We know we're officially into NFL Draft season when the Scouting Combine officially comes around each year in Indianapolis.
NFL executives and coaches from all 32 teams descend into Indy to find the potential next face of their franchise, and it all starts here.
In this series of articles, we'll be breaking down the notable news from each day of the heralded event, some impressive performances, and the latest rumors you need to know.
2023 NFL Combine Recap: Day 5
Notable News Of the Day
Jaxon Smith-Njigba will do everything except run the 40-yard dash on Saturday.
Smith-Njigba is back to 100% right now after rehab, but he hasn't had adequate time to train to run the 40-yard dash alongside his peers. According to Smith-Njigba, he plans to be ready to run at his pro day, but he will still participate in every other test this weekend.
The Las Vegas Raiders plan to use the franchise tag on Josh Jacobs.
It wasn't all that long ago when Las Vegas declined the fifth-year option on Jacobs' contract, and now they're unwilling to let him walk out the door in free agency. It's understandable with the way Jacobs performed in 2022, though, and we might be able to cross his name off the list of available free agents soon.
The Texans released Justin Britt (Center).
Houston now needs a starting center, but releasing Britt clears $3 million off the cap.
Randall Cobb recently underwent surgery.
Cobb has yet to make it known if he's playing in 2023, but this surgery was to clean up the back of his ankle that had been bothering him for some time. If he does return next season, it will likely be wherever Rodgers lands.
The Dallas Cowboys plan to franchise tag Tony Pollard.
Pollard figured to be one of the more sought-after players on the free agent market this offseason, so it makes sense that Dallas would want to keep him around through any means possible. His injury recovery muddies the waters a bit, but if the team releases Ezekiel Elliott, Pollard could see his fantasy stock skyrocket.
Highlight performances
D.J. Turner ran a 4.26 40-yard dash.
The cornerback prospect out of Michigan was absolutely flying on the track and worked his way up consensus mock drafts with that performance.
Deonte Banks put on a show.
The corneerback prospect from Maryland had his fans across the NFL Draft community, but I'm not even they saw this performance coming. Banks checked in at 6 feet tall and 197 pounds, had an 11-foot-4 broad jump, jumped 42" in the vertical jump, and ran a 4.35-second 40-yard dash with a 1.49 10-yard split. An absolutely incredible athletic performance, and his tape is solid too. We can lock Banks into the 1st round now.
Official numbers for Maryland CB Deonte Banks
— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) March 3, 2023
40-yard: 4.35 (92nd percentile)
Vert: 42” (97th percentile)
Broad: 11’4” (98th percentile)
That athleticism absolutely shows up on tape as one of the best coverage players in that class. First round playerpic.twitter.com/ebfvn25dak
Christian Gonzalez cements his status as a top-15 pick.
Gonzalez has the size that NFL teams are looking for, he has the instincts on tape that you simply can't teach, and now he has shown that he has the athleticism to stick with anyone in the league. At 6-foot-1 and 197 pounds, Gonzalez had a 11-foot-1 broad jump, a 41.5" vertical jump, and he ran a 4.38 40-yard dash.
The Latest Rumors
Michael Mayer met with the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Bengals found some success with Hayden Hurst in 2022, but Mayer would be a massive upgrade as a run blocker for this offense. The Bengals currently hold the No. 28 overall pick. They also reportedly met with Dalton Kincaid, the tight end out of Utah.
Aaron Rodgers may only have two choices for 2023.
As more and more comes out about Rodgers and his outlook for 2023, it seems like a very real possibility that he's playing elsewhere next season. According to Adam Schefter, Rodgers may be zeroed in to just the New York Jets or retirement. This is all speculation at this point, but we should have our answer here soon.
Jessie Bates is likely going to play elsewhere in 2023.
The well-respected safety for the Bengals played this past season under the franchise tag, and the team appears to be set to move on and replace him with a less expensive option. At just 26 years old, Bates will be one of the more sought-after players in free agency.
