Tell your friends (just not your leaguemates until next week)

by Lou Brunson

Published On: March 2nd, 2026

Welcome to the 2026 NFL Combine review that definitely, maybe, possibly means… something? The NFL Combine has definitely been waning in popularity with players. More and more players are opting out of parts of testing, if not testing altogether. Please don’t ask me to quote the source, but I heard a stat that said something like 46% of RBs invited to the Combine didn’t run the 40-yard dash, and the 3-cone drill had a hilariously low turnout rate.

What does it all mean? Well, it means we shouldn’t put much stock in the numbers in general. We’ve got less time than ever between the end of the college football season and the NFL Combine, so this is probably the new normal, if not a continuing trend.

But you didn’t come here to hear me wax poetic about the fate of the Combine, no! You’re here because you want the low-down, dirty details about all the winners, losers, and in-betweens of the week-long event.

NFL Combine Takeaways: What the Results Mean for your 2026 Rookie Drafts

Want more from Optimus Fantasy? Join our Discord!

Quarterbacks:

Ty Simpson (Alabama)

This didn’t have anything to do with testing, really; it had everything to do with the drills and the scuttlebutt. In truth, none of the QBs looked great. Which is the big issue with this class, none of them look that good outside of Fernando Mendoza. Although he didn’t test athletically, Simpson had arguably the best day throwing the football during drills. The ball clearly jumped out of his hand, and he was the most accurate for short, medium, and long throws when put all together. Which, to be clear, is damning with faint praise.

Ty Simpson and Garrett Nussmeier look pretty good throwing the ball to this group. By far the best of the bunch

— JP Acosta (@acosta32jp.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 7:19 PM

The other part of this is Ian Rapoport’s report that several teams are looking at Simpson as a late 1st-round pick. In a year where the true 1st round picks dry up a bit early, and there are as many as six teams looking for a QB early, a run up the draft board wouldn’t be a shock for a marginal QB. Does anybody remember Kenny Pickett? (I’m sorry, Pittsburgh fans)

Taylen Green (Arkansas)

Without exaggeration, one of the most athletic QBs to ever test at the Combine. The problem is, he throws like it. With an athletic profile like his, I honestly wouldn’t be shocked if we see him transition to TE in a few years. Or this fall. I won’t include his drill work here to disparage him, but it’s out there for anyone who wants to look. Just don’t make a drinking game out of his misses, I beg of you. I care about you too much to see you do that to yourself.

Also, as an aside, if you’re not following Kent Lee Platte/MathBomb on your social media of choice, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Whether you’re a draft nerd like me, you want to get a foot in the door of data modeling (he looks for help around draft time), or you just want to get to know a top-notch guy, Kent is awesome, and you should be following him.

Running Backs:

Mike Washington (Arkansas)

Big man, very big. Very big man, goes very fast. With a 4.33 40-yard dash, while checking in at 6’1″ and 233 lbs. That’s a big dude who can move! This fact, along with the RBs beyond Jeremiyah Love being a bit unexciting, likely means Washington will be rocketing up draft boards. Possibly as high as RB2 for many folks.

The one thing to be aware of is that while Washington is clearly very difficult to bring down, his speed doesn’t really show up consistently on film. He will need a combination of a very good scheme and an offensive line to see that promised upside. In other words, hope he goes to Detroit and not Tennessee.

Arkansas RB Mike Washington combine glaze.

[image or embed]

— Cameron White (@whiteheatff.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 2:26 PM

Emmett Johnson (Nebraska)

I feel a little bad putting him here because the various outlets have absolutely lambasted him. Rightfully so. After turning in a 4.56 40-yard dash, which is fine, but not great, he went on to do OK-ish at the other drills. Except for the 3-cone drill, where he finished with 7.32 seconds. For those not tracking how good/bad that is at home (and I don’t blame you even a little bit), that’s really bad. Under the 30th percentile all-time, and even worse if you adjust for his weight.

Now, credit where credit is due. Remember how I talked about players opting out of many of the drills? He completed all of them. Every single one. And if you go back to his tape, you’ll see an effective running back. But you’ll also see an athletically limited running back. If you need 3 yards? He’ll get you 4. And if you need 5 yards? He’ll get you 4. Kinda Najee Harris-esque, if you will.

Wide Receivers:

Depth Guys:

This is a bit of a cop-out since I’m not running through everyone’s names. But from the “next up” types like Ja’Kobi Lane to the more unknowns like Deion Burks, the WR group in general showed up very well for themselves. The top of rookie drafts doesn’t have the great names this year, but there’s depth at the WR position that I honestly didn’t think the 2026 draft had a week ago. 

Including Burks and his 4.30 40-yard dash, the group as a whole was very fast and looked great through the WR drills. In fact, Lane had arguably the best set of drills of all the WRs who worked out. Including his more ballyhooed teammate at USC, Makai Lemon. While Lane “only” measured in at a bit over 6’2″, not 6’4″ as he was listed at USC, his work through his routes and with his hands showed exactly what he put on tape consistently alongside his running mate.

USC’s Ja’Kobi Lane is having a really impressive showing at the NFL combine. Ball skills have been popping throughout the workout. Just look at this catch

[image or embed]

— Bobby Football (@robpaul.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 7:25 PM

The High-End:

Of the “big three” WRs in the draft, Jordyn Tyson, Makai Lemon, and Carnell Tate, only Tate ran the 40-yard dash, and only Lemon ran drills. So, as much as anything, it’s about what we didn’t see, not what we did. Tate underperformed with a 4.54 40-yard dash, which isn’t disqualifying, but it’s not the high-end speed you hope for in a WR1, either. And then we didn’t get to see him run through drills where we expected him to shine. And Lemon was OK in the drills, but he didn’t look amazing. And while he left his 40 time a mystery, seeing a fast 40 could very well have cemented him as WR1.

The other name that bears mentioning as a disappointment is Malachi Fields. Turning in a 4.61 40-yard dash, Fields didn’t excel in any aspect of the testing. Outside of his vertical leap, that is. Which, if you’ve watched his film, you know that he’s at ease in the air and attacking the football. The trouble is that those kinds of outside WRs have largely gone by the wayside. As someone who was expected to challenge for “next up” after the big three WRs in this draft, this was a disappointing performance by Fields.

Tight Ends:

John Michael Gyllenborg (Wyoming)

I’m not even going to pretend. Half the reason I like him is that his name makes me think of him as a cyborg, and the 90’s kid in me eats it up. The biggest thing for him is that he’s an all-around TE. In fact, he clocked in with a 9.92 Relative Athletic Score (RAS), so he’s plenty athletic despite catching only 24 passes in the anemic Wyoming offense his senior year. 

However, it’s his work in the drills that stood out even more. His RAS set the athletic baseline. But his drill work showed in spades how complete he is as a player. His work through the gauntlet was fantastic. He ran full speed and didn’t adjust his stride at all when catching the ball. For a 6’5″, 250 lb athlete, that’s fantastic. Then, in the blocking drills, he showed excellent form, exploding through contact. This all adds up to a TE that won’t need to leave the field, no matter what offense he gets drafted into. Which means he’ll be on the field to score more.

Cont’d.

[image or embed]

— Cameron White (@whiteheatff.bsky.social) February 27, 2026 at 8:23 PM

Eli Stowers (Vanderbilt)

I’ve been approaching most of this article as a winners vs losers, but I’m breaking with that here. Stowers blew the absolute doors off the Combine. He clocked in with a 4.51 40-yard dash, a 45.3″ vertical jump, and a TE-record-setting 11’3″ broad jump. He absolutely killed it. So if I’m setting this up as “improved their stock vs hurt their stock,” why is he in the hurt section? 

In short, it’s because athleticism doesn’t show up on the film. Don’t get me wrong, he’s able to make his way down the seams and is good when he’s used in the slot or in motion. But he doesn’t really beat 1-on-1 coverage. What’s more, he just doesn’t look on tape like an athlete who’s that explosive. He’s also relatively slight for a TE. When he was used as an inline blocker, he didn’t do much. He wasn’t moving anyone, and at best, he was getting in the way of the other team. Could be worse, but it’s not great. 

So it’s not that his testing is bad, and that’s why I’m coming out of the Combine down on him. Rather, it’s because he needs to be used in a very specific kind of way in the NFL – as a big slot – and that’s about it. That’s a good way to be on the field for ~45% of snaps and always be “on the verge of breaking out, but never quite doing it.” And if anything, his Combine performance will get him drafted ahead of where he otherwise should be.

Lou Brunson serves as a Senior Analyst and designer of the projection systems used across Optimus Fantasy. His dynasty insights can be found here and at draftbuddy.com.

Welcome to the 2026 NFL Combine review that definitely, maybe, possibly means… something? The NFL Combine has definitely been waning in popularity with players. More and more players are opting out of parts of testing, if not testing altogether. Please don’t ask me to quote the source, but I heard a stat that said something like 46% of RBs invited to the Combine didn’t run the 40-yard dash, and the 3-cone drill had a hilariously low turnout rate.

What does it all mean? Well, it means we shouldn’t put much stock in the numbers in general. We’ve got less time than ever between the end of the college football season and the NFL Combine, so this is probably the new normal, if not a continuing trend.

But you didn’t come here to hear me wax poetic about the fate of the Combine, no! You’re here because you want the low-down, dirty details about all the winners, losers, and in-betweens of the week-long event.

NFL Combine Takeaways: What the Results Mean for your 2026 Rookie Drafts

Want more from Optimus Fantasy? Join our Discord!

Quarterbacks:

Ty Simpson (Alabama)

This didn’t have anything to do with testing, really; it had everything to do with the drills and the scuttlebutt. In truth, none of the QBs looked great. Which is the big issue with this class, none of them look that good outside of Fernando Mendoza. Although he didn’t test athletically, Simpson had arguably the best day throwing the football during drills. The ball clearly jumped out of his hand, and he was the most accurate for short, medium, and long throws when put all together. Which, to be clear, is damning with faint praise.

Ty Simpson and Garrett Nussmeier look pretty good throwing the ball to this group. By far the best of the bunch

— JP Acosta (@acosta32jp.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 7:19 PM

The other part of this is Ian Rapoport’s report that several teams are looking at Simpson as a late 1st-round pick. In a year where the true 1st round picks dry up a bit early, and there are as many as six teams looking for a QB early, a run up the draft board wouldn’t be a shock for a marginal QB. Does anybody remember Kenny Pickett? (I’m sorry, Pittsburgh fans)

Taylen Green (Arkansas)

Without exaggeration, one of the most athletic QBs to ever test at the Combine. The problem is, he throws like it. With an athletic profile like his, I honestly wouldn’t be shocked if we see him transition to TE in a few years. Or this fall. I won’t include his drill work here to disparage him, but it’s out there for anyone who wants to look. Just don’t make a drinking game out of his misses, I beg of you. I care about you too much to see you do that to yourself.

Also, as an aside, if you’re not following Kent Lee Platte/MathBomb on your social media of choice, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Whether you’re a draft nerd like me, you want to get a foot in the door of data modeling (he looks for help around draft time), or you just want to get to know a top-notch guy, Kent is awesome, and you should be following him.

Running Backs:

Mike Washington (Arkansas)

Big man, very big. Very big man, goes very fast. With a 4.33 40-yard dash, while checking in at 6’1″ and 233 lbs. That’s a big dude who can move! This fact, along with the RBs beyond Jeremiyah Love being a bit unexciting, likely means Washington will be rocketing up draft boards. Possibly as high as RB2 for many folks.

The one thing to be aware of is that while Washington is clearly very difficult to bring down, his speed doesn’t really show up consistently on film. He will need a combination of a very good scheme and an offensive line to see that promised upside. In other words, hope he goes to Detroit and not Tennessee.

Arkansas RB Mike Washington combine glaze.

[image or embed]

— Cameron White (@whiteheatff.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 2:26 PM

Emmett Johnson (Nebraska)

I feel a little bad putting him here because the various outlets have absolutely lambasted him. Rightfully so. After turning in a 4.56 40-yard dash, which is fine, but not great, he went on to do OK-ish at the other drills. Except for the 3-cone drill, where he finished with 7.32 seconds. For those not tracking how good/bad that is at home (and I don’t blame you even a little bit), that’s really bad. Under the 30th percentile all-time, and even worse if you adjust for his weight.

Now, credit where credit is due. Remember how I talked about players opting out of many of the drills? He completed all of them. Every single one. And if you go back to his tape, you’ll see an effective running back. But you’ll also see an athletically limited running back. If you need 3 yards? He’ll get you 4. And if you need 5 yards? He’ll get you 4. Kinda Najee Harris-esque, if you will.

Wide Receivers:

Depth Guys:

This is a bit of a cop-out since I’m not running through everyone’s names. But from the “next up” types like Ja’Kobi Lane to the more unknowns like Deion Burks, the WR group in general showed up very well for themselves. The top of rookie drafts doesn’t have the great names this year, but there’s depth at the WR position that I honestly didn’t think the 2026 draft had a week ago. 

Including Burks and his 4.30 40-yard dash, the group as a whole was very fast and looked great through the WR drills. In fact, Lane had arguably the best set of drills of all the WRs who worked out. Including his more ballyhooed teammate at USC, Makai Lemon. While Lane “only” measured in at a bit over 6’2″, not 6’4″ as he was listed at USC, his work through his routes and with his hands showed exactly what he put on tape consistently alongside his running mate.

USC’s Ja’Kobi Lane is having a really impressive showing at the NFL combine. Ball skills have been popping throughout the workout. Just look at this catch

[image or embed]

— Bobby Football (@robpaul.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 7:25 PM

The High-End:

Of the “big three” WRs in the draft, Jordyn Tyson, Makai Lemon, and Carnell Tate, only Tate ran the 40-yard dash, and only Lemon ran drills. So, as much as anything, it’s about what we didn’t see, not what we did. Tate underperformed with a 4.54 40-yard dash, which isn’t disqualifying, but it’s not the high-end speed you hope for in a WR1, either. And then we didn’t get to see him run through drills where we expected him to shine. And Lemon was OK in the drills, but he didn’t look amazing. And while he left his 40 time a mystery, seeing a fast 40 could very well have cemented him as WR1.

The other name that bears mentioning as a disappointment is Malachi Fields. Turning in a 4.61 40-yard dash, Fields didn’t excel in any aspect of the testing. Outside of his vertical leap, that is. Which, if you’ve watched his film, you know that he’s at ease in the air and attacking the football. The trouble is that those kinds of outside WRs have largely gone by the wayside. As someone who was expected to challenge for “next up” after the big three WRs in this draft, this was a disappointing performance by Fields.

Tight Ends:

John Michael Gyllenborg (Wyoming)

I’m not even going to pretend. Half the reason I like him is that his name makes me think of him as a cyborg, and the 90’s kid in me eats it up. The biggest thing for him is that he’s an all-around TE. In fact, he clocked in with a 9.92 Relative Athletic Score (RAS), so he’s plenty athletic despite catching only 24 passes in the anemic Wyoming offense his senior year. 

However, it’s his work in the drills that stood out even more. His RAS set the athletic baseline. But his drill work showed in spades how complete he is as a player. His work through the gauntlet was fantastic. He ran full speed and didn’t adjust his stride at all when catching the ball. For a 6’5″, 250 lb athlete, that’s fantastic. Then, in the blocking drills, he showed excellent form, exploding through contact. This all adds up to a TE that won’t need to leave the field, no matter what offense he gets drafted into. Which means he’ll be on the field to score more.

Cont’d.

[image or embed]

— Cameron White (@whiteheatff.bsky.social) February 27, 2026 at 8:23 PM

Eli Stowers (Vanderbilt)

I’ve been approaching most of this article as a winners vs losers, but I’m breaking with that here. Stowers blew the absolute doors off the Combine. He clocked in with a 4.51 40-yard dash, a 45.3″ vertical jump, and a TE-record-setting 11’3″ broad jump. He absolutely killed it. So if I’m setting this up as “improved their stock vs hurt their stock,” why is he in the hurt section? 

In short, it’s because athleticism doesn’t show up on the film. Don’t get me wrong, he’s able to make his way down the seams and is good when he’s used in the slot or in motion. But he doesn’t really beat 1-on-1 coverage. What’s more, he just doesn’t look on tape like an athlete who’s that explosive. He’s also relatively slight for a TE. When he was used as an inline blocker, he didn’t do much. He wasn’t moving anyone, and at best, he was getting in the way of the other team. Could be worse, but it’s not great. 

So it’s not that his testing is bad, and that’s why I’m coming out of the Combine down on him. Rather, it’s because he needs to be used in a very specific kind of way in the NFL – as a big slot – and that’s about it. That’s a good way to be on the field for ~45% of snaps and always be “on the verge of breaking out, but never quite doing it.” And if anything, his Combine performance will get him drafted ahead of where he otherwise should be.

Lou Brunson serves as a Senior Analyst and designer of the projection systems used across Optimus Fantasy. His dynasty insights can be found here and at draftbuddy.com.

Welcome to the 2026 NFL Combine review that definitely, maybe, possibly means… something? The NFL Combine has definitely been waning in popularity with players. More and more players are opting out of parts of testing, if not testing altogether. Please don’t ask me to quote the source, but I heard a stat that said something like 46% of RBs invited to the Combine didn’t run the 40-yard dash, and the 3-cone drill had a hilariously low turnout rate.

What does it all mean? Well, it means we shouldn’t put much stock in the numbers in general. We’ve got less time than ever between the end of the college football season and the NFL Combine, so this is probably the new normal, if not a continuing trend.

But you didn’t come here to hear me wax poetic about the fate of the Combine, no! You’re here because you want the low-down, dirty details about all the winners, losers, and in-betweens of the week-long event.

NFL Combine Takeaways: What the Results Mean for your 2026 Rookie Drafts

Want more from Optimus Fantasy? Join our Discord!

Quarterbacks:

Ty Simpson (Alabama)

This didn’t have anything to do with testing, really; it had everything to do with the drills and the scuttlebutt. In truth, none of the QBs looked great. Which is the big issue with this class, none of them look that good outside of Fernando Mendoza. Although he didn’t test athletically, Simpson had arguably the best day throwing the football during drills. The ball clearly jumped out of his hand, and he was the most accurate for short, medium, and long throws when put all together. Which, to be clear, is damning with faint praise.

Ty Simpson and Garrett Nussmeier look pretty good throwing the ball to this group. By far the best of the bunch

— JP Acosta (@acosta32jp.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 7:19 PM

The other part of this is Ian Rapoport’s report that several teams are looking at Simpson as a late 1st-round pick. In a year where the true 1st round picks dry up a bit early, and there are as many as six teams looking for a QB early, a run up the draft board wouldn’t be a shock for a marginal QB. Does anybody remember Kenny Pickett? (I’m sorry, Pittsburgh fans)

Taylen Green (Arkansas)

Without exaggeration, one of the most athletic QBs to ever test at the Combine. The problem is, he throws like it. With an athletic profile like his, I honestly wouldn’t be shocked if we see him transition to TE in a few years. Or this fall. I won’t include his drill work here to disparage him, but it’s out there for anyone who wants to look. Just don’t make a drinking game out of his misses, I beg of you. I care about you too much to see you do that to yourself.

Also, as an aside, if you’re not following Kent Lee Platte/MathBomb on your social media of choice, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Whether you’re a draft nerd like me, you want to get a foot in the door of data modeling (he looks for help around draft time), or you just want to get to know a top-notch guy, Kent is awesome, and you should be following him.

Running Backs:

Mike Washington (Arkansas)

Big man, very big. Very big man, goes very fast. With a 4.33 40-yard dash, while checking in at 6’1″ and 233 lbs. That’s a big dude who can move! This fact, along with the RBs beyond Jeremiyah Love being a bit unexciting, likely means Washington will be rocketing up draft boards. Possibly as high as RB2 for many folks.

The one thing to be aware of is that while Washington is clearly very difficult to bring down, his speed doesn’t really show up consistently on film. He will need a combination of a very good scheme and an offensive line to see that promised upside. In other words, hope he goes to Detroit and not Tennessee.

Arkansas RB Mike Washington combine glaze.

[image or embed]

— Cameron White (@whiteheatff.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 2:26 PM

Emmett Johnson (Nebraska)

I feel a little bad putting him here because the various outlets have absolutely lambasted him. Rightfully so. After turning in a 4.56 40-yard dash, which is fine, but not great, he went on to do OK-ish at the other drills. Except for the 3-cone drill, where he finished with 7.32 seconds. For those not tracking how good/bad that is at home (and I don’t blame you even a little bit), that’s really bad. Under the 30th percentile all-time, and even worse if you adjust for his weight.

Now, credit where credit is due. Remember how I talked about players opting out of many of the drills? He completed all of them. Every single one. And if you go back to his tape, you’ll see an effective running back. But you’ll also see an athletically limited running back. If you need 3 yards? He’ll get you 4. And if you need 5 yards? He’ll get you 4. Kinda Najee Harris-esque, if you will.

Wide Receivers:

Depth Guys:

This is a bit of a cop-out since I’m not running through everyone’s names. But from the “next up” types like Ja’Kobi Lane to the more unknowns like Deion Burks, the WR group in general showed up very well for themselves. The top of rookie drafts doesn’t have the great names this year, but there’s depth at the WR position that I honestly didn’t think the 2026 draft had a week ago. 

Including Burks and his 4.30 40-yard dash, the group as a whole was very fast and looked great through the WR drills. In fact, Lane had arguably the best set of drills of all the WRs who worked out. Including his more ballyhooed teammate at USC, Makai Lemon. While Lane “only” measured in at a bit over 6’2″, not 6’4″ as he was listed at USC, his work through his routes and with his hands showed exactly what he put on tape consistently alongside his running mate.

USC’s Ja’Kobi Lane is having a really impressive showing at the NFL combine. Ball skills have been popping throughout the workout. Just look at this catch

[image or embed]

— Bobby Football (@robpaul.bsky.social) February 28, 2026 at 7:25 PM

The High-End:

Of the “big three” WRs in the draft, Jordyn Tyson, Makai Lemon, and Carnell Tate, only Tate ran the 40-yard dash, and only Lemon ran drills. So, as much as anything, it’s about what we didn’t see, not what we did. Tate underperformed with a 4.54 40-yard dash, which isn’t disqualifying, but it’s not the high-end speed you hope for in a WR1, either. And then we didn’t get to see him run through drills where we expected him to shine. And Lemon was OK in the drills, but he didn’t look amazing. And while he left his 40 time a mystery, seeing a fast 40 could very well have cemented him as WR1.

The other name that bears mentioning as a disappointment is Malachi Fields. Turning in a 4.61 40-yard dash, Fields didn’t excel in any aspect of the testing. Outside of his vertical leap, that is. Which, if you’ve watched his film, you know that he’s at ease in the air and attacking the football. The trouble is that those kinds of outside WRs have largely gone by the wayside. As someone who was expected to challenge for “next up” after the big three WRs in this draft, this was a disappointing performance by Fields.

Tight Ends:

John Michael Gyllenborg (Wyoming)

I’m not even going to pretend. Half the reason I like him is that his name makes me think of him as a cyborg, and the 90’s kid in me eats it up. The biggest thing for him is that he’s an all-around TE. In fact, he clocked in with a 9.92 Relative Athletic Score (RAS), so he’s plenty athletic despite catching only 24 passes in the anemic Wyoming offense his senior year. 

However, it’s his work in the drills that stood out even more. His RAS set the athletic baseline. But his drill work showed in spades how complete he is as a player. His work through the gauntlet was fantastic. He ran full speed and didn’t adjust his stride at all when catching the ball. For a 6’5″, 250 lb athlete, that’s fantastic. Then, in the blocking drills, he showed excellent form, exploding through contact. This all adds up to a TE that won’t need to leave the field, no matter what offense he gets drafted into. Which means he’ll be on the field to score more.

Cont’d.

[image or embed]

— Cameron White (@whiteheatff.bsky.social) February 27, 2026 at 8:23 PM

Eli Stowers (Vanderbilt)

I’ve been approaching most of this article as a winners vs losers, but I’m breaking with that here. Stowers blew the absolute doors off the Combine. He clocked in with a 4.51 40-yard dash, a 45.3″ vertical jump, and a TE-record-setting 11’3″ broad jump. He absolutely killed it. So if I’m setting this up as “improved their stock vs hurt their stock,” why is he in the hurt section? 

In short, it’s because athleticism doesn’t show up on the film. Don’t get me wrong, he’s able to make his way down the seams and is good when he’s used in the slot or in motion. But he doesn’t really beat 1-on-1 coverage. What’s more, he just doesn’t look on tape like an athlete who’s that explosive. He’s also relatively slight for a TE. When he was used as an inline blocker, he didn’t do much. He wasn’t moving anyone, and at best, he was getting in the way of the other team. Could be worse, but it’s not great. 

So it’s not that his testing is bad, and that’s why I’m coming out of the Combine down on him. Rather, it’s because he needs to be used in a very specific kind of way in the NFL – as a big slot – and that’s about it. That’s a good way to be on the field for ~45% of snaps and always be “on the verge of breaking out, but never quite doing it.” And if anything, his Combine performance will get him drafted ahead of where he otherwise should be.

Lou Brunson serves as a Senior Analyst and designer of the projection systems used across Optimus Fantasy. His dynasty insights can be found here and at draftbuddy.com.

By Published On: March 2nd, 2026

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