young has been the QB1 for most scouts since the beginning of the 2022 college football season. However, there were concerns about his weight heading into the Combine. The former Alabama star weighed 204 pounds when his reported college weight was closer to 190. Then instead of working out at the 204-pound weight, Young didn’t partake in any of the drills or the on-the-field work. Meanwhile, Stroud and Richardson had massive performances at the Combine, while Will Levis had a strong day too.
All that said, Young is still the favorite to be the first quarterback drafted in April. However, the field is catching up to him. Richardson’s odds of being the No. 1 overall draft pick continue to rise. The Florida quarterback is now at +350 to be the first player drafted in April. Had Young participated in the on-the-field throwing drills and put together a strong performance, he would have ended any discussion about Richardson being the No. 1 draft pick.
Anthony Richardson now second in first overall pick odds ? pic.twitter.com/Wsrouogn6z
— PFF Bet (@PFF_Bet) March 6, 2023
Overall the wide receiver unit had an average performance at the Combine this year. While Smith-Njigba had the top performance of the group, Boutte was a massive disappointment. Boutte measured under six feet and 200 pounds. Yet, he only ran a 4.5 40-yard dash, ranking 23rd among wide receivers this year. Furthermore, his explosion grades were awful. Boutte had a 29-inch vertical and a 118-broad jump.
Boutte’s vertical jump was the worst among wide receivers this year, while his broad jump was the second-lowest at the position. More importantly, the wide receiver had a disappointing 2022 season and left LSU under questionable circumstances. Between his poor Combine performance and off-the-field concerns, Boutte is more likely to be a Day 3 pick than a first-round player.
Kayshon Boutte RAS so far.https://t.co/F8UOhYuqBQ #RAS pic.twitter.com/f53vwCYhtz
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 4, 2023
While Carter wasn’t going to be a workout warrior, the former Army star struggled at the Combine. He didn’t run a 40-yard dash and had a limited showing in the rest of the drills. His 109-inch broad jump was the lowest among defensive ends, while his 30-inch vertical jump was the sixth lowest. Furthermore, Carter had only 11 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press, the fewest among defensive linemen this year and the third-lowest total for everyone at the Combine.
Yet, you can’t blame his arm length for his struggles on the bench press. Carter’s 33 and 3/8th inch arm length is in the 45 percentile among edge rushers. More importantly, the former Army edge rusher needed a strong Combine performance to overcome his disappointing 2022 season. Last year, he had only 7.5 tackles for a loss and 3.5 sacks. By comparison, Carter had 17 tackles for a loss and 14.5 sacks in 2021. So, while the former Army star looked like a potential first-round pick a year ago, Carter will need a strong pro day performance to avoid sliding into Day 3.
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Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.
