Every week in “4-Down Territory,” Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar and Luke Easterling of Bucs Wire and Draft Wire go over the things you need to know about, and the things you need to watch, in the NFL right now. It’s all about draft prospects with the scouting combine getting started this week, so Doug and Luke get into a bunch of questions about all the draft prospects looking to raise their games in Indianapolis — both on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium, and in private interviews with NFL teams.
This week’s pressing questions:
1. Which top-tier prospect most needs a great combine performance?
2. Who among the lesser-known prospects could see their stock rise in Indianapolis?
3. Which prospects will be most reliant on positive medical reports?
4. Finally, which prospect are you most looking forward to seeing in the on-field drills?
You can watch this week’s episode of “4-Down Territory” right here!
1. Which top-tier prospect most needs a great combine performance?
Now that the scouting combine is just about here, we can get a much better look at most of the prospects in the 2023 draft class. Of the top prospects in this particular class, who is most dependent on a solid combine week to solidify his status as a potential first-level pick?
Doug: I think Kentucky quarterback Will Levis is going to have to really impress in the interview rooms. If he throws during the drills, he’ll look great, because he has all the tools – that’s where all the Josh Allen comps come from. But when he sits down with GMs and coaches in those 15-minute interviews, they’re going to ask him about a series of decisions on the field that have ranged from weird to completely head-scratching. Levis didn’t have the best supporting cast in 2022, and I’m not implying that he’ll blame anybody else for the hiccups in Kentucky’s passing game, but it will be absolutely crucial for Levis to not only explain what went wrong in all those plays, but to also get into how he’s working on all that stuff in the offseason.
Luke: I think Levis is a great pick, but for the sake of debate, I’m gonna take TCU WR Quentin Johnston. We know he still needs some polish, but the allure with him is the size/speed/athleticism combo, and he’s got to show that off in a big way this week. If he doesn’t impress enough with those testing numbers, there are too many other receivers who could end up leapfrogging him when draft day rolls around because they bring similar explosiveness, but are more pro-ready, even if they don’t have his massive frame.
2. Who among the lesser-known prospects could see their stock rise in Indianapolis?
Of the lesser-known guys who will be in Indianapolis, give me the name of one prospect you think will blow it up at the combine, and put his name firmly in the vernacular.
Doug: Pitt defensive lineman Calijah Kancey, who excelled in college at 6-foot-0 and 280 pounds (unofficial). The Pitt connection and the fact that he’s undersized have people comparing him to Aaron Donald, and I’m not willing to go that far, he reminds me a ton of Grady Jarrett, which isn’t bad, either. Kancey is a defender with an assassin’s mentality, which makes me think he’s going to be really violent in the bag drills, and I think he’s quick and agile enough to ace the 40 (specifically the 10- and 20-yard splits), and all the movement exercises, as well. I don’t know if anything will push him into the first round, because some teams will have no idea what to do with him at that size, but as they say, all it takes is one team to make that a reality.
Luke: Man, I’ve gotta cheat here. There are a few guys I think fall into this category, and I’m excited to watch them all. Kansas State CB Julius Brents is a legit 6-3, 200-plus, with length for days. If he runs fast and looks good in the cone drills, he could fly up the board. Arkansas LB Drew Sanders was a 5-star recruit to Alabama, and has a great blend of size, length, athleticism and versatility that teams should fall in love with in Indy. Georgia Tech’s Keion White is the last guy, again because of size, athleticism, and versatility. All of these guys should be household names after the combine.
3. Which prospects will be most reliant on positive medical reports?
Which prospects need the medicals to work their way to cement their standing in this class based on their tape?
Doug: Georgia edge-rusher Nolan Smith comes to mind, but I have to go with Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker. Before Hooker suffered a torn ACL in November, he was my QB3 in this class behind Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud. Nothing has moved for me in that regard as long as Hooker is well on his way to recovery. You will wonder if Hooker can run as well post-injury as mobility is a big part of his game, but ACL recoveries aren’t what they used to be, in a good way. If Hooker checks out medically, I think he’s a second-round pick, and has a bright future as a potential franchise quarterback. As far as the “he benefited from the spread formations” stuff, that’s true to a point, but a lot of NFL teams look to spread defenses out as well, and Hooker does enough with tight-window throws and throwing receivers open to make me think it won’t be a huge problem over time.
Luke: Yeah, you nailed it. I agree with everything you said about Hooker, and the fact that he’ll be a 25-year-old rookie puts even more pressure on him to check out medically if he wants to be drafted early. Before his injury, Smith was looking like a dominant force for the Bulldogs. If he checks out, he could easily put himself back in the first-round conversation, even in a deep class of edge defenders.
4. Finally, which prospect are you most looking forward to seeing in the on-field drills?
Finally, which guy, regardless of his need to be great at the combine, is absolutely going to turn the event into a freakshow?
Doug: Back to the Vols! I don’t know what drills Tennessee receiver Jalin Hyatt plans to run, but based on his tape alone, I’m expecting him to run in the 4.4s at worst in the 40, and his 10-yard and 20-yard splits should be equally incendiary. He’s a better catcher of the ball than a lot of people think, which makes me think he’ll be great in the gauntlet drill. The knock on Hyatt is that he’s not running a bunch of routes, but the routes he runs? Yikes. Last season, he caught 14 passes of 20 or more air yards on 24 targets for 677 yards and eight touchdowns. For those scoring at home, that’s 48.4 yards per deep reception, which is pretty nuts. I think Hyatt will take all that explosive athleticism to the field at Lucas Oil Stadium, and it’ll make him a late first-round pick.
Luke: Texas Tech edge defender Tyree Wilson. He’s a massive, dominant force on the field, and he’ll be one of the big-ticket performers this weekend. Guys at his size just shouldn’t be able to move like he does, and if he performs as well as we’re expecting, don’t be surprised if the debate between him and Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr. starts getting more competitive.
