Saturday’s Combine events featured the bulk of a fantasy football roster: quarterbacks, tight ends, and wide receivers. There were some extremely impressive results from this year’s group, including at least one player with athletic ability not seen in a generation. Here’s who helped (or hurt) themselves on Saturday:
Stock up: Mike Gesicki, TE, Penn State
A day after Saquon Barkley showed off his rare athleticism, another Penn State player walked onto the track and did the same. Gesicki, a former basketball and volleyball player, ranked first among tight ends in the 40-yard dash (4.55 seconds), the vertical leap (40 inches), the broad jump (10’9”), the three cone drill (6.76 seconds), the short shuttle (4.10 seconds), and the 60-yard shuttle (11.33 seconds) and he was second in the bench press with 22 reps. His composite profile is more athletic than every tight end dating back to Vernon Davis and Dustin Keller.
Stock down: Dallas Goedert, TE, South Dakota State
Gesicki’s rise didn’t help the player many had considered the top tight end in this draft. The small school standout Goedert missed both the Senior Bowl and the Combine workouts with a hamstring injury, and saw players like Gesicki and Ian Thomas hand in strong results.
Stock up: D.J. Chark, WR, LSU
The two D.J. receivers traded spots near the top of the rankings on many workouts Saturday. Chark led all receivers with a blazing 4.34 forty-yard dash. He leaped 40 inches, and had a 10’9” broad jump. This at 6’3” 199 pounds.
Stock up: D.J. Moore, WR, Maryland
Not to be outdone, the 6’0” 210 pound Moore had an equally impressive outing. He started with a 4.42 on the forty-yard dash. He also recorded a 39.5-inch vertical leap and an 11-foot broad jump. He kept his three cone drill under seven seconds, and ranked third among receivers in the short shuttle (4.07).
Stock up: Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU
The 6’3” 218 pound Sutton was not expected to test as an especially strong athlete, but he did it anyway. His 4.54 forty-yard dash and 35.5 inch vertical leap were both above average, but he also recorded a 10’4” broad jump, a blazing 6.57 three cone drill (third among receivers, .01 seconds off first), 4.11 short shuttle (fourth), and 11.04 long shuttle (second).
Stock down: Marcell Ateman, WR, Oklahoma State
Not every large receiver is going to demonstrate great fluidity, and Ateman, who stands nearly 6’5” and 216 pounds, didn’t have the best day. His 4.62 forty-yard dash was underwhelming, and his 34-inch vertical leap and 10’1” broad jump were average results for a player with his reputation. He also struggled during the gauntlet and receiving drills, with inconsistent route running and catching.
Stock down: Auden Tate, WR, Florida State
At 6’5” 228 pounds, Tate has earned many Mike Evans comparisons during his short college career. His athletic testing was subpar, though. He ran a 4.68 forty-yard dash, one of the worst in the receiver group, and only managed a 31-inch vertical leap and a 9’4” broad jump, both lousy results.
Stock up: Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming
The atmosphere of the Combine was always going to suit Allen, a player with wicked arm strength and the build of a tight end. When Lamar Jackson opted not to participate in non-throwing drills, it allowed Allen to show off his speed in comparison to the pocket passers running the same workouts. He also made scouts drool with a couple 70-yard throws.
Stock down: Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
Though Jackson’s decision not to test athletically may have preserved some dignity in the face of reports that NFL teams wanted him to practice at wide receiver, it did take away his best tool at the event. Throwing the simulated pocket passes, Jackson didn’t stand out, hitting his throws in the middle and missing on out-breaking routes.