Us because some of our top EDGEs, TEs, and Linebackers did very little or nothing at all due to injury. All jokes aside these are our 2023 NFL Combine losers
Quarterback
Loser: Max Duggan
It is sad to see how far Duggan has fallen. What was once a feel good story has now seen Duggan underperform in the CFP finals, the Senior Bowl, and now the Combine. He tested good athletically so he may still get drafted but it is likely he will be nothing special at the next level.
Honorable Mention: Will Levis
Despite what the headlines say, Levis had a horrible combine. His throws were erratic, his interview was embarrassing since he did not have “the best arm in recent memory”, and he did nothing to separate himself from any of the quarterbacks. He should not be a first rounder, even if he likely will.
*Bryce Young (Sort of)
He started off a winner based on his weight and interview answers. But then he did not do anything. No testing which was surprising and no throwing. He would have been in the group with Stroud and Richardson who had the two best combines of any quarterback. This was a chance to show, as players like DTR and Stetson Bennett did, that his arm strength could compete with the other quarterbacks in this class. He is not a major loser from day three, but still he is clearly QB3 in our opinion now.
Running Back
Loser: Tank Bigsby
We were not high on him anyway, but he was awful in the running back drills. He chose to jump over the bags instead of step through them and athletically did nothing special. He should be falling down draft boards
Honorable Mention: Eric Gray
He was a riser from the senior bowl, but really disappointed at the combine. His testing was not great, and his drills were nothing special.
Wide Receivers
Loser: Kayshon Boutte
Another player we were not high on, Boutte had a brutal combine. He ran a lackluster 40, and had the worst vertical of any of the receivers. Coupled with his maturity issues, he should be a day 3 pick at most.
Honorable Mention: Jordan Addison
Addison weighed in under 180 pounds, and ran a slower time than anyone expected. He should still be a first round receiver, but for some he was the top receiver before the combine (and is most likely not anymore).
Tight End
Loser: Payne Durham
There really are not losers at this combine as all of the tight ends looked great, but Durham tested the worst of anyone there, yet still did not test horribly.
Honorable Mention: Michael Mayer
Again, Mayer did not look bad and by no means was he actually a loser from the combine. But, the reason he is on here is because all of the players ranked around him tested that amazing that Mayer looked more average athletically (even though his game is not built on speed)
Offensive Tackle:
Loser: Jaelyn Duncan
Jaelyn Duncan actually tested really well athletically. He started strong before deciding not to participate in the on-field portion of the workout, which for me was where he would’ve helped his stock. The other thing is he pretty much lied to Charles Davis. When they saw that he wasn’t doing the positional drills, DJ and Eisen asked Davis to go investigate. Davis asked Duncan if he was banged up to which Duncan told him no he’s just waiting for his pro day. When he realized that he was the topic of conversation, he found Charles Davis and told him that his achilles was bothering him. It’s not the fact that Duncan didn’t feel 100% it’s the fact that he lied. It’s hard to know if Duncan lied about being okay or lied about the achilles, but it just doesn’t sit right.
Honorable Mention: Richard Gouraige
We debated putting Gouraige as the biggest loser for the offensive tackles. The medical staff absolutely screwed him over. Gouraige had to sit out of all combine testing due to swelling of an ankle injury caused by the medical staff. The worst part is it was during the “pain tolerance” test. Now, this could be a completely routine test they do every year, but it seems kind of shady if you ask us. It wasn’t released what the actual injury to the ankle was, but if he got hurt, it makes you wonder what they are doing during that test. That seems like it could be kind of a controversial test.
Interior Offensive Lineman:
Loser: Tyler Bass
Bass just did not have a good day. He didn’t test super well and looked like a clunky mover through the positional drills.
Honorable Mention: Nick Broeker
His athletic testing wasn’t too bad, but his on field workout was hard to watch. He was another pretty clunky mover and his footwork looked pretty bad.
EDGE
Loser: Andre Carter
All of this news around Carter and how he wanted to put off his service to go into the NFL, and Carter has had one of the draft processes possible. He tested awful athletically, and has done nothing but hurt his draft stock
Honorable Mention: Caleb Murphy
Murphy had a very good Senior Bowl, but at the Combine he did not test well and struggled in the positional drills.
Defensive Line
Loser: Byron Young (Alabama)
Honorable Mention: DJ Dale
These will be grouped together. Both Alabama tackles underwhelmed athletically, and struggled in the positional drills. A lot of the prospects looked very good in one or multiple aspects, while they disappointed.
Linebacker:
Loser: Henry To’oto’o
To’oto’o is a LB prospect that on tape seems to be good in space and pretty athletic. His athletic testing wasn’t great, and I don’t remember him being a standout in the drills either. He only ran 0.03 seconds faster than Jack Campbell.
Honorable Mention: DeMarvion Overshown
Overshown may have one of the coolest names in recent memory. Unfortunately his combine performance, unlike his name, did not stand out. He only participated in three of the athletic tests, where he had average numbers at best. Then sat out of the on field drills. He also sat out of the Senior Bowl. It makes you wonder if he’s hiding something.
Cornerbacks:
Loser: Anthony Johnson
Poor testing all around, athletically and drill wise. Not that Johnson was a top prospect, but it was a pretty poor performance.
Honorable Mention: Emmanuel Forbes
Forbes weighed in at 166 pounds. That is worrisome when you look at WRs like DHop, Metcalf, AJ Brown, Mike Williams, etc. He also looked like a baby deer when he was running. Really awkward mover. People have him as a first rounder, and if he was he’s not anymore.
Safeties:
Loser: Chris Smith
Smith is a player that we are higher on than most, and the deeper we get into the offseason the worse his stock gets. His 40 wasn’t anywhere close to where we thought it would be. His athletic testing in general was pretty disappointing. His on field workout wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t what we were expecting either. He has not lived up to his tape in the Senior Bowl or combine. He’s probably no longer a first rounder, unless he can clean everything up for Georgia’s pro day.
Honorable Mention: Brandon Joseph
Joseph is a player we don’t think has a crazy high ceiling, but is one of the most pro ready. The big concern for us about Joseph is his speed, and he did not run well. He had a chance to turn himself into a fringe first rounder, but is probably stuck as a second rounder unless his pro day looks good.