Another NFL combine is in the books.
After an exciting week in Indianapolis, a clearer picture of the 2024 draft class is starting to form. Some players helped their stock, while others are tumbling down draft boards due to testing or medicals.
So, who were the standouts at the 2024 combine? And what players are in trouble?
Here are some winners and losers from the action-packed event:
Loser: Participation
While plenty of prospects did their best to show out in drills and testing, others stayed on the sideline. The top three quarterbacks -- and top three projected picks overall -- all sat out after speaking with the media and measuring in. That was a far cry from last year, when top picks C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson both participated.
It wasn't just the quarterbacks sitting out, though. Consensus top wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and another projected top-10 pick Malik Nabers both skipped drills and testing. Brock Bowers, the top tight end prospect, joined his fellow playmakers on the sideline. And on the other side of the ball, Kool-Aid McKinstry and Cooper DeJean -- two defensive backs expected to go in the first round -- were forced to skip due to injuries.
Winner: Michael Penix Jr. and Joe Milton
With the top three quarterbacks not participating, somebody had to step up -- and these guys did it.
Starting with Penix, the concern about the Washington product has always been health. He suffered two torn ACLs in his six college seasons before finishing with his best year in 2023. Penix, perhaps most importantly, passed all his medical exams. Then, he showed out with impressive measurements (81-inch wingspan, 10.5-inch hands) and a dazzling throwing display.
Further down the board, Milton has been an enigma throughout his career. The Tennessee product has all the physical tools -- he just hasn't quite put it all together to become an elite quarterback. But the combine was the ideal place for Milton to show off his rocket arm, and that's exactly what he did. He threw several bombs of over 70 yards, albeit without any defenders in his face. Still, Milton definitely improved his stock in Indy.
Winner: Texas wide receivers
It's been a great year for the Texas Longhorns. The school made its first College Football Playoff appearance in January. Now, it has two wide receivers flying up draft boards.
Xavier Worthy was the headliner this week. The 20-year old receiver set the NFL combine record with a blistering 4.21 40-yard dash. Worthy, who measured in at 5-foot-11 and 165 pounds, needed a time like this to help his stock.
While Worthy was the record-setter, his teammate Adonai Mitchell had the better overall performance. He ran a 4.34 40-yard dash -- after measuring in at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds. That combination of size and speed is rare, as Mitchell joins Seahawks star DK Metcalf in elite company.
Loser: Kamren Kinchens, Miami S
There are plenty of strong position groups in the 2024 class -- quarterbacks, receiver, tackle and cornerback, to name a few. But there hasn't been much buzz about the safeties.
Kinchens entered the combine with a chance to establish himself as the consensus top safety. That didn't happen, though, after underwhelming drills and testing. The Miami product ran a 4.65-second 40-yard dash, which was tied for the slowest among safeties. He was also last in the broad jump and posted just a 2.11 Relative Athletic Score (on a 1-to-10 scale).
Winner: Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo CB
Between the Senior Bowl and now the combine, Mitchell looks like a sure-fire top-20 pick.
The Toledo corner had to prove himself after emerging from a small school, and he's done just that throughout every step in the pre-draft process. At the combine, Mitchell ran a 4.33 40-yard dash and did 20 reps on the bench press. That made him the second-fastest and the strongest cornerback in Indy.
His measurements, meanwhile, bode well for a long career as a top-flight cornerback. At this point, it's just a matter of how high he rises before April's draft -- and the top-15 is suddenly within reach.
