Quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends went through workouts at the NFL combine on Saturday, the second day of drills for the top prospects for the 2019 NFL draft.
ESPN NFL draft experts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay recap how the best QBs and pass-catchers -- including Dwayne Haskins and D.K. Metcalf -- fared, and Scouts Inc. analyst Steve Muench breaks down the under-the-radar prospects who are rising up draft boards. We'll also look ahead to Day 3 of workouts, when the defensive linemen and linebackers will participate in testing and drills on Sunday.
Note: Oklahoma's Kyler Murray did not participate in any drills or throwing workouts Saturday.
How the best prospects fared | Biggest risers
What to watch for on Sunday | Day 1 recap (RB/OL)
What was the biggest takeaway from workouts?
McShay: The wide receiver group was more explosive than expected. There were nine wide receivers who ran sub-4.40 40-yard dashes. That's just crazy. DJ Chark was the only one last year. Ole Miss' D.K. Metcalf stole the show with his 4.33 40-yard dash and 40.5-inch vertical at 6-foot-3 and 228 pounds, and I saw him drop only one pass during route-running drills. Ohio State's Parris Campbell and UMass' Andy Isabella ran the fastest 40s (4.31) of the combine so far, while Campbell also had great jumps with a 40-inch vertical and 11-foot-3 broad jump. A bunch of receivers made money today.
Kiper: If receivers like Tavon Austin and John Ross can go in the top 10 in the draft after running blazing 40s, why can't Parris Campbell be a first-round pick? The 6-foot Ohio State wide receiver ran a 4.31 40 on Saturday, which tied for the fastest of any receiver in Indianapolis. He also had a 40-inch vertical jump. Campbell, my fifth-ranked receiver coming into the week, is a great kid who had a solid career -- he had 90 catches and 12 touchdowns last season. He is now in the discussion for Day 1.
Muench: As impressive as the receivers were today, there are four who didn't work out and are worth mentioning. Oklahoma's Marquise Brown, the No. 1-ranked receiver, didn't run because of a Lisfranc injury. Although they aren't ranked nearly as high as Brown, Georgia State's Penny Hart (snub), Baylor's Jalen Hurd (knee) and Colorado State's Preston Williams (off-field issues) are talented prospects who also didn't work out today. When you factor all that in, this might be the deepest receiver class since 2014.
How the top quarterbacks fared
McShay breaks down QB workouts from Day 2:
Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State
Scouts Inc. position rank: No. 1
He wasn't perfect on Saturday, but he clearly stood out as the premier passer in this class. He has such a smooth stroke, and when his feet are right -- which is far more often than not -- Haskins places the ball beautifully. He understands trajectory and typically does a great job of leading receivers to the right spot. I don't care about the 5.04 40 time. Apparently he's planning on running again at the Ohio State pro day on March 20. That's cool and I appreciate the competitiveness, but recording a 4.85-range time instead of a 5.04 doesn't matter for a 6-foot-3, 231-pound pocket passer like Haskins.
Drew Lock, Missouri
Scouts Inc. position rank: No. 3
The ball jumps off his hands. I thought he looked smooth with an easy stroke in the workouts. Yes, there were times when he could have let it rip a little bit more (as my guy Mel was harping on all day), but I didn't think it was that big of an issue. His best throws were on the post corners at the end of the throwing session. His ability to drive those balls on a line without much effort was impressive. And they were placed perfectly. The arrow is moving way up for the 6-foot-4, 228-pound quarterback, who had a strong second half of the season and has nailed the postseason process so far.
Jarrett Stidham, Auburn
Scouts Inc. position rank: No. 5
He stood out as the best of the Group 6 quarterbacks and was among the top three or four performers of all the QBs who threw. His best throws were on the speed outs and deep balls, which matches the tape. He was a bit inconsistent with his anticipation and ball placement on some of the intermediate throws, particularly on the in-routes, but he also had a few perfectly timed and placed throws. The 6-foot-2, 218-pounder didn't have many anticipation intermediate throws in Auburn's offense, so he's a work in progress in that area.
Field Yates details who could be the next great tight end from the 2019 draft, but stops short of comparing anyone to Rob Gronkowski.
Ryan Finley, NC State
Scouts Inc. position rank: No. 6
The thing that stood out about Finley (who measured at 6-4, 213) in the workouts was his placement on the deep balls, especially down the left rail. He was one of the few quarterbacks to consistently place the ball on the outside shoulder, which is where you want to lead the wide receiver. He never wows with arm strength, but his accuracy and timing stood out today, as they do on tape.
More QB notes from McShay:
Kyler Murray (No. 2 QB) did not work out on Saturday. He measured 5-foot-10, which will certainly help him, but the Oklahoma quarterback opted to skip the on-field drills. We'll see him showcase his talent at the Sooners' pro day on March 13.
This event is not suited to Daniel Jones' strengths (football intelligence, toughness and the ability to take off running for chunks of yardage). But I was still underwhelmed by his showing today. Jones' lack of arm strength was really evident. The 6-foot-5, 221-pound Duke QB was crow-hopping to try to drive the ball vertically, and his deep ball frequently came up short. His accuracy was inconsistent today as well.
How the top wide receivers fared
Kiper breaks down workouts from Day 2:
D.K. Metcalf, Ole Miss
Kiper's position rank: No. 2
We knew Metcalf was a special athlete. I thought he'd perform extremely well here in Indianapolis. I didn't know he could run a 4.33 40, though. That's in the territory of Julio Jones and Calvin Johnson as far as athleticism. At 6-foot-3, 228 pounds, he has a huge 83-inch wingspan. And he's strong -- he put up 27 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press. Now, his medical report from teams is going to be important -- remember that he underwent neck surgery in October -- so I want to hear more from people in the league. But Metcalf is in the top-10 discussion, and that's where I had him in my most recent mock draft.
A.J. Brown, Ole Miss
Kiper's position rank: No. 3
Brown had a solid workout, but he wasn't spectacular. He measured 6-foot, 226 pounds, ran a 4.49 40 and posted a 36.5 vertical. That's in the middle of the pack at the position. He had better numbers (2,572 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns over the past two seasons) than Metcalf in college, but he did a lot of his damage out of the slot. I have him somewhere around Picks 20-40
More WR notes from Kiper:
Top-ranked receiver Marquise Brown (Oklahoma) isn't going to work out for scouts before the draft because of a Lisfranc injury that required surgery. That's OK -- scouts know what he is. At 5-foot-9, 166 pounds, Brown is diminutive and extremely fast. He should be ready for training camp, and I don't think he'll drop out of the top 20.
Metcalf got a lot of pub on Saturday, but Notre Dame receiver Miles Boykin had a tremendous workout, too. He ran a 4.42 40 and had a 43-inch vertical at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds. He's going to get a good bump in my next rankings, and I want to study his tape some more. Right now, he's in the second-round range.
Two more wideouts who solidified their second-round grades on Saturday: Iowa State's Hakeem Butler and South Carolina's Deebo Samuel. Butler is massive (6-5, 227), but he showed great speed (4.48 40) for his size. Samuel could be a Day 2 steal.
Andy Isabella tied Campbell with a 4.31 40, and he plays extremely fast. He's tiny (5-9, 188), so that could see him fall to Day 3, but he's a good player.
How the top tight ends fared
Kiper breaks down workouts from Day 2:
T.J. Hockenson, Iowa
Kiper's position rank: No. 1
A 40 time of 4.70 seconds is a good time for Hockenson. That's about what I expected. To put that into perspective, that's a better 40 time than Zach Ertz (4.76) from 2013 and slightly slower than Jason Witten (4.65) from 2003. Those are the two comps that have been made the most. Hockenson (6-5, 251) is a complete player, and he showed that he's going to be a first-round pick. His 37.5-inch vertical and times in the 20-yard shuttle (4.18) and 60-yard shuttle (11.55) were also impressive.
Irv Smith Jr., Alabama
Kiper's position rank: No. 2
Smith didn't have a great on-field workout, but he's still an early second-round pick. He slipped a couple of times in drills, and he didn't always look comfortable. He tested just OK, running a 4.63 40 at 243 pounds, while putting up average numbers in the vertical jump (32), three-cone drill (7.32 seconds) and 20-yard shuttle (4.33). Smith is a solid player, though, who can help an NFL team as a rookie.
Noah Fant, Iowa
Kiper's position rank: No. 3
The comp I've made for Fant throughout the draft process is Jared Cook, who ran a 4.50 40 at 6-foot-5, 246 pounds in 2009. And what did Fant do on Saturday? He ran a 4.50 40 at 6-foot-4, 249 pounds. That 40 was the best of all the tight ends, and he also topped the group with a 39.5-inch vertical jump and a 6.81 three-cone drill. Fant is going to go higher than Cook did 10 years ago -- Cook went in the third round to Tennessee -- but he needs to be a more consistent hands catcher. He was just OK catching the ball in drills on Saturday.
Field Yates assesses the chances of the Cardinals taking Kyler Murray with the No. 1 pick or trading the selection to a team that needs a QB.
More TE notes from Kiper:
Foster Moreau had the top time in the 20-yard shuttle (4.11 seconds) and is a better athlete than the tape showed. I want to dig in more on him; he caught only 52 passes at LSU.
Dawson Knox (Ole Miss) didn't run the 40 because of a sports hernia injury, but he looked good in drills. If he runs fast at his pro day, he could be a Day 2 pick.
I was disappointed in Kaden Smith's 40 time (4.92). He didn't help himself. The third-year sophomore from Stanford has a lot of potential, but he has a long way to go.
Top risers
Muench runs through the under-the-radar prospects who opened eyes among scouts on Day 2 of workouts and should move up draft boards:
Miles Boykin, WR, Notre Dame
Scouts Inc. position rank: No. 28
Boykin is a redshirt junior with only one year of notable production, so he definitely needed to have a strong day and he made the most of the opportunity. At 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds with long arms, he crushed the testing. His 4.42 was the eighth-fastest 40 time for the wideouts, and he tacked on an 11-foot-8 broad jump and 43.5-inch vertical. This wide receiver class is deep.
Foster Moreau, TE, LSU
Scouts Inc. position rank: No. 12
At 6-foot-4 and 253 pounds, Moreau ran the fifth-fastest 40 (4.66), tied for the third-best vertical (36.5 inches) and recorded the fourth-best broad jump (10-foot-1) for the tight ends. He had the best short shuttle (4.11) and tied for second with 22 reps of 225 pounds on the bench for good measure. I saw him as an effective in-line blocker and limited receiver when I watched him early in the 2018 season, but he flashed late in the season, and these test results are outstanding. He has excellent football intangibles on top of all that, so it would be a surprise if he didn't impress during his interviews here as well.
Kahale Warring, TE, San Diego State
Scouts Inc. position rank: No. 14
The 6-foot-5, 252-pound Warring ran a split-second slower than Moreau (4.67), tied Moreau for the third-best vertical (36.5 inches) and had the third-best broad jump (10-2) for the tight ends. He also had the fourth-quickest (4.25) short shuttle. He's a redshirt junior who played only one year of high school football, missed most of the 2016 season with an injury and didn't put up big numbers in college, so he graded out as a developmental tight end. The question was how high his ceiling is, and the answer is high.
What is one thing you're looking for on Day 3 of workouts?
Kiper: I want to watch the big defensive linemen work out and see if the tape matches my current grades. I expect Houston's Ed Oliver to test off the charts for a 6-foot-2, 287-pound defensive tackle. And Clemson's Dexter Lawrence, who led all defensive linemen with 36 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press, should impress, as well. (Note: Lawrence injured his hamstring Sunday.)
McShay: Based on the game tape I've studied so far, this might be the best defensive front group that I've evaluated in 20 years. Really. I'm fired up to see these guys hit the field tomorrow. It's the first time we'll see Nick Bosa (my top overall prospect) perform since his season-ending core injury in September. Rashan Gary's production didn't always match his talent at Michigan, but he's supposed to put on a show Sunday, too. And how will the Clemson trio of potential first-rounders (Christian Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence and Clelin Ferrell) perform? It should be a fun day in Indianapolis.
Muench: There are plenty of talented defensive linemen who didn't play in one of the Power 5 conferences, starting with Houston's Ed Oliver. Old Dominion DE Oshane Ximines, Western Illinois DT Khalen Saunders, Charleston (W. Va.) DT/DE John Cominsky and Eastern Michigan's Maxx Crosby are all very intriguing under-the-radar guys. Scouts will be watching their workouts closely.