The 2024 NFL Combine saved its best day -- at least in the mind of us Fantasy Football nerds -- for Saturday. We got to see the quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers test and run drills like that gauntlet that show up movement skills that translate to the NFL game. We'll get into the quarterback and running backs during the week on Fantasy Football Today and on the written side over here, but the first group to focus on is undoubtedly the wide receivers. The wide receiver class had such an outstanding day that I think it will have a major impact on where they are drafted in the 2024 NFL Draft, and more importantly for our sake -- where they come off the board in our 2024 Fantasy Football redraft and Dynasty rookie drafts.
Let's dive into some of the key takeaways from the action at the Combine.
1.Xavier Worthy runs the fastest 40 ever
From a data standpoint, some in the Fantasy Football community have been touting Worthy since way before the Combine because he had such a dominant age-adjusted production profile. In simpler terms, he produced at the collegiate level -- a lot -- at a young age against older competition. Now we take that information and add to the mix his official 4.21 40-yard dash -- the fastest time in the history of the Combine.
I don't think that time reads as insane on paper as it is actually -- 4.21! It wasn't just the straight-line speed that Worthy showed up with either. Worthy scored an unofficial 9.42 #RAS out of a possible 10.00, according to Kent Lee Platte (Math Bomb on Twitter). This ranked 180 out of 3,063 wide receivers from 1987 to 2024. The RAS (relative athletic score) does the best job I've seen of combining all of the important speed, strength and agility exercises in The Combine to come up with a score that projects a player's athleticism against his peers. Worthy will enter the NFL in 94th percentile among all wide receivers who ever participated in The Combine.
Worthy also scored 26 touchdowns in three seasons at Texas.
Receivers with a defining trait like speed will always come with high draft capital. Every team is looking to find a scheme-changing speedster who can open up space in their pass scheme just by his presence. Worthy went 1.09 overall in our recent SuperFlex rookie-only Dynasty draft to producer Thomas Schafer. In a 1QB rookie-only draft, Worthy might find himself selected in the first five or six picks depending on how quarterback-heavy those leagues are. He's rising up draft boards as we speak.
2. Rome Odunze stands out for what scouts are looking for
Odunze didn't run the fastest 40-yard dash or even measure as tall as some projected (a tad under 6-3), but he stood out when it counts for the scouts in attendance. Odunze ran the positional workouts and drew rave reviews for the smooth movement skills he put on display. He moves like a true X receiver. Odunze also tested as one of the most athletic wide receivers per the RAS score of any receiver in Combine history. Odunze scored an unofficial 9.91 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 29 out of 3,090 WRs from 1987 to 2024, according to Math Bomb on Twitter.
Odunze's 4.03 shuttle would be an elite number for a 5-9 slot receiver but it says even more for a near 6-3 athlete to be able to change directions like that. Odunze has solidified himself as the WR3 and potentially could rise above Malik Nabers for WR2 -- and likely already has for some. Odunze went off the board to Adam Aizer in our SuperFlex Dynasty rookie-only draft.
3. Ricky Pearsall sleeper case is on a steady drumbeat now
Pearsall is a personal favorite of mine as a prospect and producer Thomas Schafer swears by him -- he's a Florida fan though so take that for what it's worth. With that said, I think he's on the money with this one. Pearsall made EPSN Top 10 lists with the spectacular catches he made for the Gators but at The Combine he was able to prove that there is a lot more athleticism to his profile than some speculated.
At 6-1, 189, Pearsall ran a 4.41 40. He combined that with a monstrous 42-inch veritcal and 10-9 broad jump. He scored an unofficial 9.78 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 70 out of 3,090 WRs from 1987 to 2024.
Pearsall was a third-round pick to producer Thomas in our SuperFlex rookie-only draft but I can't see him lasting past the second round for much longer.
4. Brian Thomas locks in Round 1 even in SuperFlex
When you watch the tape of Thomas at LSU he looks like a future superstar at times and the athletic plays he makes on the field promise to translate at The Combine. And that's exactly what happened. Thoams scored an unofficial 9.97 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 10 out of 3,063 WR from 1987 to 2024.
At just under 6-2 and 209 pounds, Thomas ran 4.34 forty yard dash. This alone all but cements him as a first-round player in the 2024 NFL Draft and more than likely a first-half of the first-round player. With the NFL draft capital comes a better chance of getting heavily involved in the offense from a targets standpoint and making a splash as a rookie in redraft leagues. Thomas will come off the board after the big three receivers but could immediately be a Dynasty and redraft riser if the right team drafts him. He's an easy target for me with that kind of size, speed and plays made on tape.
5. Keon Coleman has an ambiguous Combine
If you liked Coleman before The Combine, you'll say he had a great Combine. If you didn't, you might say he had a bad Combine. It depends what you're looking for. Coleman ran a 4.61 40-yard dash at just over 6-3 and 213 pounds. While that's obviously not an ideal 40 time, Coleman made up for it with elite testing on the vertical jump and broad jumps plus a quick 10-yard split that shows up when you watch him. He scored an unofficial 9.23 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 238 out of 3,063 WRs from 1987 to 2024.
But it's the Next Gen stat that really highlights how impressive Coleman looked during the position drills. Coleman reached the fastest speed of group 8 during the gauntlet drill (20.36 mph), despite recording the slowest 40-yard dash. Coleman was selected 2.02 in our recent SuperFlex rookie only and this should only help his draft stock.
Don't forget Ladd McConkey
McConkey wins his routes consistently with deception and the tempo at which he runs his routes but he also wins them with his athleticism. This Daniel Jeremiah Tweet sums it up best:
McConkey has a lot to like in his profile when you consider how he might project to the NFL level. He was an early second-round pick (2.04) in our SuperFlex Dynasty rookie-only but in a 1QB he might start sneaking into the first round -- or at least up a few slots.