The draft process is always fascinating, but when you have such a deep quarterback prospect, things really get exciting. I've never been more curious to see how things pan out than I am with this quarterback class. I spent five days in Indianapolis last week and had many conversations with coaches, scouts, other media people and the quarterbacks. It seems like almost all of them are polarizing in one way or another. Maybe these are just the times we're in right now, but I feel like it's different than most years.
As I get into my biggest takeaways from this year's NFL Scouting Combine, let's start with the quarterbacks.
The most intriguing quarterback in his class is Washington's Michael Penix Jr. As I wrote in January, the way the Huskies star has overcome severe adversity, faced it head-on, been very open about it, and emerged so much stronger on the other side bodes very well for him. I heard good things from NFL personnel people in Indy, and then Penix looked exceptional in his workout. He threw the ball much better than any other quarterback, according to several NFL sources who watched the ball live and were allowed to speak anonymously about the process. He was precise, crisp and confident, and the ball bounced out of his hand. For people who hadn't seen him throw in person, it left a strong impression. Penix received my vote for the Heisman Trophy last year. Washington's program was floundering until he arrived, and then he led the Huskies to the national title game. He's also a better athlete than many people give him credit for. Players who worked with him in the draft process say they wouldn't be surprised if he ran the 40 in the 4.4 seconds.
Count me as a believer. He's worth a first-round pick.
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The second-best quarterback that Indy threw in was Michigan's JJ McCarthy. He showed good footwork and fired the ball. Some NFL coaches had told me they were concerned about him being something of a one-pitch pitcher because they felt he hadn't shown enough ability to layer the football and things like that. It is said that he worked on it and he seemed sharp. Standing at 6 feet 2 1/2 and 219 pounds, he was taller and thicker than many expected. His three-cone time of 6.82 was impressive.
Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy measured 6 feet 2 1/2 and 219 pounds in Indianapolis. (Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
USC's Caleb Williams, the 2022 Heisman winner, is a fascinating subject. Williams did not throw or practice in Indy. He was, of course, a hot topic. He is spectacular with what he can do on the field and I understand the comparisons to Patrick Mahomes. Like the former Texas Tech star, Williams played behind a terrible offensive line and with a poor defense. He picked up some bad habits for a team that went 7-5 in 2023. There was a lot of skepticism about Mahomes when he entered the league, but he is already a first-ballot Hall of Famer before the age of 29. On the other hand, if you told Williams would be moving to a team coached by Andy Reid, I have no doubt he will be successful in the NFL. Circumstances with NFL quarterbacks matter.
The best line I heard about him came from an old NFL scout who said it looked like he was “trying to hit a five-run home run every game.”
Some NFL coaches I spoke with were concerned about some things they'd heard about how his father is handling Williams' situation. The reports shared with me by USC about the quarterback were neither alarming nor concerning. The coaches there liked him. It seems more about the sentiment people outside the program have about him, the kind of stuff you might get from a player who was touted as a superstar before he got to college and then moved to Los Angeles, where he a bigger one became a star in the emerging NFL world. He is the first quarterback to go through the transfer portal and the name, image and likeness pipeline. Bryce Young had the hype and some NIL stuff, but he didn't go through the transfer process and play in a big media market. Young's situation was much more subtle.
“Do I think there are warning signs?” asked a veteran NFL coach. “NO. Some guys roll their eyes when they see what he paints on his fingernails. It's not what you'd expect from an NFL quarterback, but he's a super-talented kid who's turning a program around, and he knows that a lot of people are leaning on him. That's a lot. On the field, you want to see him tackle the easy things when they're there and make smarter decisions, but he's still very young, and I just think he’s too good to pass up.”
• The wide receiver class is incredibly deep, and it looked that way in Indy. The player who stole the show was Texas' Xavier Worthy, who set his combine record in the 40 dash with a 4.21. (He also jumped 41 inches.) It was a cool moment to see him fly down the sideline and light up the crowd. His Texas teammate AD Mitchell also shined, as expected. At 6-2 and 205, Mitchell ran 4.34 with a 1.52 10-yard split, followed by an 11-4 broad jump and a 39 1/2 vertical jump.
Ricky Pearsall of Florida had as good a day as anyone. He ran a time of 4.41 but jumped 42 inches vertically, jumped 10-9 in distance and had the second-fastest three-cone time at 6.64. The 6-1 195-pounder was expected to make a splash in Indy, and he did. The same goes for LSU's Brian Thomas Jr., who was 6-3, 209 and ran a 4.33 40 with a vertical jump of 38 1/2 inches and a broad jump of 10-6. An NFL source I spoke with before the receivers cleared said he was impressed with how smart Thomas is in the game of football.
• One final note on the wideouts. I don't think Rome Odunze will be selected ahead of Marvin Harrison Jr., but it sounded like some NFL personnel people were more intrigued by the Washington star than Harrison. The 6-3, 212-pound Odunze has truly elite ball skills, and the people I spoke to about the receivers spoke highly of his physicality and competitiveness. I would say at the start of my journey that Harrison is the closest thing to “can’t miss” in this draft. I'm still a Buckeyes All-American, but after listening to NFL people talk about Odunze, I might change my mind and say he's the closest thing to a can't-miss project comes.
• Put Me on the Train by Marshawn Kneeland. Western Michigan's 6-3, 267-pound Edge ran a faster three-cone (7.02) and shuttle (4.18) than all defensive linemen and linebackers at the combine. He jumped 35.5 inches vertically and managed a 10-yard split of 1.66. I doubt he will make it past the second round.
It's hard to believe that in 2022, WMU had Kneeland and one of Friday's other breakout stars at the combine, Braden Fiske, on its defensive line and the Broncos were just No. 5 in the MAC and No. 42 in sacks. Fiske had six. Kneeland only had 1.5. Andre Carter, who led the team with seven players, transferred to Indiana last offseason.
Fiske created a lot of buzz in Indy before he even took the field. Two defensive coaches we spoke with raved about him in their interview with him.
“He’s got a lot of shit on his plate,” said one veteran coach, invoking the cliché that line coaches on both sides of the ball hold in high regard.
Then the 6-3 1/2, 295-pound Fiske posted a 9-9 broad jump, a 33 1/2-inch vertical jump and posted a 4.78 40: all top marks among defensive tackles in Indy. I know his size isn't ideal in all defenses, but he's very gifted athletically and is relentless for four quarters.
• Another defender who had coaches raving after their matchups was Missouri's Darius Robinson. They liked how he talked about the defense, his role and the passion he has as a defensive lineman. The 6-5, 285-pounder, who ran a 4.95 40 and jumped 35 inches vertically, was a player several defensive coaches said they would like to work with after spending time with him.
• MAC's biggest star, Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, backed up all the Indy hype. He was expected to run blisteringly fast, and he did so with a 4.33-second 40-yard dash (with a 1.51-second 10-yard split) at 6-0 1/8 inches and 195 pounds. He had a vertical distance of 38 inches and did 20 reps at 225 on the bench press. He's the latest reminder of how much top-tier talent comes in and out of the MAC.
• I posted my Combine Freaks to check out before the event. The two players I regretted most when I quit: Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner, a fantastic prospect who posted a 4.46 for 40 with a 1.54 10-yard split at 6-3, 247 ran. He had a vertical of 40.5 inches and a broad jump of 10-7. The other: Louisville running back Isaac Guerendo, who became the fifth-fastest running back in combine history with a 4.33 in the 40. He jumped 41 1/2 inches vertically and jumped 10-9 at 6-0, 221.
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• No program produces as many freaks as Penn State, who then enter the draft process and back up the eye-popping numbers they put up in Happy Valley. The list is long, from Saquon Barkley to Mike Gesicki and Troy Apke to Micah Parsons and Odafe Oweh. The Nittany Lions players did the same thing as the others in Indy this year. Chop Robinson, No. 1 on our Combine Freaks list, posted a 4.48 40; a 10-8 broad jump and a 4.25 shuttle at 6-3, 254. (His numbers from last offseason: 4.47 40; a 4.22 shuttle and a 10-7 broad jump. Tight End Theo Johnson was almost as impressive. The 6-6, 259-pounder ran a 4.57 40 with a 1.57 10-yard split to go 39.5 inches vertical and 10-5 broad jump and a 4.19 shuttle .Daequan Hardy, an undersized cornerback, ran a 4.38 40 and vertical jumped 42 1/2 inches.
• Michigan nickel Mikey Sainristil is a favorite of Wolverines fans because of his uncanny ability to make big plays. He is a favorite of NFL coaches, who rave about his intelligence and instincts.
“He's super smart and was the leader of a team that had a lot of great leaders and then won a national title,” an NFL coach said. “What’s not to love, except for his size, but the guy keeps popping up in the movie.”
His size is an issue at 5-9, 182, but no one doubts his toughness, and he has proven himself very well, running a 4.47 40 with a 40-inch vertical jump and a 10-11 broad jump . He will make an impact wherever he goes.
• Clemson's Will Shipley, at 5-11, 206, didn't work out in Indy, but a source who has worked with him described him as one of the most explosive athletes in this draft class and believes there is a lot of untapped potential there.
(Top photos of Marshawn Kneeland, left, Xavier Worthy and Michael Penix Jr.: Stacy Revere and Kevin Sabitus / Getty Images)
