After watching plenty of draft prospects wearing sweats and shorts last week at the NFL Combine, here are 10 takeaways from my trip to Indianapolis:
- The Ravens are retooling their offensive line, and Washington right tackle Roger Rosengarten helped himself at the Combine. He ran the fastest 40-yard dash among offensive linemen (4.92) and didn't allow a sack all season. He could be a name to watch if he's available when the Ravens pick at No. 30.
Here's who stood out in Indianapolis on the field this weekend.
OT Troy Fautanu, Washington
Fautanu's height (6-foot-3 3/4) will concern some who question whether he can play tackle in the NFL, but his arm length (34 1/2 inches) tell a favorable story. He especially shined in lateral movement drills and showed good explosion out of his stance, backed by a 5.01 40-yard dash.
OT Amarius Mims, Georgia
Mims' day didn't end well, as he suffered a reportedly minor hamstring strain on his second 40-yard dash attempt and couldn't finish the day. But before that, he was looking freakishly athletic and big. Mims won the weigh-ins at 6-foot-7 3/4-inches, 340 pounds with huge 11 1/4-inch hands and an 86 3/4-inch wingspan. That's massive.
G Cooper Beebe, Kansas State
There were questions about the athleticism of the two-time Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year. Those were put to rest by his 5.03 40-yard dash with a 1.75 second 10-yard split. He also looked smooth in mirroring during positional drills.
WR Xavier Worthy, Texas
Worthy's record-breaking 4.21 second 40-yard dash stole the show at the Combine. That kind of speed can't be taught. He also did well in other athletic measures, jumping 41 inches in the vertical and 10-feet-11 in the broad jump.
WR Ladd McConkey, Georgia
McConkey solidified Day 2 status with a 4.39 40-yard dash and stellar showing in the gauntlet drill, where he ran fast and plucked the ball with strong hands.
WR Adonai Mitchell, Texas & Brian Thomas Jr., LSU
Mitchell and Thomas became just the second and third receivers since 2015 (joining D.K. Metcalf) to run the 40-yard dash at 4.35 or faster while measuring at least 6-foot-2, 205 pounds. Mitchell and Thomas both likely cemented their first-round status.
RB Isaac Guerenado, Louisville
The former 100-meter state champion certainly flashed his speed with a 4.33 40-yard dash, the third-fastest time among all prospects at the Combine. He also led all ball carriers in the vertical jump (41.5 inches) and was second in the broad jump (10-foot-9).
RB Jaylen Wright, Tennessee
Wright ran the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds at 210 pounds and had an excellent 38-inch vertical and 11-foot-2 broad jump. In a crowded Day 2 running back group, Wright may have separated a bit from the pack.
QB Joe Milton III, Tennessee
Milton didn't get his chance to be a full-time starter until his sixth season, after transferring from Michigan and spending another two years seeing limited action at Tennessee. While the career production isn't there, Milton showed off his premier arm talent by launching bombs on the money during go routes. His best throw traveled a whopping 73.5 air yards.
CB Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo
Mitchell shined at the Senior Bowl and carried that into the Combine, where he had a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at just over 6-feet tall and 195 pounds. He also had a 38-inch vertical. Mitchell's hands were a little shaky at the start of catching drills but he finished strong and may have improved his first-round draft stock.
CB Max Melton, Rutgers
Melton may have pushed himself into a Day 2 pick with a strong athletic performance in which he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds and had a 40 1/2-inch vertical jump and 11-foot-4 broad jump. He also made an impressive leaping snag in the gauntlet drill.
DE Chop Robinson, Penn State
While Robinson's sack production at Penn State didn't jump out (9.5 sacks the past two seasons), his athleticism always did. He showed that in Indianapolis with a 40-yard dash at 4.48 seconds and blistering 1.54 10-yard split. He was also quite agile in positional drills. That kind of explosion and versatility may have kept him in the first round.
DT Braden Fiske, Florida State
Fiske showed rare athleticism for his position at 6-foot-3 5/8 and 292 pounds. He led all defensive tackles in the 40-yard dash (4.78 seconds), vertical jump (33.5 inches) and broad jump (9-foot-9). He looked very nimble for his size in positional drills.
DT Byron Murphy II, Texas
Murphy's 4.87-second 40-yard dash at 297 pounds caught everyone's attention. He also had great agility and power in drills and was very smooth going over the bags. Murphy was considered a late first-round pick by many analysts before, and he may have moved up.
- Sticking with offensive linemen, guard Cooper Beebe of Kansas State could be another Ravens target. He delivered on his promise to display his athleticism, and Beebe could be a replacement should the Ravens lose Pro Bowl guard Kevin Zeitler in free agency. Beebe had one of the best quotes of the Combine: "Any chance I get, I'm putting dudes into the ground."
- The tallest offensive lineman at the Combine was 6-foot-8 Frank Crum of Wyoming, who tied for the second-fastest 40 (4.94) among linemen. Crum also got plenty of attention for his hair flow during his run. You'll hear plenty more about his hair if Crum is a Day 2 or Day 3 pick for the Ravens.
- It wouldn't surprise me to see the Ravens draft two offensive linemen. Scouts believe this is one of the strongest offensive line classes ever, and the Ravens have enough picks to double-dip up front. Director of Player Personnel George Kokinis loves to scout offensive linemen and there are plenty this year who would look good in a Ravens uniform.
- Georgia cornerback Kamari Lassiter, who Mel Kiper of ESPN has mocked to the Ravens at No. 30, had the Combine's best time (6.62) in the three-cone drill. Lassiter looked fluid and his physicality shows up on game tape. Lassiter didn't allow a touchdown as the nearest defender last season and he's a player that Ravens Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken knows well from his days at Georgia. Lassiter checks a lot of boxes that could make him a nice fit for Baltimore.
- T.J. Tampa of Iowa State is another cornerback who could be on Baltimore's wish list. He didn't work out at the Combine while still recovering from a hamstring injury. However, Tampa plans to workout at his Pro Day in March. It's important to remember that Pro Days and team visits are still to come, giving draft prospects who didn't workout in Indianapolis another chance to put on a show.
- Wide receiver Xavier Worthy created serious buzz for running the fastest 40 in Combine history. He had the mic-drop moment of the Combine, but drops were an issue for Worthy at Texas. It takes more than speed to make a great wide receiver, but regardless of what he does in the NFL, people will remember Worthy's dash. He was also one of the most athletic players in Indianapolis, according to NextGen Stats.
- The winning personality of Michigan running back Blake Corum shined through during his interview session. Corum said he'd love to play for Head Coach John Harbaugh after playing for Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. The Ravens will be adding to their backfield this offseason and perhaps Corum could be a target in Round 3 when backs may start flying off the board.
- All the top quarterbacks at the Combine such as Caleb Williams of USC drew huge crowds to their interview sessions. It was another reminder that the Ravens are fortunate not to be looking for a starting quarterback in the draft. Five quarterbacks may be selected among the first 12 picks, and the chances that all five will live up to expectations are slim.
- You can't rule out the possibility that the Ravens will trade out of the first round at No. 30 to acquire more picks. In its first post-combine mock draft, Pro Football Focus has the Ravens making a trade with the Falcons, giving Atlanta two picks and acquiring four picks in return. Ravens General Manager Eric DeCosta loves draft picks and he returns from Indianapolis with even more knowledge about formulating a game plan for this year's draft.
