The NFL Draft has reached a significant milestone with the arrival of the 2024 NFL Combine. The skill position players test on Saturday, March 2nd. Footballguys staff comes together to answer a series of questions to prime you for the action ahead.
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Who has the most to lose at the Combine?
QB Drake Maye, North Carolina
Christian Williams: With reports that Maye will skip the testing and drill work and the widespread belief that Maye is the QB3 at best on many boards, he is risking a slip to QB4. J.J. McCarthy or Bo Nix impressing could place Maye in the Justin Fields situation, where he's the fourth quarterback off the board. I believe in Maye, but choosing not to show off his big arm could be detrimental to his draft stock.
WR Johnny Wilson, Florida St.
Chad Parsons: The Florida State product is caught between positions at 6-foot-6 and 237 pounds from his all-star game circuit weigh-in. He is at risk to run in the 4.6s, which would fade him as an NFL wide receiver, but his sub-240-pound frame makes tight end a murky transition. Darren Waller was a strong athlete, fueling his successful transition to tight end years ago. Wilson has Day 2 upside but also late Day 3 potential if struggling to project to either position by an NFL team.
WR Rome Odunze, Washington
Sam Wagman: Rome Odunze could lose some ground relative to where he stands now as the consensus WR3 in this draft and a relatively popular top-ten draft pick. While Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers will not be drilling, if Odunze doesn't put up athletic specimen numbers at the Combine, we could see him fall into the middle of the pack of Round 1.
QB Michael Penix Jr., Washington
Jason Wood: Michael Penix Jr. tops the list. The most important aspect of the Combine is the medical examinations, and Penix's medicals could push him from a potential second-rounder to a late Day 3 pick. He already has age and build worries, and if his prior knee and shoulder injuries are flagged during his examination, he'll plummet.
Kyle Bellefeuil: I agree with Jason here on Michael Penix Jr. As Jason pointed out, the medicals will be critical for him, as he has a lengthy injury history, tearing the same ACL twice while also suffering multiple shoulder injuries. Penix plans to throw and showcase his arm talent at the Combine, but his stock could take a big hit if teams aren't comfortable with how his medicals check out.
WR Ladd McConkey, Georgia
Ben Cummins: Ladd McConkey is a great route runner with little wasted movement. He's quick and shifty, leading to exciting yards after the catch. Most importantly, he straight up gets open. I expect him to test well at the Combine, but if he doesn't, his stock could be affected as he's a shorter outside receiver in a class loaded with size, athleticism, and talent.
RB Braelon Allen, Wisconsin
Zareh Kantzabedian: Braelon Allen is the most divisive running back among professional evaluators and dynasty managers. The primary appeal with Allen is his size (6-foot-2, 238 pounds) and age (20 years old). However, his game film could be more impressive. Aside from being an excellent one-cut runner with adequate agility, this is the only thing that shows up in his favor. My comp for Allen is a skinnier AJ Dillon.
Second Tier Quarterbacks
Gary Davenport: The top three quarterbacks in this draft class appear set—USC's Caleb Williams, North Carolina's Drake Maye, and LSU's Jayden Daniels, in some order. None are throwing in Indy. But the waters are muddy after that, and Michigan's J.J. McCarthy, Washington's Michael Penix, and Oregon's Bo Nix will all be working out. A bad throwing session isn't necessarily going to torpedo their stock. But it could shake up Tier 2 in a way that affects both the checkbooks of the young signal-callers and the landing spots where their careers start. The latter rather matters to us fantasy types.
WR Devontez Walker, North Carolina
Jeff Bell: Walker started the process mocked in Round 1 in several early industry mocks. That ship has sailed. However, you must recognize his speed and big play potential. The Senior Bowl was rough; drops were an issue all week, and he failed to come up with multiple big plays. He has to garner some positive momentum. Athletic testing should favor him; the speed and other athletic elements of his game are there. But if he falls short in testing, combined with his disappointing Senior Bowl, he could end up on Day 3.
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