The NFL Combine is officially in the books, and as always, the results have already begun reshaping the narrative around several draft prospects. While some question how much the event truly reveals about a player’s ability on the field, there’s no denying its impact on draft boards across the league.
Every year, a handful of prospects see their stock rise or fall based on testing results, interviews, and overall impressions from teams in Indianapolis. This year was no different.
Below, we take a look at three winners and three losers from the Combine and what their performances could mean when the NFL Draft arrives.
Winners
Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
Sonny Styles entered the Combine as one of the more intriguing defensive prospects in this year’s class. While linebackers are sometimes devalued in today’s NFL, Styles’ versatility and athletic profile have kept him firmly in the early first-round conversation.
After his performance in Indianapolis, it would be surprising to see him fall very far on draft night.
Styles participated in every drill except the bench press and finished first among linebackers in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, and broad jump. His testing numbers confirmed the elite athletic traits that showed up consistently on his college tape.
Beyond the physical testing, Styles also impressed teams in interviews. NFL evaluators reportedly praised his football IQ and understanding of defensive schemes. Taken together, Styles’ Combine performance may have solidified his position as a top-five pick, with the New York Giants at No. 5 often mentioned as a potential landing spot.
Jeff Caldwell, WR, Cincinnati
Caldwell entered the Combine as a developmental wide receiver prospect, but his testing numbers quickly turned heads.
At 6-foot-5 and 216 pounds, Caldwell posted 99th-percentile athletic metrics and finished among the top performers in nearly every drill he participated in. His 4.31-second 40-yard dash and 1.48-second 10-yard split are elite numbers for any receiver, let alone one with his size. Strong performances in both the vertical and broad jump further highlighted his explosiveness.
Those results don’t change the fact that Caldwell remains a raw prospect as a route runner. However, the upside is undeniable. With his rare combination of size and speed, teams searching for a mid-round breakout candidate will undoubtedly take a closer look.
Right now, Caldwell profiles as a high-ceiling, low-floor prospect similar to Raiders wide receiver D’onte Thornton Jr. But after this performance, expect his name to rise on plenty of draft boards as they search for a mid-round gem.
Haynes King, QB, Georgia Tech
Haynes King may have officially entered the Combine listed as a quarterback, but most teams are not evaluating him as a traditional NFL passer.
Instead, King projects as a versatile offensive weapon capable of filling multiple roles. Think of a smaller version of Taysom Hill, a player who can contribute as a tight end, hybrid quarterback, or situational playmaker.
King showcased that athletic versatility in Indianapolis. He finished among the top three in both the 20-yard shuttle and three-cone drill while also posting a 4.46-second 40-yard dash.
At just 212 pounds, King is undersized for a traditional tight end role, but his athletic profile will certainly intrigue creative offensive coordinators. After his Combine performance, there will likely be multiple teams willing to take a late-round chance on him as a gadget player and emergency quarterback.
Losers
Malachi Fields, WR, Notre Dame
Fields has been one of the more divisive prospects in this year’s draft class. In some mock drafts he appears as a late first-round selection, while others project him slipping well into Day 3.
Fields has shown the ability to make highlight-reel contested catches, but his lack of separation at the college level has raised concerns about whether he can consistently get open against NFL defensive backs.
Unfortunately for Fields, his Combine performance did little to quiet those concerns.
He posted the second-slowest 40-yard dash time and the slowest 10-yard split among all participating wide receivers. While his results in other drills were average, those speed numbers will only amplify questions about his ability to separate at the next level.
Fields also struggled during the gauntlet drill, dropping multiple passes. While Combine results should always be taken with some caution, this performance likely pushes Fields out of first-round consideration and into the Day 2 range.
LT Overton, EDGE, Alabama
Overton has long been viewed as a prospect whose on-field production exceeds his athletic profile. Heading into the Combine, his camp likely hoped to demonstrate that he possessed more speed than many scouts believed.
Instead, the testing results raised more questions.
Overton chose to participate only in the 40-yard dash, skipping the jumps and agility drills. That decision proved costly when he posted one of the slowest 40-yard times of the day among defensive ends.
Without additional testing numbers to evaluate his burst or agility, teams are left with an incomplete athletic profile. As a result, Overton may now be viewed as a positional tweener, not quite fast enough to consistently rush off the edge and not big enough to play full-time along the interior defensive line.
Emmett Johnson, RB, Nebraska
Johnson entered Combine week as a projected early-to-mid Day 2 selection after a strong final season at Nebraska. His agility and short-area quickness have always been his strongest traits, and those skills were confirmed during testing. He performed well in both the shuttle and three-cone drills.
Unfortunately, the rest of the testing numbers highlighted the concerns scouts already had about his athletic profile.
Johnson posted the slowest 40-yard dash time among running backs and also finished last in the bench press. He ranked in the bottom half of nearly every other drill as well.
Speed and explosiveness were already considered question marks entering the Combine, and the results did little to ease those concerns. As a result, Johnson could see his draft stock slide toward the late third round or even into Day 3.
If this was your kind of read, you’ll like what’s next. Get The Sandman Ticket, our free, weekly newsletter with picks, insights, and a little bit of everything we love about sports.
