8 Standout Athletes Who Should Shine, Increase Draft Stock at 2023 NFL Combine
It's NFL combine week. In other words, it's time for aspiring athletes to make some money.
Every year, evaluators become enamored with those who post standout performances in Indianapolis. Yes, the majority of an individual's evaluation is based on what he does during games. However, the potential found within a prospect is often based on their physical prowess. If a naturally gifted player is rated similarly to another lesser athlete, teams often err on the side of raw upside.
A great workout isn't simply a fast 40-yard dash, though. Bleacher Report already predicted some of the fastest players who will be in attendance this year.
Instead, let's discuss all-around athletic marvels.
Most should remember Byron Jones dazzling prior to the 2015 NFL draft with a record-setting jump and an outstanding all-around workout. Last year, Jelani Woods reset the scale as the most athletic tight end registered among relative athletic scores, according to Pro Football Network's Kent Lee Platte.
The NFL is home to some of the biggest, fastest and most gifted athletes the world has to offer. The combine serves as a public forum to display those special talents. Inevitably, a handful of names will rise above the rest based on how they test and move throughout their positional group setting.
In this particular case, those identified as potential standouts aren't currently viewed as first-round talents by B/R's Scouting Department. One or two could be by the time it's all said and done. But they're about to take Lucas Oil Field and impress as some of the best all-around athletes in this year's class.
WR Andrei Iosivas, Princeton
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The term "Olympic-level athlete" is often thrown about during predraft testing. In Andrei Iosivas' case, the designation applies.
"I was always really good at track. If I really wanted to go that route, I'd be training for the Olympics right now," Iosivas told Bleacher Report during Senior Bowl week. "Football is the path that I'm taking. This is my first love, and it's what I want to do."
A year ago, the 6'3", 212-pound receiver wasn't preparing for the upcoming football season. Instead, he was one of the nation's best track athletes.
As Princeton's official site noted, Iosivas became a 2022 NCAA All-American (Indoor) in the heptathlon. He was a three-time Ivy League champion in the same event and ran the fastest-ever 60-meter dash (6.71) in the NCAA heptathlon at the '22 NCAA Indoor Championships.
The combine is an ideal setting for Iosivas to thrive and show he's more than a track athlete.
This past season, the team captain led the Tigers and the Ivy League with 943 receiving yards and seven touchdown receptions (in 10 games played, per the conference's seasonal setup).
Elite athletic testing, coupled with a strong positional workout, will help offset a nondescript Senior Bowl week.
TE Luke Musgrave, Oregon State
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Luke Musgrave's name was on the lips of many during Senior Bowl week because people expected him to dominate the festivities thanks to his outstanding athletic traits.
While those expectations weren't entirely met, the premise remains the same for the combine.
Musgrave is a gifted tight end prospect with the physical upside to be a top target at the next level. His size/speed combination certainly doesn't disappoint. According to Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy, Musgrave became the heaviest player in Mobile (by 24 pounds) to produce a max speed of over 20 miles per hour.
He'll have another opportunity in Indianapolis to show how well his movement skills translate.
The 6'5", 255-pound target is extremely fluid, with the ability to threaten the deep seam and create after the catch. He's not a traditional athlete, either.
NFL scouts often stress playing multiple sports at the high school level. Most football players also find their way to the hardcourt, baseball diamond, wrestling mats or onto the track. In Musgrave's case, he was a three-year letter-winner in lacrosse and a ski racing champion. He doesn't move like a typical athlete with his frame.
Unfortunately, he provided only one full season of collegiate production. This past year, he suffered a knee injury and played in only two games.
OT Blake Freeland, BYU
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Blake Freeland's athletic profile is absolutely wild.
From an NFL standpoint, the BYU product fits the prototype of a professional left tackle. He's 6'7" and 312 pounds with 34-inch arms.
He's taken the Lane Johnson route to become a credible offensive line prospect.
"They offered me as a quarterback/athlete technically," Freeland said in an interview with ESPN 960 Sports' Benjamin Criddle. "... Coach [Ed] Lamb later sat me down and told me I had a really good future at offensive or defensive line. I said I don't know either position, so I might as well jump to offensive line."
Aside from playing quarterback/tight end at the high school level, Freeland excelled as both a basketball player and track athlete. In fact, he became a seven-time all-state performer in Utah for sports other than football.
Freeland was named all-state in track and field six times while holding a state-record javelin throw. He also earned the same designation once for basketball.
Leverage and core strength can be an issue because of Freeland's height, but he moves well with excellent overall agility. The multi-sport standout should piece together an outstanding workout to show he's a potential future starter on some quarterback's blindside.
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IOL Joe Tippmann, Wisconsin
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Joe Tippmann isn't built like a typical center prospect.
Traditionally, centers have squat builds and are lighter than guards and offensive tackles. However, the Wisconsin Badgers listed their starting pivot at 6'6" and 317 pounds.
Tippman is simultaneously a massive snapper while doubling as a standout athlete.
"Tippmann is a terrific combination of strength (635-pound back squat and 455-pound bench) and athleticism, clocking a 4.31 pro agility time and a 1.65 10-yard split, which would've been faster than any O-lineman at the NFL combine this year," The Athletic's Bruce Feldman reported last summer.
The lateral movement sticks out when it comes to Tippmann's skill set. The three-time Academic All-Big Ten performer easily redirects along the interior and excels when asked to pull in space.
Because of his movement skills, some teams may envision him as more than a center. He could move to guard or even tackle, depending on the situation.
How he performs during the on-field portion of the offensive line workout should place him in the same conversation as Florida's O'Cyrus Torrence, Minnesota's John Michael Schmitz and TCU's Steve Avila to become the first interior blocker to hear their name called come April.
DL Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern
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Unique can be a loaded term when discussing prospect evaluations, because so few actually fit the description.
Northwestern's Adetomiwa Adebawore is different. His build is truly unique. He's a sub-6'2" defensive lineman with 34-inch arms and an 84-inch wingspan. Not a single player from this year's Senior Bowl, Shrine Bowl or even last year's draft class can claim the same.
But a different build doesn't automatically make a prospect a better overall athlete than others. In Adebawore's case, he packs significant power and explosion, while being built like a powder keg.
Both traits became evident during Senior Bowl week when Adebawore performed as well as anyone in attendance. His long arms deliver a massive jolt, while the 284-pound defender displays enough quickness to beat blockers off the snap.
His explosivity can be viewed through the prism of his testing numbers. According to Feldman, Adebawore posted a 4.05-second short shuttle and 6.9-second 3-cone, as well as a 10'5" broad jump and 37.5-inch vertical prior to his final season on campus.
Adebawore is a hybrid defender capable of playing defensive end or defensive tackle. He's best suited to play 3-technique at the next level. If he posts similar numbers at the combine, they will easily surpass last year's best efforts among the interior defenders.
Edge Will McDonald IV, Iowa State
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Of those previously mentioned, Will McDonald IV is the prospect most likely to work his way into first-round consideration.
The Iowa State product already vacillates between B/R's top-32 prospects and an early Day 2 option. Currently, he's ranked 41st overall, but an expected blowup performance at the NFL combine will certainly change matters.
McDonald already excelled as part of the Cyclones program. The pass-rusher was a three-time first-team All-Big 12 performer with 34 career sacks, 42 tackles for loss and 10 forced fumbles.
But the three-man front Iowa State often employed didn't necessarily highlight how athletic McDonald really is. The combine serves as an opportunity to unleash his full potential as an edge-rusher.
The 6'3", 241-pound defender was a four-sport standout at the high school level. He was the 2018 Classic 8 Player of the Year in basketball. McDonald's track and field profile is quite interesting, too. As Tracking Football noted, he finished top 10 among his incoming draft classmates in the discus, long jump and high jump. The latter two are good indications of lower-body explosivity.
These traits will couple with McDonald's fluidity once he completes the on-field portion of his workout to make him one of the class' most athletic edge-defenders.
CB Riley Moss, Iowa
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The Iowa Hawkeyes aren't a sexy program, but Kirk Ferentz and Co. know how to develop NFL talent and elite athletes. Cornerback Riley Moss is next in the pipeline. The two-time first-team All-Big Ten performer brings explosive short-area quickness paired with sprinter speed.
Change of direction is one of the most vital aspects of pass coverage. A cornerback can run a 4.3-second 40-yard dash, but his speed gets negated if he suffers from stiff hips through his pedal. Moss is lightning-quick when asked to change directions.
"We're told he has clocked the fastest short shuttle time for DBs in Kirk Ferentz's two decades-plus at Iowa, blazing through it in 3.85 seconds," Feldman reported last summer.
During Ferentz's tenure, he's coached the likes of Desmond King, Micah Hyde and Bob Sanders. The reported number would have been the best since 2015, with only three defensive backs recording a better number since the NFL began to reveal official times.
In high school, Moss was a state champion in the 110-meter high hurdles—setting Iowa's all-time record (13.85 seconds)—in shuttle hurdle (during his junior campaign) and as a member of the 800-meter relay team.
The 6'0", 192-pound cornerback will show in Indianapolis that he's an elite athlete, even among other highly athletic defensive backs.
S Sydney Brown, Illinois
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Realistically, either of the Brown twins could have been included. But Sydney Brown gets the nod because of his versatility throughout a defensive backfield tends to be more valued in today's game.
Chase Brown could very well turn into a workhorse back for some team, as he did with the Illinois Fighting Illini. Still, Sydney creates more flexibility in the secondary, which is golden with how defenses plan to stop opposing quarterbacks.
The first-team All-Big Ten performer is a ballhawk who loves to bait quarterbacks into throws. His six interceptions this past season fell one behind the nation's leaders. He lined up in the box, deep third, deep half and over the slot. Brown also showed the athleticism and fluidity at the Senior Bowl to cover wide receivers one-on-one, too.
Typically, safeties are a little stiffer in the hips, but Brown can run. During his high school track career, he became a state finalist in the 400-meter dash, 4x400-meter relay and 4x100-meter relay.
"I'm addicted to seeing little results, no matter what it is," Brown told Feldman. "I'm in love with the process, whether it's the diet or the workouts, the coaching tips that I get. That's what really drives me."
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