Winner: Sequon Barkley
Let’s just get this one out of the way first, Sequon Barkley absolutely killed the combine putting up absurdly good numbers for any running back let alone one who comes in at 233 pounds. Barkley put up a 4.40 forty yards dash a 41 inch vertical and 29 reps on the bench press. A lot of people went crazy over his numbers which is deservedly so but it was still expected. Barkley reaffirmed what most scouts believe that he is the cream of the crop for running backs in the draft.
Loser: Ronald Jones II
Unfortunately for Ronald Jones his combine ended incredibly early pulling up with a hamstring injury his first attempt of the 40-yard dash. Jones came in at 205 pounds in the weigh-in which was more than most people expected which was good but that’s where the positives end. For a running back who is slightly undersized like Jones with questions about his ability to be a three-down back his athletic testing was big for NFL scouts. Hopefully, Jones is able to run and perform his drills at his pro day or his stock could drop more. As fantasy owners, it could be a great buy-low opportunity.
Winner: Nick Chubb
Nick Chubb is my biggest winner of the combine. The senior running back came into the combine with questions about his health due to his prior injury and concerns about his athleticism. Not only did he show he was healthy he tested better than his “more athletic” teammate Sony Michel. Chubb showed off his strength speed and explosiveness with a 4.52 forty yard dash paired with a 38.5 inch vertical and 29 reps on the bench. While his numbers weren’t as gaudy as Sequon Barkley’s they were absolutely fantastic for a running back who wins with vision and balance. With Chubb’s performance, he might have jumped himself into the third running back spot in the real NFL draft as well as fantasy.
Loser: Calvin Ridley
Projected by many as the top receiver in the draft Calvin Ridley did nothing to help his stock at the combine. While his tape shows flashes he still had limited production in college which causes the need to get some questions answered. His poor combine performance didn’t help. Ridley had a respectable forty yard dash time of 4.43 but failed to rank in the top 15 of a lot of the other drills including vertical, broad jump 3 cone drill and 20-yard shuttle. A receiver of his stature needs to win with quickness and explosion and his performance showed none of that.
Winner: The rest of the receiving class
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Before this combine, most scouts and analysts believed this receiving class didn’t have any wide receiver ones or many explosive athletes. Then the combine hit and they proved everyone wrong. Fourteen different receivers posted forty times under a 4.50 at all different sizes and skill sets. One of the biggest was D.J. Chark who came in as a relatively unknown due to limited college production to put himself on the map with a blazing 4.34 forty and 40 inch vertical.
Loser: Auden Tate
The huge receiver from Florida State was talked about as a potential first-round sleeper for the NFL due to size and athleticism. Auden Tate was often compared to former Seminole Kelvin Benjamin but was viewed as a more athletic version. In the limited events he performed in being the forty yard dash, vertical and broad jump he failed to outperform Benjamin in any of them at twelve pounds less. This will raise a ton of red flags especially coming into the draft with only 65 career receptions.
Winner: D.J. Moore
Man o man did D.J. Moore make himself some money at the combine. The receiver from Maryland had some buzz coming into the combine and proceeded to blow the doors off of that. Moore was a top 5 performer in five different events. Ranking 5th in the forty yard dash (4.42), second in the vertical (39.5”), first in the broad jump (11’0”) third in the 20-yard shuttle (4.07) and third in the 60-yard shuttle (11.18). This type of performance mixed with his fantastic production at Maryland will put him in the conversation as the top receiver picked this year.
Winner: Cortland Sutton
Cortland Sutton was viewed by a lot of people as the top receiver coming into the combine. Even with him being seen as the top guy there was a lot of question marks with the level of competition he faced and good but not great production. Sutton came into the combine and answered all of the questions people had on him. Sutton came in at the prototypical size you want in a number one receiver at 6’3” and 218 pounds. Paired with his size he ran a 4.54 forty and had a 35.5 inch vertical. Sutton also performed well in the agility drills putting to bed a ton of questions.
Loser: Lamar Jackson
Lamar Jackson has quickly turned into one of the most polarizing quarterbacks in a draft full of polarizing quarterbacks. Thru no fault of his own Jackson’s press conference turned into a circus of him defending the fact that he’s a quarterback. With coaches and media constantly talking about him moving to a receiver it distracted people from the fact the former Heisman winner is a talented signal-caller. In the on the field, there were definitely inconsistencies in his throwing that were exaggerated to some extent but still there. The biggest travesty though was that in an overcorrection to all the questions of him switching positions Jackson did not compete in the athletic testing which all of the fans wanted to see him put on a show in.
Winner: Mike Gesicki
Wow is all I can say to describe the performance Mike Gesicki had at the combine. In a class that wasn’t supposed to be great at the tight end position, Geicki put on a show for the NFL scouts. The Penn State tight end finished in first place in every combine workout amongst tight ends minus the bench press in which he finished second. In a historically great combine preface, Gesicki put himself in the first round conversation in the NFL draft and could have an immediate fantasy impact with his athleticism and fantastic hands.
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