The on-field workout portion of the 2024 NFL Combine resumed on Saturday afternoon. The third of four days of workouts was also the longest one, with quarterbacks, wide receivers, and running backs all working out.
There’s plenty of interest from a Patriots point of view in Saturday’s workouts. Earlier this week de facto Patriots general manager Eliot Wolf talked about the need to “weaponize the offense.” From a draft standpoint, the majority of players in the draft who would be able to do that were on the field on Saturday (tight ends worked out on Friday evening).
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None of the top three quarterbacks worked out on Saturday, with Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels all choosing to not take part in drills. Those are the quarterbacks the Patriots are expected to target with the third overall pick, but they did get a look at the second tier of quarterbacks, as well as some Day 3 guys should they choose to double up at the position.
Wide receiver is another premium need, where the majority of players did work out. With such little consensus at the position in the top 100, Saturday’s drills certainly could have helped the Patriots shape their board at the position – especially on Day 2.
Running back is another need for the Patriots, with a current lack of depth and starter Rhamondre Stevenson entering a contract year. That, plus the transition to Alex Van Pelt’s more run/play action-driven offense could leave the Patriots looking for a player who can at least play a rotational role as a rookie, even if it’s a player who will go on Day 3.
Let’s take a look at the biggest individual standouts from Saturday, focusing mainly on Patriots in ranges the Patriots are expected to target (ex. Brian Thomas and Rome Odunze were good but will almost certainly go between the Patriots’ first and second picks)…
RB Isaac Guerendo, Louisville
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MARCH 02: Isaac Guerendo #RB12 of Louisville participates in a drill during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 02, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Not only did Guerendo post the best 40 time (4.33 seconds), vertical jump (41.5 inches) and second-best broad jump (10-foot-9-inches), but he did so as one of the biggest backs at the Combine at 6-foot, 221 pounds. Guerendo moved well laterally during on-field drills as well. He came into the Combine projected as a Late Day 3 pick, but his stock will almost certainly rise after his workout.
RB Jaylen Wright, Tennessee
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MARCH 02: Jaylen Wright #RB30 of Tennessee participates in a drill during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 02, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Wright looks like one of the most explosive running backs in this draft and showed that in his testing. His 11-foot-2-inch broad jump didn’t just lead all running backs, but the second best ever for a running back in Combine history. In addition to that, Wright reached 15.16 miles per hour over the first five yards of his 40, the fastest such time for any running back this year.
WR Bub Means, Pitt
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MARCH 02: Bub Means #WO18 of Pittsburgh participates in a drill during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 02, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
We’ll lead the receiver group with a projected Day 3 pick in Means. Playing in an anemic offense with major quarterback issues last year at Pitt, this kind of testing is going to hold a little more weight for him. He certainly made the most of it with a solid all-around day. After running a 4.43 40 and putting up a 39.5-inch vertical at 6-foot-1, 212 pounds he was consistently smooth during on-field drills. His gauntlet run was one of the best of his receiver group.
WR Ladd McConkey, Georgia
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MARCH 02: Ladd McConkey #WO16 of Georgia participates in the 40-yard dash during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 02, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Means ran one of the best gauntlets of the first wide receiver group, but the best one goes to McConkey. He made it look absolutely effortless, which isn’t surprising seeing how well he can catch the ball and change directions on tape. McConkey then complemented his on-field testing with a 4.39-second 40, helping his case to be a top-50 pick.
WR Tez Walker, UNC
Mar 2, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; North Carolina wide receiver Tez Walker (WO32) during the 2024 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Walker was coming off of a rough performance at the Senior Bowl, but did a lot to assure evaluators that was an anomaly. Drops were a big problem for Walker in Mobile, but he caught everything thrown his way at the Combine, highlighted by a very smooth gauntlet run. He tested well too, with his 4.36-second 40 ranking fourth among receivers, while also finishing top five in the vertical and broad jumps.
WR Johnny Wilson, Florida State
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MARCH 02: Johnny Wilson #WO38 of Florida State participates in the 40-yard dash during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 02, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
At 6-foot-6, 231 pounds there were a lot of questions about Wilson’s ability to move at this size. He certainly did his part to lessen those concerns, running a 4.52 40 while putting up a 37-inch vertical. Wilson’s hands have been another critique, but drops weren’t a problem for him on Saturday.
WR AD Mitchell, Texas
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MARCH 02: Adonai Mitchell #WO19 of Texas participates in the 40-yard dash during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 02, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Mitchell didn’t just have the best Combine of any wide receiver, but arguably the best of any player in Indy. After checking in at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds Mitchell tested through the roof with his 4.35-second 40, 39.5-inch vertical, and 11-foot-4-inch broad jump. To top the day off he got a bad throw on an over-the-shoulder drill, but managed to make a great adjustment to secure the catch.
Not only did Mitchell likely solidify himself as a first round pick, but may have pushed his way into the top-15 conversation. He probably moved himself out of range for the Patriots, but it would be wrong to do a list of standouts and not include him.
WR Xavier Worthy, Texas
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MARCH 02: Xavier Worthy #WO40 of Texas participates in the 40-yard dash during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 02, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Worthy is likely out of range of the Patriots at this point, but he set a new Combine record with a 4.21-second 40. We couldn’t leave him off the list.
QB Michael Penix, Washington
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MARCH 02: Michael Penix #QB08 of Washington participates in a drill during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 02, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Penix did what he needed to do on Saturday delivering sharp, accurate throws and impressing during the deep ball portion of the events. But he really won the Combine before he even took the field, getting “positive reviews” when it comes to his medical testing. For a player who had four season-ending injuries in six college seasons, that’s big.
QB Devin Leary
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MARCH 02: Devin Leary #QB03 of Kentucky participates in a drill during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 02, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
The best all-around thrower from the first group – a group that included J.J. McCarthy and Bo Nix – might have been Leary. He didn’t wow with his overall arm talent but his accuracy was as if not more consistent than any other QB on the field with him. Leary was once viewed as a potential starting-caliber prospect after a standout 2021 season, but saw his 2022 cut short and failed to bounce back last year. He’s an interesting late-round project option, and likely opened a few eyes on Saturday.
QB Joe Milton, Tennessee
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MARCH 02: Joe Milton #QB06 of Tennessee participates in a drill during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 02, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Joe Milton did his thing. His accuracy was hit-and-miss, but his deep ball deserves to be seen by all…
