8 Under-the-Radar 2024 NFL Draft Prospects Who Will Make Big Splash at Combine
The NFL Scouting Combine is unlike anything else when it comes to football preparation. In a lot of ways, the process is counterintuitive. Even so, this event and its results remain the standard.
Football players very rarely find themselves running 40 yards in a straight line and definitely not without pads. The bench press isn't the best lift to define total body strength and explosiveness. Despite these couple of examples and other issues, prospects spend months training each of the specific events in order to maximize their value for NFL teams.
As such, it's an environment that's more conducive to certain talents than others. Specific individuals are built to shine in this setting.
Who's in attendance and actually completes a full workout is variable, though.
For example, Kansas quarterback Jason Bean and UCLA running back Carson Steele could have been huge under-the-radar winners in Indianapolis had they been invited. Conversely, a prospect like Texas Tech's Tyler Owens is already well-known as a prospect with the most to gain.
Still, expect multiple prospects, who are not currently ranked among the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's top-100 prospects, to piece together outstanding workouts during the festivities and improve their current statuses. B/R identified eight specific individuals—each from a different position group—as those expected to put on a show.
QB Spencer Rattler, South Carolina
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Spencer Rattler's draft status isn't under-the-radar, per se. Rather, the South Carolina quarterback has a chance to reawaken interest.
Three years ago, Rattler was projected to follow in Baker Mayfield's and Kyler Murray's footsteps as Lincoln Riley's next great Oklahoma quarterback, then possibly become the No. 1 overall pick.
[Record scratch.]
During the 2021 campaign, Riley benched Rattler for 5-star recruit Caleb Williams. The '20 Big 12 Championship MVP transferred to South Carolina the following year, where he threw for 6,212 yards and 37 touchdowns over the next two seasons.
Concerns over decision-making and how he handles pressure won't be on display. An on-air throwing session will allow Rattler to display his ample arm talent and anticipation. It's also an opportunity to show he's tightened up his footwork to work better in rhythm. Basically, it's the perfect setup to shine for a talented natural thrower, which is important considering the current state of the quarterback class.
Three primary tiers can be found among the incoming crop.
USC's Caleb Williams, North Carolina's Drake Maye and LSU's Jayden Daniels are generally viewed as Tier 1 and potential top-three selections. Michigan's J.J. McCarthy finds himself alone among the second tier, with a chance to raise his status toward top-10 status. Oregon's Bo Nix and Washington's Michael Penix Jr. comprise the third tier. Each has questions marks but also possess the talent to be future starters.
From that point, options are limited. Rattler presents as much or more upside than any other remaining prospect and may be the only one with a chance to grow into a starting role. A Senior Bowl MVP showing followed by a strong combine throwing session and nightly interviews could easily place Rattler in the Day 2/Tier 3 mix.
RB Isaac Guerendo, Louisville
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Running back is the one position where a lack of significant reps and experience can be viewed as a good thing. Louisville's Isaac Guerendo carried the ball more than 100 times only once during a five-year collegiate career. Yet he'll be one of the most intriguing prospects among the position group because of his athletic profile.
The 6'1', 220-pound Guerendo possesses an archetypal build for a featured back. But he was stuck behind the likes of Jonathan Taylor and Braelon Allen, with the COVID-19 season sandwiched between those two points, during his four years at Wisconsin.
Last year, the running back transferred to the Cardinals program, where he shared a backfield with Jahwar Jordan. Still, Guerendo set career-highs with 132 carries, 810 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns.
Keep in mind, this has been a process for the running back since he entered the collegiate ranks as an 185-pound wide receiver recruit. He added muscle and transitioned to a new position. But the athletic profile is something that should pop in Indianapolis.
Guerendo was a three-time state champion in track, with first-place finishes in long jump (24-5 1/4") and 100 meters (10.51 seconds) and 4x100 relay (41.28 seconds). He tied for the third-fastest 100m effort, finished fourth in 400m relay and and grabbed fifth in the 200m event among this year's draft prospects, according to Tracking Football.
The running back convert is now bigger, stronger and more explosive.
The runway toward a great workout, thus huge upside, and becoming a better professional than collegian is laid forth for Guerendo to follow.
WR Ryan Flournoy, Southeast Missouri State
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As the old scouting cliche goes, "If you're talented enough, the league will find you."
Southeast Missouri State isn't exactly a desert of NFL talent. The FCS program produced four NFL draft picks since the 2000 draft, with two alumni—offensive lineman Drew Forbes and defensive back Mike Ford—currently found on the Cleveland Browns' roster.
Wide receiver Ryan Flournoy is arguably the most talented prospect to come out of the program and could hear his name called before the sixth round. Over the last two seasons, the Iowa Western Community College transfer, with a two-year stop at Central Missouri beforehand, caught 118 passes for 1,823 yards and 13 touchdowns.
The biggest issue with Flournoy's evaluation is that he turns 25 later this year. Some front offices believe in age guardrails. However, Flournoy's athletic profile could have some seriously contemplating whether he should go sooner than an older, small-school prospect rightly should.
First, he's a 6'1", 200-pound target with 10-inch hands. No wide receiver or tight end at the Senior Bowl had bigger mitts. But it's the explosivity found within his game that allowed him to create separate in Mobile despite inconsistent route-running and footwork.
According to The Athletic's Bruce Feldman, Flournoy previously tested with 41-inch vertical jump, 10'10 1/2" broad jump and has been laser-timed at 4.40 seconds in the 40-yard dash. The wide receiver also posted 4.22-second short shuttle and 6.66-second three-cone effort. Every single one of those numbers would have finished among the top nine wide receivers who attended last year's combine, with the vertical and three-cone among the top two.
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OT Tylan Grable, UCF
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Offensive line evaluations during the combine are a little different because they're relative to the size of these athletes and overall movement skills seen throughout their workouts.
A 300-plus-pound prospect running sub-5.0 in the 40-yard dash is far more impressive than a sub-200-pound wide receiver or defensive back cracking the 4.4 barrier. To illustrate this example, five legitimate 300 pounders cracked the 5.0 barrier at least year's combine, whereas 12 of the top 17 finishers with a time better than 4.4 weighed under 200 pounds.
Thus, how a lineman carries his weight and moves build expectations of what he can be at the next level. This understanding leads to UCF's Tylan Grable.
Grable isn't like most offensive lineman. Why? Well, he was a 6'5" high school quarterback, who weighed 240 pounds and played on the high school basketball team.
Obviously, he grew into a 309-pound blindside protector after taking a redshirt year, playing a little tight end and transferring from Jacksonville State, where he developed into a second-team All-American. He started 25 games for the Knights.
Because of his history, one can expect that Grable needs more time to refine his technique.
At the same time, he's light on his feet and should move extremely well during combine drills and the on-field portion. The overall workout will show excellent lower-body flexibility and explosiveness relative to the rest of the class. The All-Big 12 Honorable Mention is a smooth athlete, with the potential to become a starting NFL left tackle.
Edge Javon Solomon, Troy
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The reveal of official 10-yard splits became a major positive development in combine coverage. How quickly a prospect explodes out of his stance is an important factor in evaluations.
Some may not have good top-end speed, but those first few steps could make all the difference in winning or losing a snap.
Troy's Javon Solomon isn't a typical edge-rusher. He's a sub-6'1", 247-pound end. But he first-step burst, length (33 3/4-inch arms) and production make him a fascinating option. Over the three seasons, the Sun Belt Conference standout produced 42.5 tackles for loss and 31.5 sacks, including a career-high 16 in 2023.
When an athlete doesn't have prototypical measurements, it's important to show exactly how he wins. In Solomon's case, he's a powder keg.
According to Feldman, the 23-year-old defender bench-presses 420 pounds, deadlifts 615 and squats 600, with just seven percent body fat. He's also been registered at reaching a top-speed of 21.63 MPH.
Each of those numbers are important to compensate for a more compact stature.
Clearly, Solomon has the length and power to hold up against bigger and heavier offensive lineman. In certain instances, the edge-defender will still be outweighed by 60-70 pounds. In those cases, he can utilize his first-step quickness to beat blockers out of their stances and turn the edge when rushing the passer or shoot gaps against the run to be a disruptive force.
Poor testing will severely hurt Solomon's case. But that potentiality isn't expected. Instead, he should be one of the most athletic testers during Thursday's defensive line workouts.
LB Trevin Wallace, Kentucky
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Kentucky linebacker Trevin Wallace is exactly the type of prospect where the combine highlights his strengths and hides his weaknesses.
As an athlete, Wallace is probably the best among this year's incoming linebackers.
"The former high school track star—who once jumped 23-4 1/4 inches to break a school record that stood for 44 years and also won the state weightlifting title with a 335-pound power clean—is now up to 242 pounds, but still runs 22 MPH on the GPS and vertical-jumps 38.5 inches," Feldman reported. "His power clean is now up to 380 and he squats almost 600."
At the high school level, Wallace played wide receiver, running back, quarterback and multiple linebacker spots. He's a tremendous all-around athlete. Thus, he should blow the doors off Lucas Oil Stadium and look like a high-end linebacker prospect.
"However, Wallace's traits are average at best, and he struggles to take on blocks," B/R scout Matt Holder wrote in Wallace's scouting report. "He's soft at the point of attack and lacks the strength to hold ground against offensive linemen. He likely will have a similar problem against blocking tight ends in the NFL."
To Wallace's credit, he did improve throughout his time at Kentucky. The linebacker set career-highs last season with 80 total tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.
Coaches always think they can maximize an individual's untapped potential. Wallace has his shortcomings. Yet there will be someone from an NFL team who sees his workout in Indianapolis and be more than willing to take a chance on those physical tools.
CB Elijah Jones, Boston College
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Ball skills are the first thing that should be mentioned with discussing Boston College cornerback prospect Elijah Jones. The second is he's much faster than he's given credit.
Over the last two seasons with the Eagles, Jones intercepted seven passes and defended 28 more. He knows how to play the ball in the air and make quarterbacks pay when the opportunity arises.
Maybe some slept on Jones to a degree because he's a sixth-year prospect and didn't become a starter until his redshirt junior campaign.
However, his skill set shined over the last two seasons, as Jones developed into the highest-rated man-cover corner among the draft-eligible cornerbacks, according to Pete Bukowski of Locked on Packers. The graduate student allowed a measly 32 percent completion rate and 18.1 passer rating when targeted during the 2023 regular season, per Pro Football Focus. He earned first-team All-ACC recognition as a result.
Jones already has the film, coupled with a solid week during the Senior Bowl. Now, he can show what type of athlete he is.
As Tracking Football noted, the near-6'2", 182-pound defensive is one of the class' quickest athletes. Jones ran the fastest 200-meter dash (21.25) among this year's draft class and ranked sixth in the 100-meter event (10.6).
Quality cornerbacks are always needed. With Jones' height, ball skills and stickiness in coverage, a killer workout in Indianapolis will be enough to skyrocket his draft status into a completely different stratosphere.
S Sione Vaki, Utah
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The Paul Hornung Award is given to college football's most versatile player. This past season, Colorado's Travis Hunter received the hardware. Utah's Sione Vaki was every bit as deserving.
Vaki is a unique prospect in that he's a true sophomore after serving a two-year mission for the Church of Latter-day Saints and played both ways this past season. The first-team All-Pac-12 performer, who finished second on the Utes last season with 37 solo tackles while playing safety and averaged 7.5 yards per carry on 42 attempts when lining up in Utah's backfield, is an all-around athlete capable of contributing in a number of ways. He even has experience as a returner.
"I'm a Swiss army knife," the early draft entrant told Bleacher Report at this year's Senior Bowl. "You can call me 'Blank Check.' I bring depth to any position on either side of the ball. I've already had experience at multiple positions on offense and defense. I bring that depth chart to any team, even special teams."
The proof of Vaki's athleticism can be found in his testing numbers. He's a powerful and explosive individual with a 400-pound bench press, 520-pound squat and 39 inch vertical jump, according to Feldman.
In a world of roster restrictions, the more a player can do; the more valuable he becomes to a team. In Vaki's case, some NFL organizations will grade him as a safety. Others may be intrigued by the 211-pound ball-carrier's potential on the other side of the ball. Whether he'll work out at one or both positions in Indianapolis has yet to be revealed. However, no one should be surprised if the well-rounded prospect finds success in whatever he does.
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