Arguably the most important stage in the NFL Draft process is here.
After a few days of chit-chat at the combine, prospects will finally start competing in drills on Thursday. Defensive players take center stage on the first two days of workouts in Indianapolis while offensive players will get their turn on Saturday and Sunday.
In an appearance on the “NFL on FOX Podcast,” FOX Sports college football reporter Bruce Feldman identified some of the prospects fans should keep their eyes on this weekend. According to Feldman, these are the players on each side of the ball who are most likely to impress.
Defensive player most likely to stand out: Penn State edge Chop Robinson
Feldman, who writes the annual “Freaks List” of the most jaw-dropping athletes in college football for The Athletic, shared that Robinson is his top guy from this past year’s list who’s in Indianapolis, comparing him to a former Penn State standout edge rusher.
“He’s a guy who’ll test exceptionally well,” Feldman said of Robinson. “There’s a lot of comparisons, physically, to Micah Parsons. Going into the year, a lot of people looked at him as a top-15 caliber pick, whereas coming out of the season, I think there were some questions. Is he a first-round pick? Is he a mid-second? Where is he?”
While Penn State’s defense was one of the best in the country, Robinson didn’t put up amazing stats. He recorded only 15 total tackles, four sacks and two forced fumbles in 10 games.
But Feldman believes Robinson could elevate his stock this weekend to the point where he hears his name called on Day 1 of the draft.
“If he comes into Indy and does not only what he thinks he’s going to do, but what some of the people around him in the training process over the last couple of weeks think he’s going to … he’s going to be hard to pass up in the first round,” Feldman said. “If he’s 6-foot-3 and 250, 255 [pounds], he’s running a 4.4 40, broad jumping 11 feet and vertical jumping 40 inches. Guys like that, consistency is a question mark, but there’s definitely stuff on film where you’re like, ‘OK, that matches the numbers, now what happens?’
“He can be an impact guy in that way. If he proves he’s that special athletically and traits-wise, I think he has a chance to really jump up where people think he is now.”
FOX NFL Draft analyst Rob Rang has Robinson as his 37th-best overall prospect in the draft. FOX Sports lead college football analyst Joel Klatt has Robinson being selected by the Arizona Cardinals with the 27th-overall pick in his first mock draft.
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Offensive player most likely to stand out: Michigan WR Roman Wilson
The Michigan receiver didn’t put up the most eye-popping numbers last season as the Wolverines were more of a ground-oriented team. He recorded 48 receptions for 789 yards, but he had 12 touchdowns and averaged 16.4 yards per reception.
After Wilson impressed draft evaluators at the Senior Bowl, Feldman believes his explosiveness will be on display at the combine, boosting his stock even further.
“He is very explosive, but he’s not very big,” Feldman said. “He’s six feet and 180-something pounds. He had a really strong week of practice at the Senior Bowl. His shuttle numbers are remarkably fast. … He would be off the charts in how he’s timed relative to some of the guys who’ve come through the combine.
J.J. McCarthy connects with Roman Wilson against Indiana
Wilson, who ranked 73rd on Feldman’s Freaks List last year, showed impressive speed in combine-like drills last offseason at Michigan, according to Feldman. He thinks he can put up even better numbers this weekend at Indianapolis, noting his unusual stance during the 40-yard dash.
“The other thing on him is that they told me he ran a 4.33 40 last offseason, which is obviously blazing fast,” Feldman said. “But he actually did it out of a two-point stance, and if you watch the combine over the years, nobody runs out of a two-point stance. They’re all down on the ground, ready to burst out. Last year, DJ Turner, who was a really fast Michigan defensive back, ran a 4.28 out of a two-point stance. He actually went to the combine and ran 4.26. I’m not saying that by the same math that Wilson will run a 4.31, but if he ran a 4.33 out of a two-point stance, don’t be surprised if he ran in the 4.2s.”
Rang ranked Wilson as his 49th-best prospect and eighth-best receiver in this draft class.
Lineman who’s most likely to amaze with speed: Texas DL Byron Murphy II
In what appears to be a growing trend at the combine in recent years, we’ve seen an offensive or defensive lineman put up an absurd time in the 40-yard dash. Jordan Davis blew people away with his 4.78 40-time in 2022 and Calijah Kancey ran a 4.67 40-yard dash last year.
Feldman isn’t sure if Murphy will reach those speeds, but he thinks he’ll put up another relatively quick 40-yard dash for a defensive tackle.
“I heard he’s going to run in the 4.8s, he’s really explosive and his film is really good,” Feldman said. “He makes a lot of plays, very disruptive. There are bigger guys that might run in that ballpark, but don’t be surprised if he’s at a 4.80. He’s that explosive. He’s really disruptive, he’s just not a big defensive tackle.”
Murphy recorded 29 total tackles (8.5 for loss) and five sacks last season for Texas, playing a key role on its defense as it reached the College Football Playoff. Rang has him ranked as the 34th-best prospect in this draft class while Klatt has Murphy going to the Green Bay Packers with the 25th pick in his mock draft.
Player most likely to become a household name: Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell
As the combine usually serves as an introduction to several draft prospects for NFL fans, Mitchell might have the biggest spotlight of his football career this weekend. Feldman thinks there’s a good chance he’ll be one of the winners of the weekend.
“He’s a really good player,” Feldman said. He had four picks in a game and two pick-sixes two years ago. He was on my Freaks List. He’s super fast. I was told by the guys training him that don’t be surprised if Quinyon Mitchell, who’s not a small corner at 6 feet, 195 [pounds], that he may run in the low 4.3s. He may even get in the high 4.2s. He’s blazing, blazing fast.
“He’s also really strong. For a cornerback to bench 225 21 times, that was a year ago and now he’s training for the combine. He’s a guy who will light this up. He had really good film. He’s a really good man-to-man corner. The Toledo coaches love him.”
Feldman compared Mitchell to Devon Witherspoon, who climbed up draft boards last year to be the first corner taken in the draft, No. 5 overall by the Seattle Seahawks. Even though Mitchell recorded just one interception last season, Feldman believes that word is getting around on just how much of a shutdown corner he was.
Rang has Mitchell ranked as the 33rd-best prospect in this draft, but Klatt actually has the Colts taking him with the 15th-overall pick in his mock draft.
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