What’s up FantasyPros fam? I’m fantasy football analyst Andrew Erickson, here to break down my top-10 surprises from the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. The Underwear Olympics did not disappoint from an entertainment perspective, but it definitely helped some prospects more than others regarding their draft stock. I’ll hit on my biggest eye-openers from Indianapolis, highlighting some major risers and fallers inside the rookie and dynasty draft rankings.
- Dynasty Trade Value Chart
- How to Prepare for Your Dynasty Rookie Draft
- Dynasty Rookie Draft Pick Trade Strategy & Advice
- More Dynasty Rookie Mock Drafts
Top-10 2023 NFL Combine Takeaways & Surprises (2023 Fantasy Football)
10. Nathaniel “Tank” Dell (WR – Houston)
College football’s leading wide receiver from 2022 measured in at an underwhelming 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds at the combine. We knew he was small, so that’s not surprising. But what was shocking was Tank Dell’s disappointing 40-yard dash time at 4.49 (56th percentile). There was a defensive lineman who ran that same exact time at 282 pounds (Adetomiwa “Tom” Adebawore). If you are going to be that small of an NFL WR, you need elite speed to combat your lack of size. And although his 10-yard split was very good, the combined lack of size and speed has me completely hands-off drafting him in rookie drafts. Let somebody else draft the slower version of Tutu Atwell, who can’t get on the field when it’s too windy. Did I also mention Dell is already 23 years old? Just another thing he has in common with Atwell…woof.
My man must have been chugging milk before measurements because Bryce Young weighed in at a whopping 204 pounds at the combine, despite being listed at 194 pounds on Alabama’s website. Hitting the 200-pound threshold was huge for Young, whose biggest flaw is anything but football-related; it’s just his small stature and frame. Whether the additional bulk is legitimate remains to be seen, but NFL GMs and executives can at least rest somewhat easier knowing Young weighed the same as Russell Wilson when he entered the league. And besides, Young seemed to have no problems overcoming his lightweight as the Heisman Trophy Winner in 2021. Does size matter for football players? Of course. But not as much as being good at football matters.
8. Bryce Ford-Wheaton (WR – West Virginia)
Ladies and gentlemen, we have found this year’s Tyquan Thornton. Bryce Ford-Wheaton was completely off my rookie radar until he went absolutely nuclear in the drills. The 6-foot-4 and 221-pound WR ran a 4.38 40-yard dash and finished with a vertical jump in the 95th percentile.
His closest comps per Mockdraftable include Martavis Bryant and Andre Johnson due to his rare size and speed. However, let’s not force Ford-Wheaton too high up the rankings as a legitimate top rookie WR for fantasy. He didn’t break out until the age 22-season this past season and posted the fewest total receiving yards (675) among all FBS WRs with at least 100 targets. Still, the elite athletism profile is enticing enough to make Ford-Wheaton worth the flier in the late rounds of rookie drafts, with his projected draft capital on the rise after his impressive showing. When in doubt, chase the athletic freaks.
Tyjae Spears boosted his draft stock dramatically as a buzzy player at the Senior Bowl. His atomic rise up the draft boards continued at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Spears weighed in at 5-foot-10 and 201 pounds. He did not run the 40-yard dash but instead nearly jumped out of the building in the explosive drills. His vertical jump of 39 inches ranked in the 92nd percentile and was second to only Chase Brown. Spears’ broad jump ranked third in the class at 125 inches, which ranked in the 89th percentile. The Tulane running back will be one of my top rookie running back targets after he posted a 31% dominator rating in 2022, finishing fifth in the FBS in rushing yards (1,586), second in rushing TDs (19) and fourth in yards after contact per attempt (4.55). Throughout his career, he boasts an impressive 3.00 yards per play (seventh-best in the class) — a great indicator of future success at the NFL level. Draft Spears and reap the rewards.
Kayshon Boutte was just straight booty at the NFL Scouting Combine. Downright horrible performance across the board for the once highly-touted prospect out of LSU. He finished last in the vertical jump (second percentile) and second to last in the broad jump (30th percentile). The former Tiger also underwhelmed with a 4.50 40-time at 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds. And you know it’s really bad when his closest comps are guys that only degenerates would know about. Who else remembers LaVon Brazill or Rashawn Scott? Me neither. His massive fall since his freshman season will no doubt hurt his draft capital come April. Boutte’s early-age production remains salivating, but fantasy managers need to proceed with caution amid the flurry of red flags.
5. Lukas Van Ness (EDGE – Iowa)
I left one slot for a non-fantasy-relevant player on this list because he deserves the recognition. Because when the dust settles, Iowa’s defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness will be a top-10, if not top-five, pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Van Ness didn’t even start at Iowa, and he finished fourth in total pressures on true pass sets in 2022. He tested off the charts at the combine by running a 4.58 40-yard dash (91st percentile). His overall relative athletic score at 6-foot-4 and 272 pounds is Travon Walker-esque. You know the guy that got drafted No. 1 overall last season. LVN is the real deal, folks. I recently mocked him fifth overall to the Seattle Seahawks in my 2023 NFL Mock Draft(2.0).
4. Darnell Washington (TE – Georgia)
Rookie tight ends usually don’t get much love, but this class is loaded. And the freakiness starts with Georgia’s Darnell Washington. The 6-foot-7 and 264-pound pterodactyl posted a 4.64 40-time and jumped 122 inches in the broad (88th percentile). But his most impressive feat by far was his 4.08 20-yard shuttle, which ranks in the 97th percentile. There’s moving, and then there’s MOVING for a man as large as Washington. No wonder he averaged over 16 yards per reception in college. He’s an absolute mismatch nightmare. Just keep your fingers crossed he doesn’t go to a team that loves his blocking ability. That truly is the bane of our existence with tight ends in fantasy. More blocking equals less fun.
3. Zack Kuntz (TE – Old Dominion)
This tight end class looked strong even before the testing, but Zack Kuntz’s performance was face-melting. A former Penn State transfer who declined offers from Alabama, Michigan and Ohio State, I literally knew nothing about Kuntz. Not many did. But now the Old Dominion product is a sure-fire lock to be drafted perhaps as early as Day 2 because he is one of the most athletic tight ends to ever test at the Combine. Ever. Get this: At 6-foot-7 and 255 pounds. First in the vertical (40 inches, 98th percentile), first in bench (23), first in broad jump (128, 96th percentile), first in three-cone (6.87, 92nd percentile), second in the short shuttle (4.12, 94th percentile) and second in the 40-yard dash (4.55, 92nd percentile). Absurd. For tight ends to hit in fantasy, they need to be athletic more often than not. Kuntz fits the mold to a tee. I’m excited to tout him as a late-round darling throughout the rookie draft season.
2. Marvin Mims (WR – Oklahoma)
Marvin Mims was emerging as one of “my guys” in this overall lackluster wide receiver class, and his NFL Combine showing cemented his status for me inside my upper echelon of rookie WRs. The Oklahoma Sooner ran a 4.38 40-yard dash (93rd percentile), jumped a 39.5-inch vertical (92nd percentile) and posted a 6.9 three-cone drill (72nd percentile). His impressive testing, early-age production, deep-threat prowess and ability to win after the catch are all reasons to be “in” on Mims for rookie drafts. The dude still isn’t even 21 years old yet. Sky is the limit for Marvin Mims, with guys like John Ross, Santonio Holmes and Devin Hester as close comparables based on his testing.
1. Anthony Richardson (QB – Florida)
Measuring in at 6-foot-4 and 244 pounds, Anthony Richardson showed everybody at the Combine something we’ve never seen before to position himself as the league’s next fantasy football cheat code at the quarterback position. He is the most athletically-gifted quarterback we have ever seen at the NFL Combine with 4.43 40-speed (98th percentile) and is the new record-holder in vertical/broad jump. I can only imagine that NFL coaches are licking their chops to get this guy. As are fantasy managers, because the upside Richardson can deliver if he hits is the No. 1 overall QB in fantasy football. He can be the No. 1 overall fantasy quarterback. We all knew he could add value with his legs after averaging 60 rushing yards per game in college, but the extent his uber-athletism would offer was beyond even my wildest dreams. Shooting for the moon is shooting for Richardson as my No-1 ranked rookie fantasy QB because life is too short to take the safe route.
Go big or go home.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio
