Standouts from Day 1 of the NFL Combine

The NFL Combine made its return to primetime on Thursday after being cancelled in 2021 due to COVID-19. The quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends took the field at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis to work out in front of NFL teams, fans and a national television audience. The broadcast primarily focuses on the 40-yard dash and on field drills instead of some other key athletic tests that can be more applicable to certain positions.

Here are some takeaways after watching and combing through the official results from Thursday night.

Wide receivers who improved their stock

Kevin Austin, Notre Dame– At this point you can assume Notre Dame will have one of the most athletic receivers in every draft class. Austin joins the likes of Chase Claypool and Miles Boykin as Irish receivers who had great combine showings. From eye-balling the results, it’s more than likely Austin would have the top composite athletic score of all receivers who tested on Thursday night. He measured in at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds with 32 7/8 inch arms. Austin’s a 4.43 second 40-yard dash was the worst mark of his day – which is saying something. His 39 inch vertical jump was tied for third best in the receiver group, while his 11-foot broad jump was fifth. Austin separated himself among the group with stellar agility times. His 6.71 second 3-cone time is elite for the position and was .27 seconds quicker than the next best time. Austin also ripped off a 4.15 second short shuttle, good for second-best.
2021 stats: 48 catches, 888 yards, 7 touchdowns
Austin as a recruit (2018): No. 116 overall in the On3 Consensus

Alec Pierce, Cincinnati– Pierce would be right after Austin for the receiver who put together the best total workout on Thursday night. The Cincinnati wideout was a big riser on draft boards during the fall and validated that ascent with a strong workout. Pierce measured in at 6-foot-3, 211 pounds with 33 inch arms. He ran a 4.41 second 40-yard dash, that was unofficially clocked as a 4.33 before being adjusted. The Chicago area native had the highest vertical of all receivers with a 40.5 inch leap. His 10’9″ broad jump was good for 7th-best among the group. Pierce also posted good agility times with a 4.28 second short shuttle (4th best) and a 7.13 second 3-cone (t-5th best).
2021 stats: 52 catches, 884 yards, 8 touchdowns
Pierce as a recruit (2018): 3-star in the On3 Consensus

Christian Watson, North Dakota State– Watson only participated in three tests, but was a standout in each. He was the fastest big receiver, ripping off a 4.36 second 40 at 6-foot-4, 208 pounds. The NFL legacy also posted the best broad jump of the day with an outstanding 11’4″ leap along with a 38.5 inch vertical jump.
2021 stats: 43 catches, 801 yards, 7 touchdowns
Watson as a recruit (2017): Unranked

+ Calvin Austin III (Memphis) and Tyquan Thornton (Baylor) were the favorites to post the fastest 40’s among the group and each lived up to the billing. Thornton ran an official 4.28, good for the fastest time of the day. Austin is a great athlete in a tiny package at 5-foot-8, 170 pounds. His 4.32 second mark in the 40 was good for third best. Austin also posted the best shuttle time (4.07 seconds) of the day
+ One of the biggest improvements in the 40-yard dash from high school to college can be seen in Georgia’s George Pickens. The former five-star prospect had verified times in the 4.7’s as a recruit, but posted a 4.47 second mark on Thursday night. The improvement is even more impressive considering Pickens missed much of the 2021 season with a torn ACL.
+ Bo Melton from Rutgers also had a strong workout, with a 4.34 second 40, 38 inch vertical, 10’1″ broad jump and 6.98 second 3-cone. He was one of only two receivers to hit the sub 7-second threshold in the 3-cone.

Nice times from Ohio State’s WR duo

Ohio State receivers Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave are both projected as first-rounders at this stage in the process.

Wilson measured in at 6-feet, 183 pounds with 32 inch arms and a 9 7/8 inch hand. The former five-star ran faster than expected, turning in a 4.38 second 40-yard dash. Wilson’s vertical (36 inches) would be above average while his shuttle (4.36) and broad jump (10’3″) are middle of the pack.

Due to some inconsistencies in the NFL Network’s timing apparatus, it was reported on the broadcast that Olave ran a 4.26 second 40-yard dash. The official time of 4.39 seconds was more in line with what Olave was expected to run, but a good time nonetheless. Olave’s 10’4″ broad jump was average among the group while his 32 inch vertical jump was towards the bottom. The 6-foot, 187-pounder was among the more natural receivers in drills, showing his patented fluidity. He showed off his speed and tracking skills on a deep ball from Nevada quarterback Carson Strong.

Malik Willis wows with arm strength

The NFL Combine is a friendly setting for toolsy quarterbacks like Liberty’s Malik Willis. The Auburn transfer did not go through the testing portion of the day, but showed off his palpable arm talent. No other quarterback came close the velocity and distance Willis was able to put on his throws. The 6-foot-.5, 220-pounder wowed onlookers with his deep ball and was able to maintain control and accuracy throughout the workout. Willis is considered to have the highest physical ceiling of all quarterbacks in the 2022 Draft and did nothing to question that belief on Thursday night.

.@malikwillis stealing the show with these deep balls! @LibertyFootball

📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/3t2rF2dpJp

— NFL (@NFL) March 4, 2022

It should also be noted that Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder put up some outstanding testing numbers with a 4.52 second 40-yard dash, 36 inch vertical jump and 10’7″ broad jump at 6-foot-3, 211 pounds with a 10 inch hand.

Greg Dulcich, Jelani Woods stand out at TE

UCLA’s Greg Dulcich was the top tight end to go through the full workout and did well for the most part. The former walk-on wide receiver checked in at 6-foot-4, 243 pounds with 33 3/8 inch arms. He was near the top of every test, posting a 4.69 second 40-yard dash, 34 inch vertical, 10’2″ broad jump, 7.05 second 3-cone and 4.37 shuttle. Dulcich also looked smooth as a mover with natural hands in position drills

Virginia’s Jelani Woods was among the biggest eye-catchers on the day, regardless of position. Woods is massive, checking in at 6-foot-7, 259 pounds with 34 1/8 inch arms. He ran a scintillating 4.61 40-yard dash at that size. Woods also posted 24 bench reps – the most at the position – earlier in the day. We didn’t see Woods go through the full battery of tests, but his size and speed were enough to get considerable attention. Woods began his career as a quarterback at Oklahoma State before transitioning into a tight end/h-back role. He transferred to Virginia before the 2021 season and had a breakout final season with 44 catches for 598 yards and eight touchdowns.

Treylon Burks has work to do

There was a wide range of opinions as to how Arkansas receiver Treylon Burks would test on Thursday. Burks has a unique build at the position at 6-foot-2, 225 pounds with plus length and big hands. He was one of the more productive wideouts in the SEC and is currently projected as a first-round pick. With that said, Burks will look to improve on his numbers between now and his pro day. He was towards the bottom of the group in nearly every test he went through with a 4.55 second 40-yard dash, 33 inch vertical jump, 10’2″ broad jump and 7.28 second 3-cone. Burks is being compared to Deebo Samuel, but Samuel tested as a significantly better athlete at the combine. Given the depth at the wide receiver position, Burks would benefit from an improved pro day.