The NFL is increasingly becoming a passing league. Make no mistake about it, Eric Bieniemy’s exodus from Kansas City to Washington is only one move on the chess board in this copycat league. The Chiefs are Super Bowl champions after obliterating everyone in their path through the air, despite not having a single standout wide receiver. The scheme cooked up by Andy Reid, ignited by the legendary exploits of Patrick Mahomes, was utterly unstoppable in 2022. The reactionary shift will undoubtedly include attempts by the rest of the league to beef up their defensive backs.
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2023 NFL Scouting Combine: Day 2 Recap (Fantasy Football)
Those same Chiefs also won with an underrated defense that ended up featuring three rookie starters in the secondary. The 2023 class of DBs is arguably stronger than the one last season. As many as three cornerbacks will be selected in the top half of the first round of the upcoming NFL Draft. Nearly all of the NFL hopefuls were in attendance at the NFL Scouting Combine Day 2 on Friday in Indianapolis.
Let’s start with the man widely regarded as the top defensive back in this class, Christian Gonzalez from Oregon. He measured nearly 6-foot-2 and 197 pounds. The athleticism that stood out on tape was on full display, with a 4.38-second 40 with an incredible 41.5-inch vertical jump and a broad jump of 11 feet one inch. This just further cemented Gonzalez’s status as the most coveted CB in this year’s class.
The duo of Maryland CBs, Jakorian Bennett and Deonte Banks, lit up the 40-yard dash with times of 4.30 and 4.35, respectively.
The fastest 40-time of the week so far goes to Michigan standout DJ Turner. He set the field ablaze with an official time of 4.26 seconds with a ridiculous 1.47-second 10-yard split. Turner also showed his explosive athleticism with a 38.5-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot 11-inch broad jump.
Blue chip corner Devon Witherspoon from Illinois is waiting to run drills at his pro day. Joey Porter from Penn State has the professional pedigree and prototypical size for the next level. He tested well with a 4.46 time in the 40. Touted athlete Kelee Ringo from Georgia also ran a 4.36 in the 40, confirming his upside as a future zone boundary corner in the league.
The safety position is as deep as it is unheralded compared to the bountiful corner crop. Pitt’s Brandon Hill was the fastest safety in the 40-yard dash on Day 2, clocking in at 4.43 seconds. Antonio Johnson from Texas A&M and Jordan Battle from Alabama held serve with 40 times in the 4.5s.
The surprises at the safety position were not positive ones. Ji’Ayir Brown from Penn State ran a sluggish 4.65-second 40 and also disappointed in the broad and vertical jumps. Rashad Torrence and Trey Dean, both Florida Gator safeties, were the slowest 40 times of the day at 4.72 and 4.75 seconds, respectively.
The most coveted safety might be Alabama’s Brian Branch. He is a coverage genius at free safety and also demonstrated a knack for making big plays at nickel corner. His 4.58-second 40-yard dash was a little slower than most expected, and his jumps were also below average. However, it will be his keen football instincts strewn all over his game tape that will keep him as a high pick in the upcoming draft.
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