2019 NFL combine risers: Kiper and McShay pick 10 draft prospects

ESPN NFL draft experts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay recap the 2019 NFL combine, including their picks for which prospects helped themselves the most in Indianapolis.

Daily recaps:
Day 1 (RB/OL) | Day 2 (QB/WR/TE)
Day 3 (DL/LB) | Day 4 (DB)

What was the biggest takeaway from the week?

McShay: Man, this draft class is bringing some serious speed to the league. Nine wide receivers clocked sub-4.4 40-yard dash times -- only DJ Chark broke that mark last year -- and tight ends blazed 4.5s. And it wasn't all skill players.

You don't see many 342-pound defensive tackles with 5.05 speed. Clemson's Dexter Lawrence really impressed with his run, even though his day ended with a quad injury. Alabama's Quinnen Williams scorched a 4.83 at 303 pounds, and Mississippi State's Montez Sweat set a combine record for defensive linemen with an absolutely ridiculous 4.41 at 260 pounds. And linebackers Devin White (LSU) and Devin Bush (Michigan) both posted numbers in the low 4.4s. I was just really impressed with the speed of several of these guys.

Kiper: We're 50 days from the NFL draft, and no one really knows who's going No. 1 overall. All the buzz this week has been about the Arizona Cardinals taking Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray at No. 1. But we've seen these smokescreens before, and teams always try to hold their cards close. Either way, it's going to be a fun lead-up to April 25. Will we see a team trade up soon to secure one of the quarterbacks?

Who were the biggest risers coming out of the combine?

Montez Sweat, DE, Mississippi State

Scouts Inc. rank before the combine: No. 19

Sweat was already very high on my board, but running a 4.41 40 at 6-foot-5, 260 pounds turned heads from everybody in Indy. He has terrific length with 35¾-inch arms, posted a good seven-second three-cone and showed some power with his 10-foot-5 broad jump and 36-inch vertical jump. Combined with a very good week at the Senior Bowl in January, Sweat is making himself some money. -- McShay

Miles Boykin, WR, Notre Dame

Scouts Inc. rank before the combine: No. 166

I watched a lot of Boykin at Notre Dame, but he really had only one season of high-end production, and we didn't have true testing numbers. I thought he might be a third- or fourth-round pick coming into Indianapolis. After measuring 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Boykin ran a 4.42 40 and had a 43.5-inch vertical and an 11-foot-8 broad jump. Those are tremendous numbers. You could make the case that no one prospect rose higher than Boykin here, as he now has a chance to go near the top of Round 2. -- Kiper

Noah Fant, TE, Iowa

Scouts Inc. rank before the combine: No. 26

If you're a tight end who can run a 4.5 40, you're going to rise on draft boards. But Fant not only ran fast. He notched 20 reps in the bench press, ripped through the three-cone drill in 6.81 seconds and posted a 39.5-inch vertical jump. This 6-foot-4, 249-pounder might have locked himself into the first round with his workout, setting up the very real possibility of two Iowa tight ends (T.J. Hockenson is the other) going in Round 1. -- McShay

Three of of most impressive combine workouts:
D.K. Metcalf
Montez Sweat
Devin Bush pic.twitter.com/2nY5h98a4H

— Todd McShay (@McShay13) March 5, 2019

Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama

Scouts Inc. rank before the combine: No. 2

You're probably wondering how the No. 2-ranked prospect can be a riser, but Williams' elite testing numbers show that he has to be considered 1B next to Nick Bosa. Williams was just so, so impressive running a 4.83 40 at 303 pounds, which included a 1.69 10-yard split. What I always look for at the combine is whether the workout matches the production for guys for whom I have first-round grades. Williams did that. He is one of the cleanest players in this class. -- Kiper

D.K. Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss

Scouts Inc. rank before the combine: No. 15

Every spot Metcalf moves up in the first round is close to $1 million more in total salary, so it's no wonder why he was emotional after a tremendous workout Saturday. We're talking about a 6-foot-3, 228-pound beast with 4.33 40 speed, 34⅞-inch arms and a 40½-inch vertical. The times in the agility drills might be a little concerning, but overall, Metcalf showed incredible speed, athleticism and strength. Did I mention he benched 225 pounds 27 times? He will climb some teams' draft boards after an impressive weekend in Indianapolis. -- McShay

Devin Bush, ILB, Michigan

Scouts Inc. rank before the combine: No. 14

There was plenty of talk about Bush's size heading into the combine. Was he going to be 5-foot-11? Any shorter than that is a red flag for a middle linebacker. Well, he measured right at 5-11 and weighed a solid 234 pounds. Then he ripped off a 4.43 40 and tested off the charts in almost every drill. As I wrote on Sunday, Bush is moving up and could go in the top 15 picks. There's a good chance he rises into the top 10 of my new Big Board. -- Kiper

Parris Campbell, WR, Ohio State

Scouts Inc. rank before the combine: No. 49

Campbell was overshadowed by Metcalf, but the Buckeye had a really terrific overall workout. The 6-foot, 217-pound receiver showed some polished route running and displayed his speed with a 4.31 in the 40. He capped off a good afternoon with a 40-inch vertical and an 11-foot-3 broad jump. He's going to tempt some teams in the first round. -- McShay

Erik McCoy, C, Texas A&M

Scouts Inc. rank before the combine: No. 50

I could have gone with Boston College guard Chris Lindstrom, who had a good workout and is firmly slated for the second round. But McCoy is now on the fringes of Round 1, and he might be the first center off the board. He ran a 4.89 40 at 303 pounds, the fastest of any offensive lineman, and he showed off his strength, putting up 29 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press. McCoy, who started all 38 games of his Texas A&M career, has some versatility, as teams think he has the ability to play guard, too. -- Kiper

Zedrick Woods, S, Ole Miss

Scouts Inc. rank before the combine: NR

I need to watch more tape on this dude because his Monday workout was impressive. He rolled to the fastest 40 time of the entire combine with a 4.29. At 5-11, 205, Woods was mostly an in-the-box safety in college. His seven-second three-cone was slightly below the average for safeties, but his 4.17-second short shuttle was right around the average. There's some tightness in his hips. -- McShay

Andy Isabella, WR, UMass

Scouts Inc. rank before the combine: No. 102

Isabella's frame (5-9, 188 pounds) is small, and he has only 29¾-inch arms. But he can fly. Isabella ran a 4.31 40 (after some complications with the laser timing), one of the fastest of any prospect in Indy. And when you turn on his tape, you see him separating from defenders by 10-plus yards and making plays. He's so fun to watch. Isabella could be a third-round pick in April. -- Kiper