The 2019 NFL scouting combine officially kicks off on Thursday, Feb. 28. Leading up to the 2019 NFL draft, the combine is the best chance to see all the eligible prospects under one roof running the same drills. While game film is the ultimate test of a player’s ability, many teams use the combine to either cement their opinion of a prospect or raise some red flags that need further inspection.
The Baltimore Ravens have a huge need at wide receiver and could turn to the NFL draft to remedy it. If they do, these six wide receiver prospects can truly help themselves with a big showing at the combine in various places. Take a look at which wide receivers you should be watching at the 2019 NFL combine.
D.K. Metcalf | Ole Miss:
Metcalf is massive. And by massive, I mean, you wouldn’t be wrong assuming he played linebacker, strong safety or Mr. Universe instead of wide receiver. Which is actually the problem for him heading into the combine. While it’s nice to have a swole wide receiver to run inside, Metcalf will have to answer questions about flexibility, range, speed, agility and everything else outside of the bench press. A wide receiver has to be fluid and given Metcalf’s size, there are questions as to just how fluid he can be now.
Riley Ridley | Georgia:
The younger brother of Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley, there will be expectations he has to hit at the combine. It also doesn’t help Georgia was a run-heavy team that didn’t really showcase Ridley very much. Ridley will ultimately have every measurable compared directly to his brother and will be interesting to watch because of it.
Parris Campbell | Ohio State:
With Marquise Brown out due to his LisFranc surgery, Campbell is expected to be the speediest big-name wide receiver at the combine. He’ll need to prove it though, with a blistering 40-yard dash time to back up the expectations on him. If he falls out of the 4.3 range to a 4.4, it’d likely end up disappointing quite a lot of scouts and general managers. With drops being a concern for Campbell at Ohio State, seeing him work through the wide receiver drills will also be important.
N’Keal Harry | Arizona State:
It seems every scout and analyst has a different view of Harry. Some have him going early in the first round and there are others that have him on the board in the third round. Harry has a big frame at 6-foot-4 and 216 pounds but isn’t exactly known for being explosive, terribly athletic or fast.
Because of that, watching Harry on all the wide receiver drills will be critical. Showing off his good hands and a wide catch radius will help take some of the pressure off the pure athletic drills. But a big broad jump and vertical jump wouldn’t hurt either for a guy that’ll be expected to win in the red zone in the NFL.
How he does in the bench press might be bigger for the Ravens than other teams. Both offensive coordinator Greg Roman and general manager Eric DeCosta have spoken multiple times about needing wide receivers who can block and be physical down the field.
A.J. Brown | Ole Miss:
Brown is widely considered one of the top wide receivers in this draft. Brown doesn’t have a ton of straight-line speed but instead, uses his agility to make defenders miss and his frame to break tackles.
Since he’s likely going to be used in the same way in the NFL, I want to see Brown’s movement on the 3-cone drill and his ability to accelerate on the shuttle drill more than anything. His 10-yard split on the 40-yard dash will also be big since he’s going to do most of his work in the short and intermediate routes.
Good numbers on these drills will point to him being able to get open early and make things happen with the football in his hands in the NFL.
Andy Isabella | UMass:
Isabella is a late-round guy some analysts are really high on as a sleeper prospect. At 5-foot-9 and 190 pounds, Isabella is being dismissed as too small. But with his speed and agility, there’s no reason Isabella couldn’t be an impact player either inside or outside in the right offense.
Working with legend and Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss, seeing how polished Isabella is in the wide receiver workouts will be important. But Isabella could turn even more heads if he posts up the fastest 40-yard dash time among the wide receivers, something he has the possibility to do.
