NFL Analysis
3/1/24
5 min read
2024 NFL Combine: Winners, Losers From Friday's Workouts
The second day of the NFL Combine wrapped up Friday with the defensive backs and tight ends participating in the workouts and drills.
Once again, it was a day filled with outstanding performances. But which players had the best workouts? And which players left us wanting more? Here are the biggest winners and losers from Day 2.
NFL COMBINE DAY 2 WINNERS AND LOSERs
Winner: Theo Johnson, TE, Penn State
We knew Theo Johnson would put up big numbers at the combine. That was the reason he was invited. He’s not a polished player and will need a lot of development. But his athleticism might be the best we’ve ever seen.
Measuring at 6-foot-6 and 259 pounds, Johnson ran a stunning 4.58-second 40-yard dash. But that wasn't even Johnson's most impressive testing number. He posted a 39.5-inch vertical, which is in the 99th percentile among all tight ends ever to enter the combine.
In fact, his overall athleticism score is the highest in NFL history.
Johnson could see his value shoot up over the next three months in a relatively weak tight end class. Would it be impossible to see him come off the board as the third tight end in the class? Absolutely not.
Johnson might have been the biggest winner from Friday.
Winner: Mike Sainristil, CB, Michigan
As a whole, the cornerback group had a nice day, but one of the most impressive performances came from Mike Sainristil.
While his 40-yard dash was just OK (4.47), Sainristil dominated in all of the other drills. He posted a 6.99-second 3-cone drill, the fourth-fastest of the defensive backs. His short shuttle (4.01 seconds) was the second-fastest of the day and is in the 87th percentile among all defensive backs since 1999.
His agility drills were well above average, but his jump numbers were even more impressive. He posted a 40-inch vertical and an insane 10-foot-11 broad jump. Both of those numbers are in the 94th percentile among cornerbacks since 1987.
Sainristil is probably the best slot cornerback in the class, and his insane explosiveness and quickness make him a surefire Day 2 pick.
Winner: Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
There might not be a player in this year's draft who has done more to solidify his stock than Quinyon Mitchell. After completely dominating the practices at the Senior Bowl, Mitchell put on a show at the combine.
Mitchell ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at 195 pounds, which was the second-fastest time through two days. He posted a blazing 1.51-second 10-yard split and absolutely dominated the on-field work in Indianapolis. Mitchell has managed to check every box this offseason, and there's now a nonzero chance he's the first defender off the board in April.
Coming into the 2023 season, Mitchell was viewed as a borderline top-100 selection. Now, he could be a top-10 pick.
That's quite a rise for the senior defensive back out of Toledo.
Loser: Kalen King, CB, Penn State
Kalen King's pre-draft slide continues.
Going into the 2023 season, the biggest draftniks routinely had King coming off the board in the first round; many believed he was the top cornerback in the class. But after a rough year, King’s value has tanked. He had a poor performance in the Senior Bowl, which continued at the combine.
King ran a 4.61-second 40-yard dash, which will cross him off most boards.
Many NFL teams won't even consider drafting a cornerback with a 40-yard dash time over 4.55 seconds — a 4.61-second time is a no-go. King posted slightly above-average jump numbers, but his average size and well-below-average speed make him one of the biggest losers of the day.
At this point, there's no way he can be considered a top-100 pick, and it's fair to wonder if he'll even be drafted.
Loser: Ennis Rakestraw JR., CB, Missouri
There might not be a more physical cornerback in this class than Ennis Rakestraw Jr. He isn’t afraid to tackle and will turn every matchup into a rock fight. His tape is borderline first-round worthy. Unfortunately, his athleticism is not.
Rakestraw ran a 4.51-second 40-yard dash, which is actually above average. He doesn’t win with speed, so a 40-yard time in the low 4.5 seconds is more than fine for his game.
Unfortunately, the rest of his numbers were at a very average level despite Rakestraw weighing in at just 183 pounds. Overall, he tested as a below-average athlete in RAS; it's pretty rare to see a cornerback with a sub-7.00 RAS be selected in the top 50 picks.
It's still likely Rakestraw goes in the first two rounds of the draft because of his physicality, but his chances of being selected in Round 1 are slim. With his average athleticism, teams will likely cross him off their boards when it comes to early-round selections.
Given his athletic profile, it wouldn't be a shock if he were one of the biggest fallers on Day 2 of the draft.
Loser: Kamren Kinchens, S, Miami (FL)
There isn’t a clear-cut No. 1 safety in this class, but the combine usually does a good job of separating players at a position. Unfortunately, Kamren Kinchens is going in the wrong direction. Of the 24 safeties who ran on Friday, Kinchens ran the slowest 40-yard dash (4.65 seconds). While that time shouldn't cross him off anyone's list, his 9-foot-2 broad jump is in just the third percentile among all safeties since 1999.
Kinchens is a better football player than an athlete, but it's worth noting his testing numbers were the worst of the group. In fact, his overall athletic performance ranks in the 21st percentile among all safeties to enter the NFL since 1987.
That's rough.
With his very unspectacular athleticism, Kinchens might now be a Day 3 pick. His combine performance wasn't a good one for the former Miami star.
