The 2024 NFL Combine is about to really take off with position-specific drills and top prospects doing their thing in Indianapolis moving forward on the week.
There are several players who have real opportunities to improve their stock over the next few days. That includes a specific quarterback from the Pacific Northwest who finds himself as a divisive figure.
We’re also interested in seeing how one running back will perform from an athletic standpoint with the 2024 NFL Draft seen as weak at that position. Here, we look at 10 players at the NFL Combine who have a chance to improve their stock the most.
Related: Evaluating the 10-best QB prospects heading into the NFL Combine
Brock Bowers, tight end, Georgia Bulldogs
Bowers is seen as a generational tight end prospect. His productivity at Georgia coupled with elite-level skills has Bowers as a likely top-10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. We’re more intrigued to see how Bowers grades out during the NFL Combine from a weight room perspective. He needs to improve his overall strength to be seen as a legitimate dual-threat tight end like how Travis Kelce and George Kittle are viewed at the NFL level. A strong performance could have Bowers headed as high as No. 5 to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Taliese Fuaga, offensive tackle, Oregon State Beavers
Fuaga impressed big time at the Senior Bowl earlier in the offseason, showing the functional strength and athleticism to be seen as a first-round prospect. The question here is whether he’ll be viewed as a left tackle or a right tackle ahead of the annual event. This could very well be the difference between Fuaga finding himself selected at the bottom of Round 1 or within the first half. How his technique looks during individual drills at the NFL Combine will be telling.
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Spencer Rattler, quarterback, South Carolina
With the top quarterbacks in this year’s NFL Draft class opting against throwing during the combine, it gives Tier 2 signal callers a real opportunity to impress. A former top recruit of Oklahoma, Rattler is among those with a geat opportunity. Rattler’s combination of arm talent and surprising athleticism could very well be on display in Indianapolis. Seen as a Day 2 prospect, a strong performance could have him potentially as a first-round quarterback. Interviews with teams in Indianapolis will also be telling.
Kool-Aid McKinstry, cornerback, Alabama Crimson Tide
McKinstry entered his junior season as nearly a lock to go in the top-10 of the 2024 NFL Draft. While he played pretty well for Alabama, there is now a bit of concern over the 6-foot-1 cornerback. While he has great short-area quickness, down-field speed is somewhat of a concern. McKinstry can obviously quiet that with a solid 40-yard dash and three-cone drill during the combine. We’re also highly intrigued to see how he does in the position-specific drills. A strong showing in Indy could have him shooting up the draft board. That’s for sure.
Ladd McConkey, wide receiver, Georgia Bulldogs
McConkey is yet another player who impressed during the Senior Bowl. Already seen as a pro-ready route runner with great hands, he was able to create separation left and right. It’s absolutely huge given his relatively short 6-foot frame. He needs to be able to show that separation ability, much like what we saw from Puka Nacua during last year’s NFL Combine. A strong performance in this regard could have McConkey as a first-round pick when all is said and done.
J.J. McCarthy, quarterback, Michigan Wolverines
With the top-three quarterbacks in the draft opting against throwing at the NFL Combine, McCarthy is going to be in the news a lot. The 6-foot-3 prototypical signal caller has been ascending draft boards following a brilliant final season at Michigan in which he helped the program to the national title. Things could bode well for McCarthy in Indianapolis in that he’s among the most-polished quarterbacks in the class. That should be on full display during the position-specific drills. If McCarthy impresses here, there is a darn good chance he could find himself as a top-15 pick when all is said and done.
Related: Everything you need to know about the 2024 NFL Combine
Malik Nabers, wide receiver, LSU Tigers
Nabers is not going to be the first wide receiver off the board. Nothing we see at the NFL Combine is changing the fact that Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. is the consensus No. 1 player at this position in the annual event. With that said, this former LSU standout actually has an opportunity to secure himself as a top-six pick in the draft. The 6-foot wide receiver boasts otherworldly short-area speed and creates huge passing lanes to throw through. He has great ball skills and elite-level athleticism. If Nabers grades out like we expect, the lowest he’ll likely go in the NFL Draft is at No. 6 to the New York Giants. Take that to the bank.
Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA Bruins
Latu was ultra impressive during his two seasons with the UCLA Bruins after coming over from Washington. The 6-foot-4, 265-pound edge guy recorded 34 tackles for loss and 23.5 sacks. More than anything, we’re interested to see how he does in the more generic weight and condtioning drills at the NFL Combine. A strong performance here will have Latu as a lock to go within the top 20. Some struggles could drop him to the top of Day 2.
Related: Laiatu Latu NFL Draft profile
Blake Corum, running back, Michigan Wolverines
Despite an ultra-productive final three years with the Wolverines, Corum is not seen as a generational running back prospect. He’s certainly not going in the first round like we saw with Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs a season ago. What we do know is that he surprises in the 40-yard dash and other athletic-framed skills during the NFL Combine, Corum will likely find himself as an early Day 2 pick. The onus is on him to prove he can be a modern running back in today’s NFL, not simply a short-yardage one.
Related: 10 prospects with the most to prove at the NFL Combine
Michael Penix Jr., quarterback, Washington Huskies
Penix Jr. might be the most controversial and divisive prospect in the entire draft. He underwent multiple ACL surgeries earlier in his career with the Indiana Hoosiers. Obviously, Penix’ medicals are going to play a huge role in where he goes during the annual event. He could find himself as a top-15 pick. He could also fall to Day 3. That’s how much is on the line here for the reigning Heisman finalist. It will help that he’s going to be able to show off his elite-level skills on the field during the NFL Combine. But it’s going to be all about how teams view his medicals. We’ll have a better understanding here soon.