Tag: 2023 NFL Combine

NFL Combine results for former Aggie Devon Achane

Final results for Devon Achane at the 2023 NFL Combine

Speed, strength, and athletic ability are the traits on display during the shirt and shorts Olympics. Scouts and coaches are going through the annual routine of evaluating athletes at the 2023 NFL scouting combine. Over 300 former college football players filed into Lucas Oil Stadium with the opportunity to make a lasting impression on the NFL teams in attendance.

Devon was one of three former Aggies participating in this week’s events. The junior running back is smaller but showed three years of playing in the SEC. He is generally seen as a late second-round or third-round pick.

Here is a look at the final numbers from the NFL combine for former Aggie Devon Achane, including his overall grade and projection.

5 takeaways from offensive line day at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine

The Commanders should have no problem finding help in the trenches next month.

The 2023 NFL Scouting Combine is in the books after the offensive linemen and running backs took the field on Sunday in Indianapolis.

While the quarterbacks and defensive backs received most of the headlines throughout the weekend, several offensive linemen helped themselves on Sunday.

The Washington Commanders need plenty of help on the offensive line and spent multiple evenings having formal meetings with several prospects. Offensive tackle Darnell Wright of Tennessee and center John Michael Schmitz of Minnesota were among those who met with the Commanders.

While you can’t really say an offensive lineman’s stock dropped because of his 40 times, we offer some thoughts from Sunday’s offensive line workouts.

2023 NFL Combine Results: QB, RB, WR and TE

Measurables for QB, RB, WR, and TE from the 2022 NFL Combine

The NFL combine is the first objective look at the 2023 class of rookies and a chance to see what their measurables actually are – not what the university PR department has pushed. Extreme values are always the most interesting but the bottom line to every player isn’t their weight, height, or speed.

It’s all about the yards and scores they generate when facing opposing NFL defenses. But the measurables below will impact where they are drafted and by whom, and that will define their opportunity and situation as a rookie.

Quarterbacks

First Round Prospects School HT WT Hand 40-yard
Bryce Young Alabama 5’10 204 9.75 —
C.J. Stroud Ohio State 6’3 214 10 —
Anthony Richardson Florida 6’4 244 10.5 4.43
Will Levis Kentucky 6’4 229 10.63 —
Rest of Class School HT WT Hand 40-yard
Tyson Bagent Shepherd 6’3 213 9.5 4.79
Stetson Bennett Georgia 5’11 192 10 4.67
Malik Cunningham Louisville 6’0 192 9.5 4.53
Max Duggan TCU 6’2 207 9.88 4.52
Jake Haener Fresno State 6’0 207 9.38 —
Jaren Hall BYU 6’0 207 9.5 —
Hendon Hooker Tennessee 6’3 217 10.5 —
Tanner McKee Stanford 6’6 231 9.38 —
Aidan O’Connell Purdue 6’3 213 9.75 —
Dorian Thompson-Robinson UCLA 6’2 203 9.88 4.56
Clayton Tune Houston 6’3 220 9.38 4.64

The first four quarterbacks above should all see first-round selections and a near-certainty that they’ll be given appreciable playing time as a rookie. Bryce Young is expected to be the first taken and that could be with the 1.01 pick that is currently held by the Bears but available to anyone if the price is right. He threw a ridiculous 79 touchdowns over the last two seasons in Alabama but he played with a listed height of 6-0. Seems he shrank two inches and he enters the NFL at almost exactly the same size as Kyler Murray.

Many of the prospects declined to run a 40-yard dash but should during the Pro Days at their college. Anthony Richardson enters the draft as a dual threat and his blazing 40-time suggests his success will continue when he is in the NFL. C.J. Stroud totaled 85 touchdown passes in his two seasons for Ohio State as a dangerous pocket passer. Will Levis could show up later in the first round after success in Kentucky as another quarterback with elite measurables as a passer, though with lesser college stats.

This is considered to be an average to good class of quarterbacks and should produce at least a couple of 2023 starters.

Running Backs

Early Round Prospects School HT WT Hand 40-yard
Bijan Robinson Texas 5’11 215 9.75 4.46
Jahmyr Gibbs Alabama 5’9 199 9.25 4.36
Zach Charbonnet UCLA 6’0 214 9.88 4.53
Kenny McIntosh Georgia 6’0 204 9 4.62
Zach Evans Mississippi 5’11 202 10.25 —
Devon Achane Texas A&M 5’9 188 8.5 4.32
Rest of Class School HT WT Hand 40-yard
Israel Abanikanda Pittsburgh 5’10 216 8.25 —
Tank Bigsby Auburn 6’0 210 9.5 4.56
Chase Brown Illinois 5’10 209 10 4.43
Travis Dye USC 5’10 201 9.25 —
Tiyon Evans Louisville 5’10 225 8.5 4.52
Eric Gray Oklahoma 5’10 207 9.75 —
Evan Hull Northwestern 5’11 209 9.25 4.47
Mohamed Ibrahim Minnesota 5’8 203 9 —
Roschon Johnson Texas 6’0 219 9.63 4.58
Hunter Luepke North Dakota State 6’1 230 9.63 —
DeWayne McBride UAB 5’10 209 9.5 —
Kendre Miller TCU 5’11 215 9.38 —
Keaton Mitchell East Carolina 5’8 179 9.25 4.37
Camerun Peoples Appalachian State 6’1 217 9.75 4.61
Deneric Prince Tulsa 6’0 216 9.25 4.41
Chris Rodriguez Jr. Kentucky 6’0 217 8.63 —
Tyjae Spears Tulane 5’10 201 10 —
Tavion Thomas Utah 6’0 237 9.25 4.74
SaRodorick Thompson Texas Tech 6’0 207 9 4.67
Sean Tucker Syracuse 5’9 207 9.5 —
Deuce Vaughn Kansas State 5’5 179 9.5 —

The devaluing of running backs in the NFL will be apparent in the NFL draft, with Bijan Robinson the only running back that should be a lock for the first round. The ex-Longhorn runner is fast, has prototypical size and elite rushing skills that will net him a starting gig in Week 1. He’ll be highly coveted in fantasy drafts and is expected to go in the first half of the first round, if not Top-10.

Jahmyr Gibbs is a smaller player at 5-9, 199 pounds but was a speedy dynamo for the Crimson Tide last year and brings dual-threat skills that could see him potentially sneak into the end of the first round, but more likely be taken in the second.

This could be another draft with running back quality lasting into Day 3 which means any NFL team can reach them. That handful of rookies with significant production have to land in a great offense with at least a solid shot at a complementary role.

Wide Receivers

Early Round Prospects School HT WT Hand 40-yard
Quentin Johnston TCU 6’3 208 9.63 —
Jaxon Smith-Njigba Ohio State 6’1 196 9 —
Jordan Addison USC 5’11 173 8.75 4.49
Jalin Hyatt Tennessee 6’0 176 9 4.4
Zay Flowers Boston College 5’9 182 9.25 4.42
Rashee Rice SMU 6’1 204 9.5 4.51
Cedric Tillman Tennessee 6’3 213 10 4.54
Kayshon Boutte LSU 5’11 195 9.5 4.5
Xavier Hutchinson Iowa State 6’2 203 9.38 4.53
Jonathan Mingo Mississippi 6’2 220 10.38 4.46
Josh Downs North Carolina 5’9 171 9.25 4.48
Rest of Class School HT WT Hand 40-yard
Ronnie Bell Michigan 6’0 191 9.5 4.54
Jake Bobo UCLA 6’4 206 10 —
Jalen Brooks South Carolina 6’1 201 9.5 4.69
Jason Brownlee Southern Mississippi 6’2 198 9.75 4.59
Jacob Copeland Maryland 5’11 201 8.63 4.42
Derius Davis TCU 5’8 165 8 4.36
Nathaniel Dell Houston 5’8 165 8.63 4.49
Dontay Demus Jr. Maryland 6’3 212 9.75 4.57
Demario Douglas Liberty 5’8 179 8.75 4.44
Grant DuBose Charlotte 6’2 201 9.5 4.57
Bryce Ford-Wheaton West Virginia 6’4 221 9.38 4.38
Antoine Green North Carolina 6’2 199 9 4.47
Jadon Haselwood Arkansas 6’2 215 10 4.66
Malik Heath Mississippi 6’2 213 9.13 4.64
Elijah Higgins Stanford 6’3 235 10.5 4.54
Andrei Iosivas Princeton 6’3 205 8.75 4.43
Kearis Jackson Georgia 5’11 196 9.38 4.55
Rakim Jarrett Maryland 6’0 192 9.38 4.44
Michael Jefferson Louisiana 6’4 199 9.63 4.56
Jaray Jenkins LSU 6’2 204 10 4.6
CJ Johnson East Carolina 6’2 224 10.25 —
Charlie Jones Purdue 5’11 175 9 4.43
Malik Knowles Kansas State 6’2 196 8.75 —
Matt Landers Arkansas 6’4 200 9.25 4.37
Marvin Mims Oklahoma 5’11 183 9 4.38
Jalen Moreno-Cropper Fresno State 5’11 172 8.88 4.4
Puka Nacua BYU 6’2 201 9.5 —
Joseph Ngata Clemson 6’3 217 10.25 4.54
Trey Palmer Nebraska 6’0 192 9.63 4.33
A.T. Perry Wake   Forest 6’4 198 9.25 4.47
Jayden Reed Michigan State 5’11 187 9.13 4.45
Tyler Scott Cincinnati 5’10 177 9 4.44
Justin Shorter Florida 6’4 229 10 4.55
Mitchell Tinsley Penn State 6’0 199 10 4.6
Tre Tucker Cincinnati 5’9 182 8.63 4.4
Parker Washington Penn State 5’10 204 10.13 —
Jalen Wayne South Alabama 6’2 210 9.38 4.51
Dontayvion Wicks Virginia 6’1 206 10 4.62
Michael Wilson Stanford 6’2 213 9.75 4.58

The two measurables that are most valued with wideouts are height (without losing speed) and 40-times. While there are many 6-2 wideouts, there are plenty of solid prospects that are not relying on just standing tall over the middle. And there will be fantasy value produced from this group this year, but it will be the combination of their talent and measurables plus the situation and quarterback that they are paired with on their new team.

Both Quentin Johnston (TCU) and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Ohio State) are expected to be first-round picks. Johnston is the consensus best wideout in the draft. Jordan Addison, and Zay Flowers are also expected to be Day 1 picks by a receiver-needy team. There’s still time for receivers to jockey for better draft slots and all it takes is one team interested.

There should be up to ten wide receivers taken in the first two rounds and each will carry expectations of contributing as a rookie. There are plenty of candidates to sift through and Pro Days will also help to sort out which ones will deserve fantasy attention this season.

Tight Ends

Early Round Prospects School HT WT Hand 40-yard
Michael Mayer Notre  Dame 6’5 249 9.5 4.70
Dalton Kincaid Utah 6’4 246 10.25 —
Luke Musgrave Oregon State 6’6 253 10.38 4.61
Darnell Washington Georgia 6’7 264 11 4.64
Sam LaPorta Iowa 6’3 245 10.25 4.59
Rest of Class School HT WT Hand 40-yard
Davis Allen Clemson 6’6 245 10 4.84
Payne Durham Purdue 6’6 253 9.75 4.87
Noah Gindorff North Dakota State 6’6 263 10 —
Tucker Kraft South Dakota State 6’5 254 10 4.69
Zack Kuntz Old Dominion 6’7 255 10.25 4.55
Cameron Latu Alabama 6’4 242 9.5 —
Will Mallory Miami 6’5 239 9.38 4.54
Kyle Patterson Air   Force 6’5 260 9.25 —
Luke Schoonmaker Michigan 6’5 251 9 4.63
Brenton Strange Penn State 6’4 253 9.63 4.70
Leonard Taylor Cincinnati 6’5 250 10.13 —
Travis Vokolek Nebraska 6’6 259 9.5 —
Blake Whiteheart Wake  Forest 6’4 247 8.75 4.7
Josh Whyle Cincinnati 6’7 248 9.5 4.69
Brayden Willis Oklahoma 6’4 241 9.75 —

Historically, rookie tights do not carry enough reliability to merit any fantasy start, but one or two may emerge as a weekly option later in the season. Michael Mayer is the consensus best tight end but that’s as much as being a receiver as a blocker. Any tight end with sub-4.8 40-time has the wheels to be a receiver that tacks on yardage. Darnell Washington is not only the tallest at 6-7, but ran a 4.64 as the heaviest tight end (264 pounds).

The first tight end should be Mayer and while there’s a small chance that he’s taken at the end of the first round, he’s more likely to lead the five top tight ends that will be taken on Day 2.

Top 5 Big Ten performers from day three of the 2023 NFL Combine

Another Iowa Hawkeye made himself some money on day three of the NFL Combine. Who were the rest of the Big Ten’s top performers?

Day three of the NFL Scouting Combine is now in the books, and this day felt a lot different than the previous two days.

In days one and two, we saw entire classes of position groups dominate at the Combine. The defensive linemen look as athletic as ever, with players such as Northwestern’s Adetomiwa Adebawore posting numbers never before seen for their size.

You just found yourself chuckling after every insane performance. From Pittsburgh’s Calijah Kancey testing extremely similar to former Panther Aaron Donald to Georgia‘s Nolan Smith setting a new bar for speed rushers at the Combine.

When you look at the defensive linemen lists on Relative Athletic Score (a website I will be referencing this entire article), it is a sea of green and you can get lost in the potential stars listed.

The next day it was the dominance of the defensive backs. The secondary members were determined to not be outdone by the bigger guys up front, proving to be equally as athletic. It really felt like we saw the bar at the defensive back positions, and, if you aren’t in the upper echelon of physical abilities, you would stick out like a sore thumb!

The eyes on day three of the Combine will always be surrounding the wide receivers. After seeing the defensive backs test out of this world, many expected to see the same from the route runners on the other side. While there were some notable performances—Princeton wide receiver and NCAA All American in the heptathlon Andrei Iosivas was naturally one of the best testers—there was a lot of disappointment online regarding the wide outs.

Funnily enough, the testing results weren’t even that bad, but it just shows how high of a bar the first two days set. If you are not up to that higher standard, you will stand out in a bad way.

With that preamble, my big hope with showcasing these day three top Big Ten performers is to just show you viewers how athletic these guys still were. I think it got sort of lost yesterday, maybe because of the insanely high expectations, but I will not stand for that. Here are the five best Big Ten performers with no particular ranking of course.

Former Florida OT injured during the 2023 NFL Combine

Former Florida offensive tackle Richard Gouraige was injured during his medical exams at the NFL combine, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport.

Former Florida offensive tackle [autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag] was injured at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, according to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Gouraige “woke up with a swollen ankle after a pain tolerance test created an injury,” Rappoport tweeted. “He had been planning to do all drills but now won’t be able to thanks to the situation caused during his medical exams.”

After playing in both the Las Vegas Bowl and Reese’s Senior Bowl, Gouraige has seen his draft stock rise a bit, but now he won’t be able to show his physical capabilities on the field at the combine. A swollen ankle won’t hurt his long-term stock, but it’s still unfortunate timing for a player who has stayed healthy through a lot.

He played over 1,600 snaps at left tackle for Florida over the past three seasons and served as the team’s everyday starter for the past two years. Pro Football Focus gave him an offensive grade of 70.8 in 2022, which ranks 34th overall in the country among draft-eligible tackles that played in over 500 snaps. Gouraige ranked 22nd in the nation with a 78.3 pass-blocking grade.

He shined during Senior Bowl practices as the highest-grade tackle (83.9) of the entire event. His run-blocking grade was particularly high for a player who had never truly excelled in that area while at Florida.

It’s too soon to tell where Gouraige might go in the draft, but NFL.com ranks him as the No. 16  overall offensive tackle in the class. A 6.10 prospect grade translates to a “good backup with the potential to develop into a starter,” so there should be hope for Gouraige to get drafted.

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2023 NFL Combine coverage highlighted a younger Cody Mauch’s adorable Napoleon Dynamite dance

Flippin’ sweet!

North Dakota State offensive lineman Cody Mauch is hoping that he’ll have a flippin’ sweet 2023 NFL Scouting Combine.

As he participated in drills for Sunday’s combine finale, the NFL Network crew dug up an adorable throwback video of Mauch performing the Napoleon Dynamite dance from the film of the same name.

If you want to strap on your seatbelt on the Wayback Machine, you’ll remember plenty of talent shows where kids did the Napoleon Dynamite dance.

Mauch did a delightful job paying homage to the beloved aughts comedy when he was a kid, and maybe this clip will give NFL teams hope that Mauch will do whatever he feels like he wants to do as a potential NFL starter.

Mauch is projected to be a second-day draft pick, and he could fill an important spot on any team’s NFL offensive line.

Maybe the offensive lineman will bust out the dance moves once he’s drafted next month.

Darnell Washington made an absolutely ridiculous one-handed catch at the NFL Combine

WOW, DARNELL WASHINGTON!

Former Georgia tight end Darnell Washington might’ve had the best highlight from the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine.

While the tight ends went through drills on Saturday, Washington made an absolutely phenomenal one-handed catch that rocked the entire combine.

Players usually get some love from the crowd when they complete an impressive combine drill, but you could really feel the shock from those watching at just how impressive it was for Washington to haul in the ball like that.

The Georgia standout has positioned himself as a possible first-round pick, and moments like that are surely going to help his draft potential.

If you need any further proof of Washington’s insane athleticism, check out how easily he moved this sled.

With Georgia players all the rage these days in the draft process, don’t be surprised if a tight end-needy team will be ecstatic to get Washington in the building this April. He might be the next star at the position.

How to watch the NFL Combine, live stream, TV channel, Running Backs & Offensive Linemen

The 2023 NFL Combine will conclude on Sunday afternoon with the Running Backs and Offensive Linemen.

The 2023 NFL Combine will conclude on Sunday afternoon with the Offensive Linemen and Running Backs from Lucas Oil Stadium.

The Combine will run from Thursday-Sunday and will feature NFL prospects that will be gearing up for the NFL draft in April. All 32 teams will be represented by NFL coaches, scouts, and team personnel.

This is a great way to gear up before the NFL Draft next month, here is everything you need to know to watch and stream the action.

2023 NFL Combine

Running Backs & Offensive Linemen

  • When: Sunday, March 5
  • Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: NFL Network
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

 NFL Combine Events

  • 40-yard dash
  • Bench press
  • Vertical jump
  • Broad jump
  • Three-cone drill
  • 20-yard shuttle
  • 60-yard shuttle

How to watch the NFL in 2023

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2023 NFL Combine results for former Gators wide receiver Justin Shorter

Here’s how things panned out for Justin Shorter on Saturday.

The 2023 scouting combine is officially underway as 319 of the top collegiate football players gather at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, where they get their last big chance to make an even bigger impression on scouts from all 32 NFL franchises in attendance.

One of the participants this year who hails from the Orange and Blue is wide receiver [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag], who spent three seasons with the Gators after transferring from the Penn State Nittany Lions, where he spent two years prior to his arrival in Gainesville. The 6-foot-4-inch, 229-pound pass catcher’s overall performance in the combine landed in the lower third among participants but he still projects as an above-average backup at the next level.

Here is a look at the final numbers from the NFL combine for former Gators wide receiver Justin Shorter, including his overall grade and projection.

PHOTOS: Former Gators wide receiver Justin Shorter’s 2023 NFL Combine workout

Take a look at some photos from Justin Shorter’s performance at the 2023 NFL scouting combine.

The 2023 NFL combine kicked off on Thursday, March 2, in Indianapolis, Indiana, where 319 of the top college prospects get one of their last chances to show off their talents in front of scouts from all 32 professional teams in the league ahead of the NFL draft at the end of April.

Among those taking part in the combine was wide receiver [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag], who worked out on Saturday — the third day of the event. The 6-foot-4-inch, 229-pound pass-catcher put together a solid workout that earned him a 6.0 prospect grade which projects him as an above-average backup in the NFL.

Take a look below at some photographs of wide receiver Justin Shorter’s performance at the 2023 NFL combine on Saturday.