The 2023 NFL Scouting Combine is in the books! Hundreds of prospects took to Indianapolis with the hopes of improving their draft stock, and plenty did just that.
CBS Sports NFL Draft analysts Chris Trapasso and Josh Edwards recap all the action below, including the QB performances, biggest risers and fallers, sleepers and more.
What's the biggest storyline coming out of the combine?
Bryce Young's measurables
Josh Edwards: Young met the desired height and weight thresholds. It is great to see that he can reach that number, but it means very little for this to occur in March if he has no intention of maintaining that weight through his playing career.
Anthony Richardson's dominance
Chris Trapasso: Richardson met (exceeded?) the immense expectations at 6-foot-4 and 244 pounds. I was in the vast majority that believed the former Florida quarterback would rock in Indy. Admittedly, I don't think I would've predicted quite as ridiculous of a combine as Richardson ultimately had. For as sensible as Young's decision to sit was, it clearly was an intelligent choice for Richardson to showcase his otherworldly athletic gifts.
Who helped their draft stock the most?
Adetomiwa Adebawore, EDGE/DL, Northwestern
Josh Edwards: Adebawore would have been the most impressive performer had it not been for Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson. He tested off the charts in essentially every category. He ran a 4.49 seconds 40-yard dash at 282 pounds after vertically jumping 37.5 inches and broadly jumping 10-feet-5-inches. The Florida native also put 225 pounds up 27 times on the bench press. Teams will need to have a plan in place for his size, but he checked a lot of boxes athletically.
Jakorian Bennett, CB, Maryland
Chris Trapasso: A little obscure with this pick, because it was so difficult to pinpoint just one. Bennett's teammate Deonte Banks entered the combine as the marquee corner from Maryland. Bennett leaves as someone with almost identical explosiveness, and he ran 4.30 to Banks' 4.35. At 5-foot-11 and 188 pounds with arms just under 32 inches, Bennett won't meet every single team's size threshold, but he did play more inside and out than Banks, and now we know he is an elite athlete.
Who hurt their draft stock the most?
Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU
Josh Edwards: Many were willing to give Boutte the benefit of the doubt for inconsistency during his time in Baton Rouge. The team went through changes at the top, and quarterback play was an issue post-Joe Burrow. However, with the way things ended, and his athletic testing falling short of expectation, it is much more difficult to prop up his stock.
Jordan Addison, WR, USC
Chris Trapasso: Addison weighed in light as a feather at 5-foot-11 and 173 pounds with arms under 31 inches and hands just under the 9-inch threshold many teams want to see out of their receivers. Then, despite his minimal weight, Addison ran 4.49 in the 40, the 21st-fastest among the wideouts. Surprisingly slow. His 34-inch vert was the seventh-lowest, and his 10-foot-2 broad was the eight-lowest at the position. Look, Addison is a slippery, reliable stud on film. Here at the combine, Addison's stock tipped downward. He should've tested more explosively at 173 pounds.
Who had the most impressive performance?
Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
Josh Edwards: Richardson had a historic performance for his size. He set the tone early in the day with a 40.5-inch vertical jump and a 10-feet-9-inch broad jump. When he stepped in front of the nation for the first time, he ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash and followed that up with a tremendous on-field showing. Athleticism will only get a quarterback so far in the NFL, but if Richardson is able to figure the rest out, he is going to be special.
Zack Kuntz, TE, Old Dominion
Chris Trapasso: We've mentioned the absurd efforts from Richardson and Adebawore. Let's give Kuntz some shine. This former Penn State tight end measured in at 6-foot-7 and 255 pounds with 34-inch arms and ran 4.55 in the 40, and led the way in all the major drills at his position. Highest vertical (40 inches) and broad jump (10-foot-8) and, stunningly, the quickest three-cone at a receiver-list 6.87 seconds. You know how hard it is for a 6-7 tight end to execute a three-cone drill that clean?
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What was your biggest takeaway from the QBs?
Top QBs shine
Josh Edwards: All three of the perceived top quarterback prospects that threw (Anthony Richardson, Will Levis and C.J. Stroud) all threw the ball really well. Talent evaluators should feel a lot better about the group at the top, and that is good news for the Chicago Bears, who have put the No. 1 overall selection on the trade block.
Stroud lives up to the hype
Chris Trapasso: Stroud lived up to the "ball-placement specialist" label he gave himself during the throwing sessions, which, historically, is super-challenging for quarterbacks to do, throwing to a randomized batch of unfamiliar wideouts. There was plenty of zip on his passes, too, and he had no difficulty pushing it 60-plus yards down the field. Ball never fluttered, didn't hang in the air forever. Altogether, Stroud was a surgical passer Saturday night.
Who is your No. 1 QB and why?
Bryce Young, Alabama
Josh Edwards: What happened on the turf at Lucas Oil Stadium was impressive, but the biggest portion of an evaluation is the tape. Young is the most natural playmaker at the position. He is a tremendous leader with the ability to make plays outside of the play structure.
C.J. Stroud, Ohio State
Chris Trapasso: For many of the reasons I listed above. I saw more "big-time" throws from him on film than any of the other quarterbacks, and he has shades of that Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert athleticism in that he's not a freaky, designed run-game type, but he's just explosive and naturally gifted enough to elude rushers to extend plays and find open receivers in scramble drills.
Who is one sleeper to keep an eye on heading into Pro Days/the rest of the draft process?
Carrington Valentine, CB, Kentucky
Josh Edwards: Valentine had an impressive 39-inch vertical jump and 10-feet-8-inch broad jump. However, he should also run fast and move well at his Pro Day. The ball production was not there and there are some tackling concerns, but teams will be intrigued by the athletic testing.
Durell Nchami, EDGE, Maryland
Chris Trapasso: After what we saw from Banks, Bennett, offensive tackle Jaelyn Duncan and wideouts Dontay Demus and Rakim Jarrett, picking a Terrapin feels like a relatively safe bet. I loved Nchami on film, and while he never rekindled the magic as a pass-rusher from early in his college career, he has burst, bend, and pass-rush moves. Plus, he has that lean body type that lends itself well to an electric Pro Day workout.
What position is the strongest?
Tight end
Josh Edwards: Tight ends are the strongest. They have multiple true difference-makers at the top, but the value is in the depth. Teams will be able to get really good players at the position late Day 2, early Day 3.
Edge rusher
Chris Trapasso: For as smart of a choice as it would be for me to copy Josh's answer -- because Josh is a great evaluator, and I agree on the tight end strength -- let's go a different direction for variety sake. I'll go with the edge rushers. There could be five or six who go in the first round, then like five or six more in Round 2: Will Anderson Jr., Tyree Wilson, Lukas Van Ness, Nolan Smith -- monster workout! -- B.J. Ojulari, Will McDonald IV, Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Myles Murphy, the list goes on. Even Ohio State's Zach Harrison, Army's Andre Carter II, App State's Nick Hampton, Keion White from Georgia Tech, Notre Dame's Isaiah Foskey, and Tennessee's Byron Young bring it around the corner. The marquee talent is there. So is the quality depth.
What are you looking forward to the most during the rest of the draft process?
Which QBs go where
Josh Edwards: It is cliché, but it has to be when the quarterbacks are taken and by whom. The group has significant potential, and last year's class left us wanting more. The narrative running parallel to the talent available is the trade possibilities. Who will trade up and how quickly does the fourth quarterback, whoever that ends up being, get taken?
Pro Days impact
Chris Trapasso: How the Pro Days will provide an opportunity to boost the stock of many of the big-time prospects who didn't workout in Indianapolis. Always fun to see those mid-April surges. Young, Anudike-Uzomah, Tyjae Spears, the running back from Tulane, TCU wide receiver Quentin Johnston running the 40, Tyree Wilson from Texas Tech getting in a workout at the Texas Tech Pro Day. It'll all be fascinating to monitor and track.
