The horizon of the 2024 NFL Draft got a little bit clearer last week. Not incredibly so, but we’ve got a little more insight on how this year’s rookie selection process will unfold.
That’s thanks to four days of workouts at the scouting combine. The annual event saw its typical share of star players skipping drills, but the players who took the field at Lucas Oil Stadium gave scouts and analysts across the league a better idea of what they’ll bring to the pros.
Some prospects shined. Others fizzled. And pretty much every one will get a re-do when it comes to their colleges’ respective Pro Days in March and April. That makes it tough to glean too much information from 40-yard dash times and vertical jumps.
We do know, however, which players are trending upward and who are sliding down draft boards after the Indianapolis event. Here are 15 players who stood out — some for the right reasons and others less so.
Stock up: Washington WR Rome Odunze
The projected top-two wide receiver picks in the 2024 NFL Draft didn’t work out in Indy. The No. 3 guy did, however. Odunze showed up and likely cemented his place as a top-10 pick.
.@RomeOdunze won't leave the field until he hits his target of 6.6 on the 3 cone drill.
Total dedication. #NFLCombine pic.twitter.com/vIxbd3V52k
— NFL (@NFL) March 3, 2024
Not only did he run a 4.4-second 40 at 212 pounds, but he also showed off the kind of grit and determination for which NFL coaches will absolutely lose their minds. Odunze was an insurance policy for the Huskies, the kind of 50/50 ball savant capable of forcing us to question whether Michael Penix Jr., who was extremely good, was actually good. After 1,640 yards as a senior, he showcased the body control to be similarly prolific on Sundays.
Oh, and he’s self aware. If he’s your emergency pilot your only recourse is to curl up and kiss yourself goodbye.
For some reason Rome Odunze was asked if he could land a plane in an emergency. pic.twitter.com/CeF0Y3OzTB
— Bob Condotta (@bcondotta) March 1, 2024
Stock down (ish): Texas DT T'Vondre Sweat
Sweat didn’t just prove his NFL potential in Indianapolis. He tested the limits of physics and the human body, weighing in at 366 pounds and, incredibly, running a sub 5.3-second 40.
T’Vondre Sweat at 366 lbs just ran his 40 yard dash in 5.27 seconds and it was FLUID. Sweat’s adjusted 40 time at his height and weight is like an 180 pound DB running a 4.26. 🤯 @TvondreSweat pic.twitter.com/NQzcBwGtHj
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) February 29, 2024
Sweat has real Vince Wilfork potential up front, but the rest of his combine failed to paint him as a first round pick. His explosiveness numbers suggest he’s more of an immovable object up front than the kind of pocket-crumpling presence who can crash into the pocket a la Vita Vea. That’s not necessarily a bad thing — he’s still probably going to be pretty dang good — but it limits his potential in a draft that tends to overvalue what a player could be vs. what he currently is.
Stock up: Georgia OT Amarius Mims
It’s difficult to stand out at the combine, a land where everyone is huge. But Mims did, not just because of his massive frame but by the way he carries that weight. Behold, the leanest 340 pound man you’ve ever seen.
At nearly 6'8" and 340 lbs, a 5.07u is insane. Wow, @amarius_mims 😳
📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/ya9zrnrDz8— NFL (@NFL) March 3, 2024
Seriously. Here’s what he looks like around mortals:
Amarius Mims standing next to members of the media at the Combine 😅
📸: @_RyanFowler_ pic.twitter.com/PvDdVgWoT9
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) March 2, 2024
Mims wasn’t the most athletic tackle on site; that was Notre Dame’s potential top five pick Joe Alt. But the Georgia right tackle cemented his place in the first round and now could be one of the first three offensive linemen selected in April.
Stock down: Miami S Kam Kinchens
2024 was always going to be a rough year for this spring’s safety class. They’ll be at the mercy of a loaded lineup of young, free agent stars at the position including Antoine Winfield Jr., Kyle Dugger and Xavier McKinney.
That made it difficult to project anyone at the position in the first round. Kinchens looked like he could potentially break through. Then he took the field at Lucas Oil Stadium and looked like one of the worst all-around athletes in his class.
Kinchens is built like a corner but lacks the explosion of one. That doesn’t disqualify him from being an impact center fielder in the NFL. But it probably means he’ll slide out of Day 1 consideration and maybe even to the cut line of Day 2.
Stock up: Purdue RB Tyrone Tracy Jr.
Here’s a name you may not have expected to hear in Indianapolis — unless you were already from Indianapolis. Tracy transferred to Purdue after four uneven years as a wideout at Iowa. The Boilermakers converted him to running back after the coaching staff saw the potential he had with the ball in his hands. While he wasn’t used a ton, he averaged 6.6 yards per carry on 130 handoffs in his final two NCAA seasons.
That led him to the combine, where his low mileage made him an intriguing lottery ticket for NFL teams. There, his explosive performance and battle-tested hands suggest he could be an immediate impact player in a high-octane running back platoon.
— TYRONE TRACY JR (@TyroneTracy) March 4, 2024
Stock down: Penn State CB Kalen King
King was projected as a first round pick in way-too-early mock drafts as he settled into the CB1 role Joey Porter Jr. left behind at Penn State. Instead, his numbers fell as he struggled with the spotlight, leading to just two passes defensed in 2023 after 18 the year before.
He could have buoyed himself with a solid performance at the combine. Instead, he showed off average traits that could slide him all the way to the final day of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Kalen King 4.61u#NFLCombine pic.twitter.com/tkXhKKbGGg
— WalkTheMock (@WalkTheMock) March 1, 2024
King’s instincts suggest he could be a steal for someone in the later rounds. But his straight line speed suggests he may not be the sideline corner we’d assumed after his breakthrough 2022.
Stock up: Illinois TE Tip Reiman
Penn State’s Theo Johnson rightfully earned the lion’s share of praise for lighting his drills on fire in a masterful performance. But Reiman made headlines himself. Sure, part of that is because he maybe doesn’t think birds are real (he’s kidding! I think!) but a much larger part is because he plays football like a bit of farming machinery made human.
Tip Reiman sled ovation 💪#NFLCombine2024 #Illini pic.twitter.com/G15YWX4L3K
— Chief Oskee (@ChiefOskee) March 2, 2024
Reiman weighed in at 271 pounds, up more than 40 from his early playing days at Illinois. He looks like an absolute asset in the run blocking game. He’s also a capable receiver who might have some George Kittle-type upside in the pros.
Tip Reiman looking smooth in the gauntlet pic.twitter.com/lYHEIJRwag
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) March 2, 2024
Stock down, if you're only looking at 40 times: Florida State WR Keon Coleman
Keon Coleman ran a 4.6-second 40. That’s a problem. But Keon Coleman does not play like someone with 4.6-second 40 speed, and that’s an asset.
Keon Coleman propaganda:
Play speed vs timed speed:
Coleman ran 4.6, Franklin 4.4, but Coleman was averaging like 5mph more on the gauntlet run. pic.twitter.com/SKgO9q4oWU
— Sam Monson (@PFF_Sam) March 2, 2024
Still, at a time when evaluators are grasping at straws for reasons to ding a prospect Coleman offered up a juicy excuse. The Florida State star isn’t especially big (6-feet, 202 pounds) and while his jumping numbers were strong his acceleration may cast doubt on his ability to ditch cornerbacks in press coverage. This could serve as a stark warning about his upside — or it could give one lucky team first round value from a wideout it selects on Day 2 of the draft.
Stock up: Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell
The Senior Bowl suggested Mitchell had the chops needed to translate his lockdown skills from the MAC to the NFL. His combine performance proved he won’t be overmatched athletically on Sundays.
4.33u ‼️@ToledoFB DB Quinyon Mitchell was FLYING.
📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/We7EdoMm5s— NFL (@NFL) March 1, 2024
Mitchell looks every bit a franchise cornerback. He’s strong, twitchy fast and and ultra productive — see his 37 passes defensed the last two years at Toledo. Now he’s looking at a place in the middle of the first round; not bad for a guy who had to cut his teeth playing on Wednesday nights.
Stock down: Missouri CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
Rakestraw was a popular pick to earn a place in the back half of round one. Instead, he raised more questions than he answered at the combine after a lackluster performance on the field. He measured out slightly smaller than he was listed as a Tiger, then put together a thoroughly average performance on the turf.
Ennis Rakestraw Jr. is a CB prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored an unofficial 4.79 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 1159 out of 2222 CB from 1987 to 2024.
Splits Projectedhttps://t.co/DwyRLIb0j1 pic.twitter.com/hNwrBMI9JS
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 1, 2024
This doesn’t mean Rakestraw can’t be a proficient pro, just that he may have ceded significant ground to the rest of an unsettled and deep group of cornerbacks. A big showing in Indianapolis could have moved the Mizzou product into consideration to be the first defensive back off the board. Instead, he’ll likely linger into the back half of the first round behind guys like Mitchell and Alabama’s Terrion Arnold.
Stock up: Texas pass catchers in general
Adonai Mitchell went out and looked like DK Metcalf thanks to his size and straight line acceleration.
.@TexasFootball WR Adonai Mitchell with a 4.35u ‼️
📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/sxTNNON7yH— NFL (@NFL) March 2, 2024
Xavier Worthy went out and ran the fastest 40 of the modern era:
OFFICIAL: 4.21
XAVIER WORTHY HOLDS THE NEW 40-YARD DASH RECORD pic.twitter.com/IrXf3WyemB
— NFL (@NFL) March 2, 2024
And Ja’Tavion Sanders may have bolstered his place as the second tight end off the board by showcasing top notch speed for his position.
Ja'Tavion Sanders in the Corner Route Drill pic.twitter.com/PghkuwMOLY
— Nash (@NashTalksTexas) March 2, 2024
All in all, Quinn Ewers’ top three targets could all be off draft boards before the third round begins.
Stock up: Houston Christian EDGE Jalyx Hunt
Hunt wasn’t supposed to be in Indianapolis. He started just one game in three years at Cornell before transferring to Houston Christian — a program that didn’t exist before 2013 and has never had a winning season. His seven-sack performance in his only season with the Huskies was solid, but not spectacular. If he wanted to be the first player ever drafted out of HCU, he’d have to turn heads on the turf.
He did.
Hunt showed off elite speed and explosiveness to stake his claim as one of 2024’s most intriguing lottery tickets. While he’d benefit from more bulk, he’s the kind of athlete capable of making a difference at the next level. Get him in the right system and he could thrive — and help make someone’s position coach a viable head coaching candidate in the process.
Houston-Christian Edge Jalyx Hunt (6’3”, 250) just landed this 10’8” broad jump (best in his group). His vertical was 37 1/2.
He was an AAU National Champion at the Junior Olympics in long jump & triathlon… & All American in the high jump (2011) #NFLCombine pic.twitter.com/0AdSbglT3v
— StaceyDales (@StaceyDales) February 29, 2024
Stock up: North Carolina State LB Payton Wilson
Wilson doesn’t play a premium position as an off-ball linebacker, but he likely solidified his spot as a second round pick by crushing the combine. His sideline-to-sideline presence and chase-down bonafides shined via a 4.44-second 40 at 233 pounds.
Payton Wilson's 4.44 40 only makes sense
🎥: @mikegolicjr pic.twitter.com/OXy3NAjpgK
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) March 1, 2024
But Wilson isn’t just a tool when it comes to tracking tight ends off the line. He had 30 tackles for loss his final two seasons as part of the Wolfpack and 10.5 sacks. He’ll be a versatile multi-tool for any team that can use him, allowing for flexibility at the heart of any defensive formation.
