Every football player dreams of NFL stardom at one point. It might be in Pop Warner, before harsh reality sets in. Some athletes don’t find out until they are at the last audition: the NFL Scouting Combine. For those unfortunate few who fail to impress pro scouts in Indianapolis, there is often a prideful push to try and make it in the league anyway. Nobody wants to be in “outlier” territory, where they are faced with an uphill battle to realize their dreams.
Many members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame were anything but athletic standouts at the Combine. Jerry Rice was “too slow”. Jason Kelce was “too small”. Tom Brady was “nothing special” as he slipped to the sixth round. Those outliers are shining inspirational beacons for Combine flops every season. Will the next surprising gridiron legend come from the class of 2023? If the answer is yes, he will likely be one of these guys who hurt their draft stock with a poor showing at Lucas Oil Stadium in early March.
Every football player dreams of NFL stardom at one point. It might be in Pop Warner, before harsh reality sets in. Some athletes don’t find out until they are at the last audition: the NFL Scouting Combine. For those unfortunate few who fail to impress pro scouts in Indianapolis, there is often a prideful push to try and make it in the league anyway. Nobody wants to be in “outlier” territory, where they are faced with an uphill battle to realize their dreams.
Many members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame were anything but athletic standouts at the Combine. Jerry Rice was “too slow”. Jason Kelce was “too small”. Tom Brady was “nothing special” as he slipped to the sixth round. Those outliers are shining inspirational beacons for Combine flops every season. Will the next surprising gridiron legend come from the class of 2023? If the answer is yes, he will likely be one of these guys who hurt their draft stock with a poor showing at Lucas Oil Stadium in early March.
Perhaps the most stunning disparity between expectation and reality occurred with LSU WR Kayshon Boutte. His 40 time of 4.50 wasn’t terrible, but he appeared tight and unprepared. His vertical and broad jumps were well below average for WRs. Boutte has had two surgeries on his right ankle and already has shown a limited ability to get open and expand his catch radius. His hands and catch technique also leave a lot to be desired. Many were hoping that Boutte’s athleticism would restore faith in him as a top WR in this class, but now everyone is wondering where to slot him in at all.
The knock on Will Levis has never been his physical tools. The dude is a specimen for a QB, with a strong arm and plenty of confidence in his own ability. His consistency with making quality throws is abhorrent. Levis’ footwork and mechanics are all over the map on film and he apparently was unable to correct it before the Combine. The Kentucky standout wasn’t terrible in Indy, but he was completely overshadowed by Anthony Richardson and C.J. Stroud. I don’t expect him to slip very far down the draft board, but Levis is no longer a can’t-miss prospect destined for the top five in the upcoming NFL Draft.
The degree to which Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer will tumble in the Draft as a result of his Combine showing will depend on how much teams weight athletic testing in their grading process. Mayer is far and away the best TE in this class, based upon performance and all-around skill set. Unfortunately, he was not as impressive as a few others in this deep position group at the Combine. Mayer ran a 4.70 in the 40 and was only an average leaper. The hype has reached a fever pitch around Darnell Washington after Indy, but it remains to be seen if Mayer will cling to the top spot and become the first TE to have his name called in Kansas City.
This group of RBs is incredibly deep and talented. Although he was a very important contributor to the Georgia Bulldogs winning another national championship, Kenny McIntosh needed a strong showing at the Combine to assert himself as a prospect worthy of an earlier selection. He was among the slowest in the group in the 40, with a 4.61. McIntosh is not known for much more than his one-cut, bruising style. Showing up at the bottom of the RB athleticism chart does not bode well this year, since the player pool is loaded with talent and the NFL’s thirst for the position is at an all-time low.
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