Tag: NFL Scouting Combine

ESPN has Mike Sainristil among its biggest NFL scouting combine risers

Make that money, Mike! #GoBlue

Michigan football fans knew how good nickelback Mike Sainristil is, and now the NFL world is learning about him, too.

On Friday, the former Wolverines team captain had his turn to go through drills at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, and he put on quite a show. With an impressive 40-yard dash, vertical leap, broad jump and three-cone drill, suddenly Sainristil could find himself going earlier in the NFL draft than previously imagined.

ESPN’s Jordan Reid put together his top NFL scouting combine Day 2 takeaways (subscription required), and first on his list of biggest risers was the Michigan standout.

Mike Sainristil, CB, Michigan: The 5-foot-9, 182-pound Sainristil is at the top of that nickel cornerback group. He solidified himself as a late-Day 2 prospect on Friday, jumping 40 inches in the vertical, jumping 10-foot-11 in the broad and running a 4.47-second 40-yard dash. As a converted receiver, his ball skills and change-of-direction ability really stand out; he had six interceptions in 2023. Teams that are looking for an immediate starter at nickel have to be excited about Sainristil’s workout. — Reid

Reid may have him as a late Day 2 prospect, but CBS Sports actually thinks (and this was before the combine) that Sainristil has a shot at going in the first round, albeit late. Yes, many will look at his size and be reluctant, but given his playmaking ability, his penchant for forcing turnovers (he had six interceptions including two pick sixes, along with two forced fumbles in 2023), and knack for being in the right place at the right time, an NFL team could come calling sooner than later.

And that does not even mention the star wideouts he went up against who claim he was the toughest player they faced in college.

Playmaking WR draft prospect says he met with Patriots at NFL combine

The Patriots could be eyeing more than just Jayden Daniels at LSU

LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. confirmed he met with the New England Patriots this week.

Thomas recorded 68 catches for 1,177 yards and 17 touchdowns last season with the Tigers. Overall, he has recorded 127 catches for 1,897 yards and 24 touchdowns in three seasons of play. Thomas was clearly one of the team’s best playmakers, averaging 17.3 yards per catch in 2023.

The former LSU standout indicated he understood that he would have to adapt a bit to the weather conditions, if he were to play in New England. He could be a first-round selection, but he could also slip into Round 2, which would give the Patriots flexibility in a draft where they need to add as many playmakers as possible.

It will be interesting to see how the Patriots approach the wide receiver position and if Thomas is a legitimate target on their draft board. He is certainly a playmaker at one of the greatest positions of need for the team this offseason.

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WATCH: Kool-Aid McKinstry taste tests Kool-Aid flavors at NFL Combine

Former Alabama DB Kool-Aid McKinstry has some fun at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine!

Former Alabama defensive back Kool-Aid McKinstry is expected to be an early-round selection in the upcoming NFL draft. His play is what makes him an NFL-caliber player, but his name is what originally catches people’s attention.

McKinstry was born with a big smile on his face, comparable to that of the Kool-Aid Man’s, so his family began calling him Kool-Aid from birth.

While at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, McKinstry, who has a deal with Kool-Aid Brand, was tasked with putting his taste buds to the test. Without looking at the flavor, McKinstry had to guess the flavor.

The Combine can be a stressful time for many, but McKinstry was able to have fun at the event, despite receiving some rather unexpected news regarding a foot injury.

Which QB prospects will throw at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine?

Which QB prospects will throw at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine?

 

The 2024 NFL Scouting Combine is nearly complete but some key positions still have to take the field. The quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs will compete on Saturday afternoon. While Atlanta is pretty much set at running back, the team will be watching the quarterbacks and wide receivers closely.

The top three quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL draft class — Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels — won’t be throwing, but there are still some noteworthy names to keep an eye on.

Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, Oregon’s Bo Nix and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. are each expected to throw on Saturday afternoon.

Tune into the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine at 1:00 p.m. ET on Saturday to watch the quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers compete in drills.

Ravens had formal meeting with Oklahoma offensive tackle Tyler Guyton at NFL Combine

The Baltimore Ravens held a formal meeting with Oklahoma offensive tackle Tyler Guyton at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine

The Ravens face tough decisions at the offensive tackle spot entering free agency, with Ronnie Stanley and Morgan Moses potentially salary cap casualties.

Baltimore is always ahead of the curve at retooling the roster, and they’ve started to assess elite talent like Tyler Guyton.

The Oklahoma All-American offensive tackle confirmed a formal meeting with Ravens brass at the combine on Friday.

At 6-7, 328 with 34 1/4-inch arms, Guyton’s frame and movement skills are elite, and he’s stout enough to anchor down against an elite power rusher.

Guyton already got Lane Johnson’s approval for the first round and could lead Baltimore into another Super Bowl window.

Browns in hot pursuit of 2024 NFL draft offensive linemen at NFL Scouting Combine

The Browns have had a handful of confirmed meetings with offensive linemen at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Despite it being a strong point of their roster for the last half-decade, the Cleveland Browns are approaching a turning point along their offensive line as the 2024 NFL draft approaches.

And they know it.

As the offensive linemen took to the media room at their prospective podiums, a handful of them told me they had met with the Browns here in Indianapolis at the NFL Scouting Combine. They do not test until tomorrow, an opportunity for the Browns to gather more information on these young players.

Here is why this makes sense for the Browns to be pursuing, and the list of confirmed names to have met with Cleveland’s brass at the combine.

Malik Nabers already has close bond with Caleb Williams

Malik Nabers and Caleb Williams bonded over Call of Duty. Could they soon team up with the Bears?

The Chicago Bears are sitting in a prime position to land two franchise playmakers with a pair of top-10 picks in the 2024 NFL draft. While there’s little doubt about who Chicago is expected to take at No. 1 (Caleb Williams), there’s more discussion about the direction they could go at ninth overall.

In a perfect world, one of the top wide receivers will fall to the Bears at No. 9, and Chicago could pair their rookie QB with another talented wide receiver to jumpstart his development.

Perhaps that’ll be LSU’s Malik Nabers, who happens to already have a bond with Williams.

“I talk to Caleb all the time,” Nabers said, via 670 the Score. “He always talks about that I’m a great receiver. I’m just waiting for that day to be called.

“We started playing Call of Duty with each other, and then that relationship, when you’re a football player and you’re able to connect with another football player, it’s just like your brother really.”

Nabers said he’d be happy to be drafted by the Bears — where a likely pairing with Williams would await — but he’d be grateful for any opportunity.

“I’m happy to go anywhere where I’m wanted, where I’m wanted to be one of those receivers they move around, can create, can give me the ball,” Nabers said. “So anywhere where I’m able to do those things.”

Chicago needs to address wide receiver this offseason. DJ Moore is the only proven wideout on the roster, so it’s a position that could be addressed both in free agency and the draft. If Chicago were to land Nabers, what would they be getting in a receiver?

“I’m able to go outside and inside, so I’m able to create space whether it be with a corner that’s outside, a slot guy, safety,” Nabers said. “So I’m able to play different positions. I feel that’s what makes me great, really, that I can go against eight DBs a game and still average 100 yards a game.”

Report: Justin Fields trade market is ‘soft for now’

It sounds like the Bears might have to wait for a Justin Fields trade market to develop.

The Chicago Bears are approaching a deadline for their franchise-altering quarterback decision. While they haven’t made a decision yet, the expectation is they’re going to trade Justin Fields and draft Caleb Williams at first overall in the 2024 NFL draft.

Earlier this week, it sounded like a Fields trade was going to manifest quickly with the Atlanta Falcons showing strong interest. But things changed this week at the NFL Scouting Combine, where we might have to wait a few weeks for a trade to happen.

According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the Bears might have to wait for a Fields trade market to develop. Russini noted his market “is soft for now” and that it was “hard to find strong interest from any team.”

But she did note that’s more circumstance than anything given everyone knows the Bears are going to move on from Fields at this point. So why would they overpay for his services?

The team spent most of the week gauging interest around the league to evaluate his value. The Bears may need movement in the veteran quarterback market, which includes Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield, before interested teams get into serious discussions with the Bears for Fields.

Though I expect the demand for Fields to be robust, knowing teams like the Raiders, Broncos, Steelers and Falcons are all in search of a quarterback, it appears his market is soft for now. It was hard to find strong interest from any team. One NFC general manager explained the problem with the current timing: “When people know you are getting rid of something, they don’t pay as much for it.”

While Chicago might have their quarterback plan finalized before free agency, it sounds like they’ll need to wait for a couple of dominoes to fall in Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield during free agency in less than two weeks.

Russini noted she expects “the demand for Fields to be robust” and noted quarterback-needy teams who could be interested, including the Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers, Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos.

General manager Ryan Poles said he wanted to “do right” by Fields and understands “no one wants to live in the gray area.” And while Poles might have Fields’ best interests at heart, there are still plenty of questions about the young QB’s future.

The Real Forno Show: Combine standouts from DBs and TEs

Tyler Forness breaks down the defensive backs and tight ends on the latest episode of The Real Forno Show.

The NFL Scouting Combine is officially underway! After doing interviews with the media and their medical exams in prior days, the second group ended up getting onto the field for their workouts.

The second group was defensive backs and tight ends, a change from past years when the DBs would be on the last day. With how the position groups are stacked this year, having them with the tight ends made sense this year.

  • Was this year’s DB group the fastest in recent memory?
  • Injuries to top prospects mar testing.
  • Cam Hart and Khyree Jackson run really well for their size
  • How did Brock Bowers test? Is he worthy of a top 10 pick?
  • Any other tight ends standout in a weak group?

We are here to break it all down and more on the latest episode of The Real Forno Show, airing Monday and Wednesday nights at 6 pm central on the Vikings 1st & SKOL YouTube channel.

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JJ McCarthy on playing for hometown Bears: ‘It’s been one of my dreams’

JJ McCarthy has dreamed of playing for his hometown Bears – or against them.

The Chicago Bears have an important decision to make at quarterback this offseason where choosing between keeping Justin Fields or drafting Caleb Williams with the first overall pick will define general manager Ryan Poles’ tenure.

This is a deep quarterback class, where some even believe four quarterbacks could go in the top 13. While Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels headline the group, there could be some wild cards in the mix.

That includes Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy, who welcomed the idea of playing for his hometown Bears.

“It’s been one of my dreams,” he said at the NFL Scouting Combine, “whether that’s playing for the Bears or against them.”

McCarthy, who confirmed he met with the Bears at the combine, grew up in LaGrange Park, Ill. He acknowledged that it would be special to play at Soldier Field, where he grew up going to games, whether it was as a Bear or an opposing player. That makes sense for any kid coming from the Chicagoland area.

But it’s unlikely that the Bears select him. Chicago will likely choose between the big three in Williams, Maye or Daniels. But there will be quarterback-needy teams who could turn to McCarthy in the first round. Chicago will likely choose between the big three in Williams, Maye or Daniels.

McCarthy has proven that he can win on the big stage. He led Michigan to a National Championship this season, but the NFL is an entirely different animal. He’s going to have to prove that he can be an impactful player. And some team will take a chance on him. Just probably not the Bears.