2024 NFL Combine: Biggest Disappointments (Fantasy Football)

The NFL Combine is where everyone focuses on the playmakers, the speedsters and the workout warriors. But there’s another side to this event. It’s about the young men who put in the effort but unfortunately missed the mark, potentially impacting their careers.

The combine could be especially dangerous for the guys on the fringes of the relevance and, of course, as always, the running backs. When we delve into the underperformers at the combine, it’s crucial to understand the distinction between workout skills and football skills. Moreover, we need to question the importance of these skills in predicting success in the NFL.

2024 NFL Scouting Combine: Biggest Underperformers

Troy Franklin (WR – Oregon)

One of the most popular names of the offseason has been wide receiver Troy Franklin. The Oregon WR profiles as a lengthy speedster with plus route running. He can get to top speed quickly. The tape is littered with highlight plays and translatable skills. The Combine was not as friendly to Franklin as Pac-12 defenses, though.

Let’s take a closer look at Troy Franklin’s performance. His speed, one of his best traits, was evident when he ran a 4.41 40-yard dash. That is where the good ends; however, he weighed 5-10 pounds lighter than expected (176 pounds). More importantly, he seemed uncomfortable and disjointed during pass-catching drills — a sign of his drop concerns in his tape. These issues were reflected in his overall combine performance, leading to a drop in his draft stock and fantasy value. Despite these setbacks, my post-combine rankings still place Franklin as my WR7 of this class. He needs to work on his hand-catching and ability to handle physical defensive backs at the next level. If he can overcome these challenges, he could be a valuable wide receiver in the late-first or early-second rounds of your rookie drafts.

Audric Estime (RB – Notre Dame)

Audric Estime may be the biggest disappointment from the combine. He was initially in my first tier at the running back position but his 40-yard dash time was not just bad; it was horrible (4.71). Slow runners at the running back position don’t always fail in the NFL but a 4.7 significantly narrows the path for Estime’s success. This seems to be a trend from Notre Dame running backs (Kyren Williams most recently). Estime’s performance might push him down to the fifth round, which doesn’t bode well for his early career success either.

The good news is that with his playmaking ability and workhorse frame, Estime should be able to carve out an early-down role for an offense in the same vein as Brian Robinson if all goes well. He still displayed elite explosiveness in his vertical and broad jump. He also has the vision, patience and footwork to be an impact player. For all the dynasty managers out there looking to invest an early third-round pick on Estime, you can stash him at the end of your bench until you see where he lands in April.