My philosophy is that the combine matters primarily because of how it influences draft capital, shows a prospect’s ceiling and allows us to disqualify certain prospects who are severely lacking in a physical tool. None of these players are missing any physical tools as they all lit up the combine!

Matthew Golden

The only player to run sub 4.3 in the 40 was Golden with a blazing 4.29 that adds to the list of impressive Texas WR NFL combine performances. Golden’s combine performance all but solidifies him as a 1st round NFL draft pick in a relatively weak WR class. His unique blend of ball skills and take-the-top off the defense speed will likely see him go mid/late first and he is now solidly in the tier of Egbuka, and Burden that lags behind only Tet McMillan. Landing spot will be important for Golden and the primary concern will be that his team uses him to stretch the field as opposed to a target hog WR1.

Bhayshul Tuten

Scootin’ Tuten blew the combine out of the water. He led all RBs in 40 yard dash by running 4.32; also winning the 10 yard split, and the vertical jump. He even tied for 2nd in the broad jump. The outstanding combine performance is another feather in Tuten’s cap as he already had dominant production at Virginia Tech and his advanced stats trailed only Ashton Jeanty in aggregate. The NFL is on notice of Tuten now and he could have leapfrogged his way into the elite tier of runningbacks and the 2nd round of the NFL draft. Post combine I have Tuten as my RB7 behind Jeanty, Hampton, Henderson, Judkins, K. Johnson and Skattebo. In any other RB class he’d be top 5 but he still has yet to show proficiency in the pass game and he has a fumbling problem that could cause teams to hesitate on selecting him. Regardless, I think the physical traits are too tantalizing to ignore given the strength of his prospect profile - Tuten will be a coveted dynasty asset.

Quinshon Judkins

Judkins was viewed as the Thunder to Treveyon Henderson’s lightning but his combine performance puts that notion to rest. He balled out running a 4.48 40 at 221 lbs, won the broad jump and tied for 3rd in the vertical jump. Next Gen Stats gave him an NFL combine athleticism score of 92 which was 2nd overall for this year’s runningbacks. No one was expecting Judkins to crush the combine this way. His performance helps his case as a true 3 down workhorse back who can do more than grind out yards between the tackles by using his long speed to rip off big gains. There are bound to be more Josh Jacobs and Joe Mixon comparisons for Judkins after his spectacular combine showing.

Jaylin Noel

Noel had superb production at Iowa State this year by posting 1193 receiving yards, on 80 receptions and only 4 drops. He showcased equally impressive athleticism at the combine by running a 4.39 40 and leading all WRs with 23 reps on the bench press (he also had the highest WR vertical at 41.5 inches). I see shades of Amon-Ra St. Brown when I watch him play and his physical tools surpass Amon-Ra. He definitely needs to refine his route running and it’s possible he gets early work as a punt/kick returner rather than a day 1 WR. Wherever Noel goes I’ll be targeting him the mid 2nd round of rookie drafts.

Jalen Royals

Jalen Royals entered the combine with a chip on his shoulder. The Utah State product has had to contend with the narrative that he faced poor competition in the Mountain West Conference which inflated his stats. Royals was also viewed more as a possession receiver, YAC threat than a burner but a 4.42 40 yard dash time rounds out his prospect profile and makes it seem like he can do it all. Royals seems to fit the archetype of the ideal fantasy wide receiver. He can be a heavily targeted receiver underneath who can make guys miss for extra yards and still beat some corners over the top when he gets the opportunity. Royals seems to have earned him self a 3rd round selection and could step into a favorable situation where a team can leverage his route running and YAC skills. Royals offers upside as a late 2nd round dynasty rookie draft selection.

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