2024 NFL Combine: Most To Gain

Players that can elevate their stock the most with a show stopping combine.

Once a year, Indianapolis becomes the epicenter of the National Football League for the NFL Combine. At the week-long scouting combine, upwards of 300 prospective players get the opportunity to not only see official league measurements and go through extensive on field testing via drills from NFL coaches, but also get to meet with teams face to face for allotted time periods. While no actual football is played, the combine has become arguably the most integral pre-draft event.

With the entire football world watching, the stage is set for individuals looking to improve their draft stock to make serious strides toward that goal. The most illustrious testing event is the 40-yard dash. While in more recent times the 10-yard split has become more of a talking point, the king is still the king. Urban legend of Deion Sanders and Bo Jackson running sub-4.3 40’s, then leaving the event directly after, still ring through the community to this day. All eyes will be on the wide receiver group and cornerback group in that department - they’re projected to run blistering times.

For the lineman, the bench press and on field drills have always taken precedent over the speed and agility related events, even though they’re undoubtedly still an event that can elevate stock of big men. For linebackers and running backs, the combine isn’t necessarily the place for them to gain any major ground, but certainly still a place to hold court. Run a decent time, don’t look like a robot in drills, & be impressionable in meeting and they’ll be fine. Tight ends fall in between the lineman and backers/backs.

That brings us to the quarterbacks. - the most polarizing and sought after group of the event. There’s no debating that it’s the glamour position group of the sport and thus the most pressure riddled position as well. While the testing portion is a place where they can gain some steam, the real stakes will be claimed during the on field throwing session. That is, for the quarterbacks that have opted to participate. The consensus top three quarterbacks Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, & Jayden Daniels have opted to not take part in the throwing section of the combine but will be there for meetings.

With that vacancy needing billing, there’s the next tier of quarterbacks with big names that will now have a chance to pick up the baton and make noise for themselves. Simply put, everything is for the taking at the combine. Here’s the five guys with the most to gain.

Penn State EDGE Chop Robinson 6’3 250:

Arguably no projected first round talent has produced less results on the field than Chop Robinson. Sure, he’s incredibly explosive and twitchy - that much is evident on tape and a huge reason why he’s expected to blow the testing portion out of the water. However, with only six career sacks, the traits haven’t translated to results. In my opinion he needs a strong combine to reaffirm why people believe he’s worthy of a top draft pick. He has as much to gain and maybe as much to lose as any player here.


South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler 6’1 217:

Rattler is a former five-star quarterback and Lincoln Riley protégé that was a two-time All-Big12 player during his time at Oklahoma. The Caleb Williams elevation needs no rehashing, but the work Rattler has done post transfer to South Carolina has not only been admirable, but extremely impressive from a pure football perspective. He’s grown and matured. He’s developed in a more pro adjacent offense. He’s coming off a string Senior Bowl performance where he was named MVP. With the big three quarterbacks not throwing, Rattler has a primed opportunity to keep the movement rolling.

Alabama EDGE Chris Braswell 6’3 257:

This one is pretty straightforward. Braswell is a fringe first round pick in a high variance EDGE class. While his teammate Dallas Turner is garnering all the top 10 hype, I’ve been told Braswell’s athletic profile is projected to be more impressive than Turner’s from a testing standpoint. If that turns out to be the case, Braswell can catapult himself firmly into first round status. Because when you turn on the tape and look at the production, he can do it all at a high clip. Most importantly, he does it consistently.

Texas WR Adonai Mitchell 6’4 200:

Adonai Mitchell is in the same boat as Braswell albeit from a different position group. When you look at raw measurables and production, you can’t help but come away impressed with Mitchell. In a wide receiver class that some are projecting to be the deepest in recent memory, there’s no better chance for him to boost his standing than at the combine. Especially considering two of the consensus top three wide receivers are not going to participate. If he can put up the numbers the Texas staff has claimed he has at on-campus testing, he can steal the show.

Michigan QB JJ McCarthy 6’3 202:

McCarthy is one of the most polarizing draft prospects in recent memory. There’s no middle ground - either you love him or hate him. I’m of the mindset that if you’re convinced he’s a great prospect or a bad prospect, you’re fooling yourself. There’s not much to support either claim. What there’s no debating is that he’s young, but experienced and has that NFL caliber arm. A platform like the combine is a great opportunity for McCarthy to showcase his athleticism and let it rip in the on-field portion. McCarthy is likely to be a first rounder, but with a great combine, he can possibly creep into the top half.