Tag: combine

Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst speaks to local media at the NFL scouting combine on Feb. 27 in Indianapolis.

Packers lovefest with QB Jordan Love just beginning

Posted on | by Field Level Media

INDIANAPOLIS — A lot changed in a few months for the Green Bay Packers at the end of the 2023 season, including general manager Brian Gutekunst’s opinion of quarterback Jordan Love.

“Really proud of him,” Gutekunst said Tuesday at the morning media availability at the NFL Scouting Combine. “The work that he put in, really, he was very much rewarded for all the work. He’s been put in some tough situations throughout his career. Had lack of opportunity early with the COVID and not having preseason games and different things. But to go through the tough stretch in October and to see him so steady through all that, and just really lead our team to get better week in and week out, and to see the rewards at the end of the season, I was very excited for him and our football team. And just again, for as good as he played, there’s so much more in front of him and just excited for him and where he’s going.”

Love closed the season with a flurry beating the Chicago Bears in a de facto play-in game Week 18 before a record-setting showing at Dallas in the wild-card win in his playoff debut.

In October, Gutekunst was looking at a different player. He said he would “need to see more” before determining a course for Green Bay at the position in the offseason.

Now that the offseason has arrived, Gutekunst counts Love among his no-doubter decisions, the preferred outcome when it became apparent Aaron Rodgers and the Packers would split. The trade to the New York Jets left Love as the QB1, but head coach Matt LaFleur and Gutekunst knew there was only one way to grade the 26th overall pick in the 2020 draft.

Love had to play to grow.

Now the GM that all but put his extremities on the line to draft Love, trade Rodgers and make the kid the starter isn’t able to hide a level of elation over having this super-sized box checked for next season and beyond.

“Probably the toughest position of all professional sports to play. The amount that is on that guy’s plate from pre-snap to post-snap and everything that goes into it, the amount of information he has to process in such a limited amount of time, all the leadership stuff, the intangible stuff makes it an exceptionally hard position to play,” Gutekunst said. “There’s a certain amount of athletic gifts and talent that you have to have, and then there’s so much more beyond that and I think the thing that I think is lost at times is how much of it has to be developed over time. And so, you never really know until you have that time to try to develop a guy, whether he’s going to be able to do it at a high level or not.”

There still are decisions — and checks — in Gutekunst’s future where Love is concerned.

Love is signed for only one more season — 2024 — after the Packers gave the 25-year-old a modified contract to replace the fifth-year option available to NFL teams with first-round picks.

Not everything will be status quo for the Packers heading into 2024. A major change on the defensive side of the ball in the form of defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley — hired to replace Joe Barry — assures a new look. Hafley plans to move to a traditional 4-3 defense from a 3-4 scheme.

“We’re still getting to know each other and stuff but just going through the process and getting to know Jeff a little bit, just really like his energy, kind of his leadership style and the expectations and standards that he’s going to put forward for our football team,” Gutekunst said. “The play style is going to be a big thing for him, and I think it will be very welcomed. I think we have a really good nucleus of players coming back. We need to fill each room with enough competition that those guys feel that and can grow like our offense did this past year. That will be on us to do that. But I do think we’re in good hands right now.”

–Field Level Media

Feb 27, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Kansas City Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach talks to the media at the 2024 NFL Combine at Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Chiefs turn page, tag in play for top free agents

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INDIANAPOLIS — Winning the Super Bowl again put a strain on the Kansas City Chiefs’ front office, but the extra five weeks of football made general manager Brett Veach easy to find.

“They’ve been locked in a room, grinding to get ready for this thing,” head coach Andy Reid said of Veach and the scouting staff cramming for the NFL Scouting Combine, which takes place this week in and around Lucas Oil Stadium.

Reid and Veach opened their separate interview sessions at the event by expressing appreciation for the uniformed officers and public safety officials who sprang into action at the Lombardi Trophy parade in Kansas City three days after the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas.

The Chiefs quickly shifted from celebrating their Super Bowl LVIII win to keeping the team together.

“We’re chasing that ever-elusive three-peat,” Veach said of the front office focus on 2024.

Headlining free agents include defensive tackle Chris Jones and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. Jones said during the victory parade that he intends to return.

“He’s at the top of the list,” Veach said of Jones and his scheduled visits with player agents in Indianapolis before prospect workouts begin.

The pecking order might leave the Chiefs shorter on cash to sign Sneed. The shutdown corner was described during Super Bowl media availability as “the reason we can do what we do on defense” by coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

With the salary cap rising to $255.4 million, there is concern for the Chiefs and other teams about players waiting for the “new market” to be set by contracts early in free agency.

“When you win this much, you’re paying a lot of players a lot of money,” Veach said. “We do have one tag. I anticipate probably using it to keep one of those guys.”

Reid said he’s not sweating the notion of complacency, the buzzword from Patrick Mahomes when the then-reigning MVP and Super Bowl MVP arrived at training camp last summer.

“The margin in this league,” Reid said, closing his thumb to his pointer finger, “is this narrow.”

–Field Level Media

Jan 17, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo answers questions from the media at a press conference at Gillette Stadium to announce his hiring as head coach. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

Patriots targeting right QB to lead team in ‘right direction’

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INDIANAPOLIS — Holding the No. 3 pick in April’s draft and $78 million in cap space, the New England Patriots are optimistic about their options in their first offseason this century without Bill Belichick.

Director of scouting Eliot Wolf, the club’s de facto general manager, and new head coach Jerod Mayo will continue putting the pieces in place for a rebuild at this week’s NFL Scouting Combine.

“This is a new program, and we’re heading in the right direction. It’s a new era,” Wolf said at the podium on Tuesday. “We have leadership with Jerod Mayo, that is going to be tremendous. He’s just an unbelievable leader and developer of people. And I think that as we move forward with the new offense and defense, it’s going to be pretty special and exciting here.”

After posting their worst record (4-13) since 1992 last season with quarterbacks Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe, Wolf confirmed that the team will meet with the top three signal-callers in the draft class: USC’s Caleb Williams, North Carolina’s Drake Maye and LSU’s Jayden Daniels.

“I think it’s a really good year for quarterbacks,” Wolf said. “It’s a really good year at a lot of positions. Like any position we’re going to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses, determine who fits for us. We’re pretty early in the process here. Like, I haven’t met any of these guys. Jerod hasn’t met any of these guys. So as we continue through the process here, we’ll determine what’s best for the team. One thing about the quarterbacks in this draft specifically that I’m excited about is that they all look like they’re really tough guys, which is obviously great at any position, but the quarterback position especially.”

The Boston Herald reported that the Patriots will meet with most of the quarterbacks available this week through formal and informal interviews.

Jones, 25, has not progressed since his Pro Bowl rookie season as a 2021 first-round pick. He threw 23 interceptions and 24 touchdown passes during the 2022-23 campaigns. Zappe, 24, completed just 59.9 percent of his throws last season with more picks (nine) than TDs (six).

Wolf was asked about what he is looking for in a franchise quarterback — for a franchise spoiled by two decades of dominance from Tom Brady.

“First of all being someone that can elevate his teammates,” Wolf said. “Someone that your teammates want to play for. I think that’s an extremely underrated thing that people don’t really talk about that much. Leadership’s important and obviously physical talent. We wouldn’t be talking about these guys if they weren’t physically talented.”

Wolf, 41, said all options — including a trade — are on the table with the No. 3 pick. He said the responsibility for the first-round pick will be his.

The Patriots also need help at wide receiver, tight end and offensive tackle. The draft class is deep with wideouts and tackles.

“I think it depends on who we’re talking about and what holes we end up having,” Wolf said. “There’s a lot of time between now and the start of the season to patch those holes in. And hopefully we’re going to do more than patch them. We’re going to try to get the best players that we can and we’ll see what happens at the quarterback position.”

–Field Level Media

Feb 5, 2024; Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn (L) smiles as Commanders general manager Adam Peters (R) speaks during Quinn's introductory press conference at Commanders Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

New Commanders GM Adam Peters: Interviews key to QB search

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INDIANAPOLIS — The first question new Commanders general manager Adam Peters was asked Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine was about Brock Purdy.

Peters came to Washington from the San Francisco 49ers, where he was the assistant GM when the front office pulled the trigger on drafting the Iowa State quarterback with the final pick of the 2022 draft. The rest was history.

“Now I’ve got to find a new quarterback,” Peters smiled.

It was not breaking news that the Commanders would seek an upgrade over Sam Howell and potentially draft a franchise quarterback this year. But Washington owns the No. 2 pick in April’s draft, a far cry from the final pick that Peters spent on Purdy. The Commanders sit ahead of QB-needy New England but behind Chicago.

Peters, in the GM seat for the first time of his career, will have plenty of say on the Commanders’ final decision. Peters said he will be meeting the crop of quarterback prospects in person for the first time this week, with some interviews lined up for Tuesday night and Wednesday.

“That’s just the beginning of the process,” Peters said. “It’s a huge part of really any position, is getting to know the person. That’s where we’ve always found, in scouting, you make the biggest mistakes more so on the person than the actual talent.”

Caleb Williams of Southern California, Drake Maye of North Carolina and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels of LSU are considered the cream of the draft crop. The running ability of Williams and Daniels in particular might make them an ideal fit for new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, the former Texas Tech and Arizona Cardinals head coach who has worked with Patrick Mahomes and Kyler Murray.

“We’ve really just talked about quarterback play in general, and what he looks for in quarterbacks and how we can find that right fit for him, if that’s what we’re gonna do,” said Peters, who hired Kingsbury three weeks ago.

“Certainly that hasn’t been decided yet by any stretch of the imagination. We still have a lot of work to do, whether it’s that pick or later.”

Peters went on to claim the Commanders “really like what we have” in Howell, a fifth-round pick by the previous regime in 2022, and that the quarterback room needs to have competition to ensure the best outcomes.

“You guys know how construction goes. It doesn’t go real fast,” Peters said.

New Commanders head coach Dan Quinn was scheduled to meet with reporters at 5 p.m.

–Field Level Media

Aug 26, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles looks on before a game against the Buffalo Bills at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports

Bears narrowing options, plan to ‘do right by’ QB Justin Fields

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INDIANAPOLIS — Bears general manager Ryan Poles holds the keys to the NFL draft for the second consecutive year, and he’s all gas, no brakes as the Scouting Combine kicks off Tuesday.

Asked for his timeframe determining his plan at quarterback and how the team will use the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, Poles deadpanned, “Tomorrow.”

Part of the reason Poles is feeling some urgency is the amount of outreach he’s receiving on an hourly basis. He flipped his phone to “do not disturb” weeks ago and described the options on the table for the Bears as nearing triple digits.

Before moving on to the more pressing decision, the Bears are ramping up efforts to re-sign cornerback Jaylon Johnson to a long-term deal before free agency begins. Poles expects a deal to be done in the next two weeks.

That will clear the decks for him to focus on what the franchise perceives as the best option at quarterback.

Not long after the end of the combine in 2023, Poles and the Bears pulled the trigger on a deal to send the Carolina Panthers the top pick on March 10. He said the Bears are in contact with current quarterback Justin Fields, the No. 11 pick in the 2021 draft, while narrowing the options for maximizing the top pick in April — or sooner.

Poles said the Bears would “do right by Justin” and trade him before the start of free agency, which begins March 13, if they’ve determined drafting a quarterback is the “best decision for the franchise.”

“I know him well enough now. No one wants to live in the gray,” he said.

Asked if he’s aware the locker room is supportive of Fields, Poles said, “I feel the same way.”

Fields is entering the final year of his contract with a salary of $1.6 million for 2024 and a team option for 2025 available. The financial piece of the call can’t be ignored by the Bears, or potential suitors. For reference, the current franchise tag for quarterbacks is $38 million and could skyrocket next March.

Poles noted the talent at quarterback in the 2024 draft puts the Bears in a unique position he won’t take lightly.

“I would say our approach is exactly the same (as 2023) with the No. 1 pick. Obviously we chose to trade back last year and I think that helped our team out a lot,” Poles said.

Poles said the Bears are meeting with a number of quarterbacks this week, including Southern California’s Caleb Williams, while dismissing rumors the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner didn’t want to come to Chicago.

“No concerns about that at all,” he said.

–Field Level Media

At the Senior Bowl, defensive end Laiatu Latu of UCLA (15) attempted to solidify his pre-draft status as a first-round talent. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

Five prospects eager to eliminate red-flag status at Scouting Combine

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Stopwatches make headlines at the NFL Scouting Combine, but prospect grades are rarely swayed by sprints in shorts.

As former Patriots and Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli put it, NFL front offices and coaching staff use the combine as a verification tool to confirm what their eyes and ears already know about a prospect from months or years of work on most players.

Former Packers general manager Ron Wolf already knew the personal bio of the top 125-150 players on his pre-combine draft board when he landed in Indianapolis. That’s because work on players with first-round grades was typically voluminous combinations of in-person scouting work, staff research, including conversations with coaches and close connections and follow-up crosscheck reports by either a college scouting director, assistant general manager or the GM himself.

So what’s the point of the combine is teams are already carrying near-final grades on 321 prospects who received invitations?

It’s an opportunity for staffs to meet with prospects face-to-face and perhaps most important, each player goes through extensive medical testing with NFL team doctors who are looking for physical concerns and, in some cases, gauging recovery and progress from major injuries.

For a few players in the 2024 draft, the medical evals will define their draft grade range. It’s common for a player with a significant injury history to be docked a round or more on their final grade if teams aren’t fully satisfied with their medicals.

Field Level Media first-round projections are tentative for a few prospects.

UCLA edge Laiatu Latu would be a top-15 pick if graded solely on production. But the missing piece of the puzzle is massive.

Latu medically retired with a neck injury at Washington and it seemed like his football career was over. At UCLA he played two years of great football and doubled down at the Senior Bowl, but any doubts about his health could lead to a draft day fall.

If doctors are satisfied Latu’s neck worries are no more, he’ll battle Alabama’s Dallas Turner to be the first edge player off the board in April.

There’s strong buzz from scouts about the high character and size-speed ratio of NC State linebacker Payton Wilson, whose talent on the field is undoubtedly first-round worthy.

But he has had a rough go to get here. He tore his ACL in high school, hurt his knee again as a freshman, was arrested for trying to buy alcohol and resisting an officer in 2019, and suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in 2021. Not all teams will weigh this list as a complete negative, but some certainly will.

In Wilson’s favor could be consecutive seasons without injury issues, impeccable production when healthy, and top football character.

Because Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean’s success was largely a byproduct of explosive athletic traits, teams are taking extra time to read his recovery from a mid-November leg injury that ended his season. DeJean won’t participate in athletic testing at the Combine. DeJean is being viewed as a safety hybrid by many NFL teams after earning a big-play reputation at cornerback and punt returner for the Hawkeyes.

One of the most high-profile prospects tagged for medical concerns based on his history of season-ending injuries is Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr.

The Heisman Trophy runner-up in 2023, Penix can plan on several hours with team doctors to start the week. NFL medical teams are extremely concerned with his background. He suffered a torn ACL in 2018, a dislocated shoulder joint in 2019, another torn ACL in 2020, and another dislocated shoulder joint in 2021. Even with a clean bill of health in the moment, his history can’t be completely ignored as a durability downgrade.

Players who don’t satisfy baseline evaluations with recent or healing injuries are requested for a return or “re-check” in Indianapolis three weeks before the draft.

Not all red flags are matters for the crews in white coats to review.

Another Carolina-based prospect, Eyabi Okie-Anoma, was unblockable at times for Charlotte. But he’s a four-time transfer; Okie-Anoma was dismissed from Alabama and Houston and has since played for UT Martin and Michigan before landing in Charlotte. He has fourth- or fifth-round talent, but teams will have a hard time spending the draft pick on a player with this history.

There are maturity questions about multiple quarterbacks who’ll be peppered in the face-to-face interviews with NFL teams. That’s an irrefutable element of the scouting reports for USC’s Caleb Williams and former teammate Spencer Rattler (South Carolina).

–Field Level Media

WKU's Malachi Corley runs in for a touchdown against UTEP on Nov. 4, 2023 at the Sun Bowl.

2024 Scouting Combine: 20 names to know

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For the duration of his stay at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis next week, presumptive No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams will be recognized by potential employers simply as QB14.

The alpha-order list of QBs might place Williams at the caboose end of his positional peers, but the hype train for the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner is about to pick up some serious steam.

He’s not the only one in the running at No. 1.

The combine’s labeled QB1 — because he’s first in the alphabetical listing of players at the position — is 2023 Heisman winner Jayden Daniels. The LSU quarterback rates as a top-10 pick, with North Carolina’s Drake Maye and Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. counted among players jousting to be in the top 5 in April.

Here are 20 names to know before more than 300 prospects — and key personnel evaluators and coaches for all 32 NFL teams — converge on Central Indiana next week.

What: 2024 NFL Scouting Combine
When: Feb. 26-March 4
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
Who: 321 college football players were invited to participate

1. Ryan Poles, GM, Chicago Bears
It’s not Groundhog Day, but there’s a sense of deja vu for the other 31 general managers with Poles in the driver’s seat for another draft.

Chicago owns the first pick in the draft entering the combine, and the Bears are in position to make another franchise-altering decision at the top. Last March, Poles traded the No. 1 pick to the Panthers and received this 2024 first-round pick in return, thanks to Carolina’s league-worst 2-15 finish. The Bears also have the No. 9 pick, but moved their 2024 second-round pick to acquire defensive end Montez Sweat from the Washington Commanders in October.

Just when you think you know where Poles plans to play his cards, remember he came out of the 2023 draft with a right tackle in the first round (Tennessee’s Darnell Wright).

If we’re talking Poles, we’re talking …

2. Justin Fields, Bears
One day after the combine officially wraps, Fields turns 25 (March 5) and the NFL franchise tag window slides shut at 3:59:59 p.m. ET. Clarity should be closer to reality for Chicago and the rest of the league after days of meetings, clandestine trade talks and agent sessions that help set the table for the start of free agency.

Where will Fields play next season?

It’s not impossible he’ll stay put as the Bears determine whether to invest in a fifth-year option for 2025 — at around $22 million — or hit reset to select their top-ranked quarterback at a four-year cost (2024-27 seasons) of around $40 million.

Keeping Fields and trading the No. 1 pick might bring back a bigger haul than vice versa. He’ll make just over $1.6 million in salary in 2024, but Poles would be betting his job that the 2021 No. 11 overall pick is the answer.

He could also do … both?

Poles would be wise to recall past predicaments with similar ramifications. He was in Kansas City when Alex Smith was embedded as the starter and the Chiefs traded up for Patrick Mahomes. They Chiefs traded Smith to Washington the following year.

Another offensive lineman-turned-GM, Ryan Grigson, faced a shadow-casting call in 2012 when the Colts set free Peyton Manning following neck surgery and turned the keys of the franchise over to Andrew Luck.

3. Caleb Williams, QB, Southern California
Opinion in the scouting community is overwhelming regarding Williams’ arm talent, accuracy and excellence working off-script. Comparisons range from Josh Allen (Bills) to Jay Cutler, and the Bears, Commanders (picking No. 2) and Patriots (No. 3) are all likely to love elements of his game.

Williams holds up standing in the pocket against a blitz and can also escape pressure and make “wow” throws with pinpoint accuracy on the move. He’s not huge at 6-foot-1, 220 pounds, but he’s stronger than he’s credited for and a better athlete than some might realize with some Jalen Hurts-like qualities in the RPO package.

He had his best season in 2022, winning the Heisman while throwing 42 touchdown passes, five interceptions and racking up 4,537 passing yards.

Last season wasn’t as special and Williams caused alarm bells for a lack of accountability. His traits are blue-chip level and unless he bombs in-person interviews with the Bears and Commanders, there’s no chance he’s on the board at No. 3.

4. Jayden Daniels, LSU
Maybe Daniels will come out of this event with more buzz after Saturday afternoon QB workouts on the Colts’ turf because of his unique playmaking ability and testing performance.

It’s still possible Daniels could follow Williams’ lead and only participate in throwing and testing in Indy if his peers do the same. Not competing at the combine would instantly put a huge red circle on the March 25 (USC) and March 27 (LSU) campus pro day calendar.

Daniels consistently devoured top competition and delivered his Heisman-winning numbers against a stellar schedule. He had 50 combined passing and rushing touchdowns in 2023, second only to Oregon’s Bo Nix (51). If NFL evaluators come away from the pre-draft circuit viewing Daniels as a bigger, stronger version of Lamar Jackson, he’ll be gone in the top three picks.

5. Marvin Harrison Jr, WR, Ohio State
“Maserati Marv,” as FOX Sports’ Gus Johnson tabbed Harrison, should be the first non-QB drafted in April. The son of Pro Football Hall of Fame member Marvin Harrison, the Indianapolis football scene won’t be anything new for the junior Harrison. He posted consecutive 1,200-yard seasons for the Buckeyes and will be the No. 1-ranked player on some draft boards.

6. Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
Not the household name or legacy Harrison is, Nabers is only 20 years old and a nightmare matchup. One of two LSU wide receivers with first-round draft grades (Brian Thomas Jr.), the Ja’Marr Chase comps for Nabers aren’t impossible to see.

7. Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
Another youngster with a dominant resume in the SEC, Bowers is 21, won two national titles and set the school single-season record for receiving TDs with 13. A gamer in every sense of the word, Bowers has an insane 40-inch vertical (junior testing day) and plays with a style similar to former Chargers tight end Antonio Gates.

8. Dallas Turner, OLB, Alabama
Defense finally makes an appearance and to the surprise of no one, the Crimson Tide entered the chat.

Turner is tops among pass rushers in 2024 but a peg below NFL grades for 2023 No. 3 overall pick Will Anderson (Texans).

9. Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
Arnold committed to Alabama on the promise he would be welcomed on the basketball team — the same is true of secondary sidekick Kool-Aid McKinstry — but found life with Nick Saban to be predictably demanding of his time and energy. Arnold’s grade and pro projection isn’t far off from where teams had Patrick Surtain II (Broncos), and he’s CB1 in this class ahead of the more ballyhooed McKinstry.

10. Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
Get to know him. Mitchell should be a lock as the first non-Power 5 prospect off the board, and it’s all about ball production. The two-time All-American was second in the nation with 19 pass breakups in 2023 and set a school record with 46 (!) in his career. Doubters who weren’t convinced at the Senior Bowl search for the four-INT game in 2022 against Northern Illinois. He took two of those picks to the house.

11. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans
Poor would be putting it kindly when it comes to an apt label for the 2024 running back class. Teams will be kicking the tires on a strong set of veteran ballcarriers with agents in Indianapolis and trying to discern what type of tread the likes of Henry, Saquon Barkley (Giants), Josh Jacobs (Raiders), Austin Ekeler (Chargers) and Tony Pollard (Cowboys) have left in a heavily depressed market.

12. Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
A tight end in high school growing up in Minnesota, Alt decided to follow in the footsteps of his All-Pro dad — former Chiefs offensive lineman Jon Alt — and committed to calories by the thousands and hours of film study with pops. The result? An NFL-ready left tackle in the mold of Joe Thomas (Browns). Alt is our top-ranked offensive tackle but at least five are worthy of first-round picks in April, and the depth of this class exceeds every position group except possibly wide receiver.

13. Malachi Corley, WR, Western Kentucky
First on our list of favored sleepers, Corley gets our vote as the underrated receiver to know by the nose of a football over Illinois’ Isaiah Williams and Idaho’s Hayden Hatten. Corley shredded at the Shrine Bowl — Zay Flowers went there as a small receiver from Boston College last year, left as a first-round talent — and was Co-Offensive Player of the Week at the Senior Bowl. He’s a YAC machine with a running back build and sneaking into the top 45 picks isn’t impossible.

14. Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
Penix lit Texas up in the CFP semifinals and media scouts began discussing the oft-injured lefty as a possible first-round pick. Ah, the medicals. Penix was unquestionably stellar the past two seasons. How scouting reports reconcile the durability matter and season-ending shoulder injuries (AC joint), a pair of torn ACLs, make Penix one of the more challenging players to project in the draft.

15. Blake Corum, RB, Michigan
Corum comes with the production and reputation in a run-first offense to be a third- or fourth-round pick. Corum is one of 18 Wolverines invited to the combine. National champion runner-up Washington has 13.

16. Payton Wilson, LB, NC State
Six years after enrolling at North Carolina State, Wilson exits Raleigh at the Butkus (top linebacker) and Bednarik (best defensive player) award winner. He starred for the Wolfpack with 400-plus tackles, 15 sacks, seven interceptions and one seriously concerning medical history. But after two injury-free seasons, Wilson said at the Senior Bowl he thinks a 4.45 40-yard dash at 6-4, 235 is possible. That would put many GMs who love Wilson’s game and intangibles in the hot seat starting as early as the second round.

17. Tory Taylor, P, Iowa
Australian import and soon-to-be 27-year-old rookie Taylor was a vital player for an Iowa program that lost its offense in the corn during his four years in Iowa City. He broke the NCAA record (standing since 1938) for punt yards in a season and averaged 46.3 yards per punt with the Hawkeyes.

18. Jerod Mayo, head coach, Patriots
The last time the Patriots turned in a draft card for a top-10 selection, head coach Bill Belichick went with a linebacker from Tennessee at No. 10 overall in 2008. Now Jerod Mayo, who was that linebacker and played for the Patriots until 2015, is New England’s head coach with Belichick no longer in the team picture.

19. Byron Murphy, DT, Texas
Billing for the top-ranked defensive tackle in this class can be debated with Illinois three-technique Jer’Zhan Newton in the conversation. Both are considered small among defensive linemen but sudden first-step quickness and violent hands place them in the late first-round range. Murphy is on the annual “freaks” list from The Athletic because of his legendary weight-room feats in Austin.

20. Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
A right tackle for the Beavers, he could be cast in the same role in the NFL. But two primarily right tackles were top-20 picks in 2023. Fuaga measured 6-6, 332 with a wingspan of 81 1/2 inches and is being compared to 2021 first-round pick Penei Sewell of the Detroit Lions. Sewell does have a cousin in the draft: BYU left tackle Kingsley Suamataia.

–Field Level Media

Aug 15, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; A general view of the exterior of Lucas Oil Stadium before the game between the Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

Indianapolis to keep NFL scouting combine in 2025

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The NFL scouting combine will stay in Indianapolis in 2025, as the league and the city announced a one-year contract extension on Thursday.

The combine has been held in Indianapolis since 1987, but in recent years the NFL has shown interest in moving it around the country, as it has done with the draft.

Dallas and Los Angeles bid on hosting the combine in 2022, the last time the contract was up, but Indianapolis reached a two-year agreement through 2024.

Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Colts, is the site for on-field drills, which draw thousands of fans with their free attendance. The city’s convention center and hotels are located in easy walking distance from the stadium.

This year’s combine runs from Feb. 27 through March 4.

“We know cities across the U.S. consistently vie to host all of the NFL’s events,” Visit Indy president and CEO Leonard Hoops said in a statement. “We appreciate the NFL’s continued confidence and partnership with Indy, and we are looking forward to continued growth in our city.”

–Field Level Media

Mar 5, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Northwestern offensive lineman Peter Skoronski (OL41) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Take 10: Scouting Combine winners

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Defensive tackles set the spin rate on overdrive at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine.

As the first group on the turf at Lucas Oil Stadium for testing and position workouts last week, the interior defensive linemen raised the bar.

Two first-round hopefuls, Pitt’s Calijah Kancey and Northwestern’s Adetomiwa Adebawore, might have solidified their status with blazing times in the 40 and stellar overall workouts.

Here’s a list of players who helped their draft status the most in Indy:

Adetomiwa Adebawore, DL, Northwestern
Adebawore ran a 4.49 40-yard dash with the defensive end position group but played inside for the Wildcats. He popped at the Senior Bowl, where he was named the top practice week defensive lineman.

Chase Brown, RB, Illinois
The latest Bret Bielema workhorse, Brown erased doubts about his long speed (4.43 40) and led running backs in explosive testing, going 10-feet-7 in the broad jump with a 40-inch vertical.

Blake Freeland, OT, BYU
His listed height (6-feet-8) checked out and then Freeland’s explosiveness evident in game film was verified via testing. He set the record for vertical jump at 37 inches, adding a 10-foot broad jump, and his 34-inch reach seals the deal as a gem on the edge.

Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia
Field Level Media ranked Jones as a first-rounder before Indy, and he nailed the event with the best 40 at the position (4.98 seconds) and moved like a 200-pounder in position drills.

Rashee Rice, WR, SMU
A 41-inch vertical only boosts the stock of a receiver we liked in the second round pre-event because of disciplined and nuanced route-running, excellent body control and the catch radius of a much bigger target (6-1, 200).

Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
If you’ve been paying attention, Richardson is getting a lot of love from armchair evaluators just coming to know his athletic arsenal. Even NFL scouts who projected Richardson as a first-rounder before the combine are ready to give him a bump. Richardson led the position group in height (6-4 1/4), weight (244), 40-yard dash (4.43), vertical jump (40 1/2 inches) and broad jump (10 feet, 9 inches).

Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern
Let the guard-or-tackle debate continue. Some teams won’t use Skoronski at tackle because his arms are relatively short (32 1/4 inches) by NFL standards (33 7/8 inches is the minimum for many teams scouting OTs). His light feet, agility, balance and short-area burst — 1.75 10-yard split in the 40 — are evidence he’s a first-rounder regardless of position.

Nolan Smith, Edge, Georgia
Teams still have to question the overall production — 12.5 sacks for the Bulldogs — but Smith became the first player in combine history to weigh over 235 pounds, run sub-4.4 (4.39) and post a vertical over 40 inches (41 1/2).

C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State
Accuracy and arm talent are the buzzwords out of Stroud’s on-field passing display Saturday. He did nothing to hurt his chances as a top-5 pick, all without doing any other athletic testing.

Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia
Cancel the projections of moving the 6-7, 265-pounder to tight end in the NFL, and forget the suggestion he would be available in the second round. Washington is just 21 years old, was the third-fastest in the combine short shuttle at 4.08 seconds, and ran the 40 in 4.64 seconds.

–Field Level Media

Mar 3, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Alabama quarterback Bryce Young (QB15) speaks to the press at the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

QB Bryce Young measures 5-10 1/8 at combine

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Former Alabama quarterback Bryce Young officially measured 5-foot-10 and 1/8 inch and 204 pounds on Saturday at the NFL combine in Indianapolis.

If NFL executives and scouts overlook the former Heisman Trophy winner’s less-than-ideal stature and still make him a first-round pick next month, he would be the lightest Round 1 QB since at least 2006 and one of the shortest since the 1967 NFL-AFL merger.

His frame is very similar to the 2019 combine measurements for Kyler Murray, who was 5-10 1/8 and 207 pounds and went No. 1 overall in the draft to the Arizona Cardinals.

Alabama’s 2022 roster listed Young at 6 feet, 194 pounds.

Young insists that any concerns about his size are misplaced.

“I’ve been this size, respectfully, my whole life,” he said. “I know who I am, I know what I can do. For me, it’s fair, everyone can speculate, ask me every question, I’m going to continue to control what I can control, continue to keep working my hardest … I’m confident in myself, I know what I can do.”

The average height and weight of quarterbacks on NFL rosters in 2022 was 6-2 1/2, 219.8. Of course, there are notable exceptions. Future Super Bowl winner Russell Wilson measured just under 5-11 at the 2012 combine.

Young completed 65.8 percent of his passes for 8,356 yards with 80 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions in three seasons with the Crimson Tide. He lacks Murray’s mobility, finishing with 139 carries for 162 yards and seven TDs.

–Field Level Media