Once the college football season is over, players hoping to leap to the pros turn their attention to preparing for the NFL Combine. Well, after months of training, players are now running through drills, doing the 40-yard dash, the bench press, short shuttle, and many other tests at Lucas Oil Stadium.
On Saturday, Day 3 took place, with the quarterbacks, wide receivers, and tight ends getting a chance to prove to NFL scouts that they deserve to be selected at some point in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Of course, while we like to imagine every player can show up and boost their draft stock with a strong showing in front of all 32 NFL teams in attendance, that’s simply not the case. For every winner, there’s a loser. The truth is, some players just don’t perform that well in individual athletic drills, but as we’ve seen before, it doesn’t mean they can’t become great NFL players.
Still, with how much chatter the NFL Combine generates each year, we can’t help but fall in the trap of analyzing each component of the week’s events. Looking at Saturday’s NFL Combine action, here are our biggest winners and losers from Day 3.
Related: 2023 NFL Combine Guide
Winners from NFL Combine Day 3
Bryce Young, quarterback, Alabama Crimson Tide
The biggest question surrounding Alabama QB Bryce Young coming into the NFL Combine wasn’t his ability to command an offense or even throw a football. Instead, everyone wanted to know how the smaller-statured Young would measure up. The official results are in.
- Bryce Young’s size: 5-foot-10 1/8, 204 pounds, 9 and 3/4 inch hand size
While Young’s height coming in below six feet comes as no surprise, this should be considered a win for the former Heisman winner. Anything under 5-foot-10, and he’d be smaller than Kyler Murray, who is currently the shortest starting QB in the NFL.
But Murray was the No. 1 overall pick, and now that Young has come in at about the expected size many were expecting, most anticipate the same for the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania native as well.
While there are still several differences separating Murray from Young, such as the former’s incredible cat-like ability to escape a defender’s grasp, it’s hard to chalk up today as anything less than a win for Young. He opted not to throw at the combine, preferring to stand upon his film at Alabama, which is tough to argue.
Related: Winners, losers from Day 1 of the 2023 NFL Combine: Nolan Smith, Calijah Kancey among standouts
Anthony Richardson, quarterback, Florida
We already knew Florida QB Anthony Richardson was a true physical specimen with a rocket arm and plenty of strength. What we didn’t anticipate is that the former Gators star would set a new NFL Combine record with a 40.5″ vertical leap.
While this helps capture some of the explosive ability Richardson has, aside from maybe hurdling defenders or leaping across the goal line, we’re not sure how this part of his athleticism can help make him an NFL superstar. In fact, many don’t even want their quarterback to go airborne in an NFL game, yet Richardson will likely want to continue taking advantage of his otherworldly skillset in the pros too.
Still, setting a record? That’s certainly not going to hurt his draft stock. It just shows how impressive this young athlete is. Did we mention Richardson is an absolute tank at 6-foot-4, 244 pounds? Yeah, watch out if this kid is running at you with a full head of steam. Just don’t try to go low. As Richardson showed today, he just might take the high road and leap over your head.
But that’s not all. Richardson managed to take the excitement up another notch by clocking a 4.43 40-yard dash, the fastest among quarterbacks at this year’s combine.
By the way, Richardson also set a new combine record for QBs in the broad jump as well at 10’9″ while achieving a perfect ten on the ‘Relative Athletic Score’ grading scale. Can you say, freak athlete? There’s no ceiling on how high Richardson could go in the NFL Draft, but it’s safe to say his floor is likely within the top ten picks.
Related: 7 top prospects with most to prove at 2023 NFL Combine
CJ Stroud, quarterback, Ohio State
While Richardson may have stolen a lot of hearts with his off-the-charts athleticism, Ohio State’s CJ Stroud solidified his status as one of, if not the best pure passer in this draft class. Some NFL Draft experts, like NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, even went so far as to claim Stroud had “one of the best throwing sessions” he’s seen at the NFL Combine.
Stroud was already viewed as a practical lock to go in the top five, and he surely didn’t hurt his draft stock today. Just watch as this ball sails through the air of the condition-controlled Lucas Oil Stadium.
Yeah, that should translate to the next level. Here are a few more clips of Stroud working his magic.
Trey Palmer, wide receiver, Nebraska
Another player who definitely boosted their draft stock is Nebraska wideout Trey Palmer, who clocked a ridiculous 4.33-second 40-yard dash. This is the third-fastest mark of all players who have tested at this year’s combine so far, and the quickest among receivers.
- Fastest 40-yard dash among receivers at 2023 NFL Combine: Trey Palmer – 4.33 seconds
Palmer was already viewed as a mid-round prospect heading into the NFL Combine, and his effort today likely only solidified that standing. Already known for his speed, Palmer showed not only is he quick, but possibly one of the best athletes in this draft class.
Related: 2023 NFL Draft tight end rankings: Michael Mayer is No. 1 in loaded TE class
Derius Davis, wide receiver, TCU
While Max Duggan didn’t get to capitalize on today’s events (more on that in a bit), his fellow TCU teammate Derius Davis sure did. Set to turn 23 in September, Davis needed a strong showing today to get him firmly on the NFL radar.
At just 5-foot-8, 165 pounds, Davis will face plenty of questions about his size, but he has the one trait coaches and trainers just can’t teach. Speed.
Davis ran the second-fastest 40-yard dash among receivers at the 2023 NFL Combine, at 4.36 seconds. While this is far from a new record, or anything close, it confirms what draft evaluators saw on film, which is a speedy, shifty receiver who can take the top off the defense.
While Davis may not be seen on NFL gamedays playing an outside receiver role in his rookie season, expect to see this kid handling kick and punt returns, to which he scored a total of six touchdowns via the return game during his five-year college career.
Related: Freak athletes poised to blow up at the NFL Combine
Zay Flowers, wide receiver, Boston College
While he may not have blazed the fastest 40-yard dash of the day, Zay Flowers still managed to impress NFL scouts on hand. Still, his 40 time of 4.42 seconds was respectable, confirming what we felt we know, that Flowers has plenty of speed to excel at the next level.
Scouts will also like seeing Flowers flourish during the ‘gauntlet’ drill for receivers, testing their ability to adjust and catch passes on the run.
Perhaps more importantly for Flowers, he didn’t quite come in at the ‘listed’ height he had displayed in college (5-foot-10). Instead, he measured in at 5-foot-9 1/4. Still, his athletic profile compares favorably to a former dominant player for the Carolina Panthers, who was also known for his compact yet strong frame and ability to run circles around defenders.
Flowers is likely looking at becoming a first-round pick in April. Today’s showing did nothing to slow down his rising draft stock.
Related: Top NFL free agents of 2023: From 1-400, Derek Carr, Bobby Wagner join growing market
Zack Kuntz, tight end, Old Dominion
Chances are, unless you’re a diehard Old Dominion or Penn State Nittany Lions fan, you’ve probably never heard the name Zack Kuntz until today. That’s ok, as the tight end prospect made sure he won’t be forgotten any time soon.
Not only did Kuntz measure in at a gargantuan 6-foot-7 3/8, 255 pounds, he also posted a 40″ vertical leap. This makes Kuntz the tallest player with a 40-inch vertical since 2003. Alright, so he’s super tall, and he can jump really high, but does he have NFL speed? Yes.
Kuntz also managed to run a 4.55 40-yard dash, which is far quicker than anyone his size should be moving. Yet, NFL scouts have to be drooling over his potential to not only stretch seams but also develop into a bonafide red zone threat at the next level.
Related: 6 prospects who could boost their stock the most at NFL Combine
Losers from NFL Combine Day 3
Max Duggan, quarterback, TCU
After leading the TCU Horned Frogs to the College Football National Championship, Max Duggan is flying under the radar as the NFL Combine rages on. Perhaps we saw why on Saturday when given a chance to show what he can do without wearing any pads or facing a pass rush.
Hint: It was not pretty.
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While the soon-to-be 22-year-old was already viewed as a prospect who belonged nowhere near the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, his effort during the combine set that in stone.
Not only did he measure in at just 6-foot-1 1/2, he also was consistently off the mark in passing drills, which are the most significant tests for quarterbacks during the NFL Combine.
Here’s one particularly ugly clip of Duggan being way off on his timing and accuracy on a near-the-sideline pass.
Needless to say, those hoping Duggan can repeat some of the same success he enjoyed in college should realize they have a project on their hands. While Duggan couldn’t do anything to boost his draft stock today, he may have actually cost himself some serious cash with a poor performance, likely dropping him down a few draft boards in the eyes of some.
On the bright side, Duggan did run a 4.52 40-yard dash, which is quicker than anyone anticipated. In fact, his time was the second-fastest among all quarterbacks (just seven participants) who chose to run at this year’s NFL Combine, besting Louisville’s Malik Cunningham’s 4.53 time.
Jordan Addison, wide receiver, USC
One player who was widely expected to be a first-round draft choice may no longer be. USC star receiver Jordan Addison not only measured an inch smaller than he was listed with the Trojans at 5-foot-11, but he also didn’t impress anyone when it comes to athleticism.
Addison ran just a 4.49 40-yard dash, which tied for 12th among receivers who chose to run. This is still in the middle of the pack, but teams selecting players in the top 32 picks don’t typically take average athletes. While the 4.49 was his best time, unfortunately, he also showed he can be much slower by running a 4.55-second 40 time. This is the second-slowest time for a receiver under 175 pounds since 2003. Not exactly ideal, considering athletes only continue to get bigger, stronger, and faster. But not Addison.
Instead, Addison will have to hope his college film, both from catching passes from Kenny Pickett at Pitt, then Caleb Williams at USC, will be enough to earn him further consideration on the first day of the draft, but today’s showing was not a plus.
Related: Bold predictions for 2023 NFL free agency: Destinations for more than 50 top players
Kayshon Boutte, wide receiver, LSU
There was a brief time during Kayshon Boutte’s college career when the former Tigers player was viewed as a receiver who had first-round potential. We’re nowhere near that stage anymore. Boutte never improved upon the 735-yard, five-touchdown performance we saw during his freshman year. This was completely unexpected for the former five-star prospect who once had 308 yards and three touchdowns in a single game against Ole Miss, showing just how dominant he could be.
Instead, Boutte struggled over the next two seasons, seeing his average yards per reception dwindle from a robust 16.3 YPC down to 11.2 in his junior season. Deciding to go pro, now Boutte has been focusing his attention on preparing for the biggest job interview of his life.
Only, the athletic drills didn’t exactly go as planned. First off, Boutte measured in at just 5-foot-11, and he ran just a 4.5-second 40-yard dash. Making matters worse, the already smaller-framed Boutte’s vertical leap came in at an underwhelming 29″. His arrow is pointed straight down.