NFL Draft Prospects Who Wish They Had a Do-Over at the Scouting Combine

The 2022 NFL Scouting Combine is complete, and quite a few of this year's top prospects bolstered and/or solidified their stock at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

NC State tackle Ickey Ekwonu stamped his status as a potential top-five pick with an impressive display of athleticism. Kenny Walker III of Michigan State and Breece Hall of Iowa State both made strong cases to be the first running back drafted. Virginia Tech edge-rusher Amare Barno posted the fastest 40 by a defensive lineman in two decades. Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis shattered the record for a 40-yard dash by a player over 340 pounds. And nine wide receivers ran the 40 in under 4.4 seconds—easily the most ever.

However, things didn't go as planned for some players. Some ran sluggish 40s. Others didn't fare as well as expected in the vertical and broad jumps. Some struggled in the on-field workouts.

A bad combine isn't the kiss of death for those players, as they still have pro days. But each would probably like a Tardis so they could go back in time a few days and get a do-over for the combine.

Devin Lloyd, ILB, Utah

AJ Mast/Associated Press

According to the majority of draftniks, it's a two-player race to be the first off-ball linebacker drafted between Georgia's Nakobe Dean and Utah's Devin Lloyd (B/R Scouting Report). Dean elected not to work out in Indianapolis, choosing to wait for Georgia's pro day.

In retrospect, maybe Lloyd should have done the same.

Leading up to the combine, the 6'3", 237-pounder made it clear to reporters that he wasn't taking a back seat to anyone in this class—Dean included.

"I feel like everyone out here feels they're the best, as they should," Lloyd said. "These are some of the top athletes in the country, and so everyone has every right to feel that way."

With Dean sitting out workouts, Lloyd had a golden opportunity to solidify that claim.

That isn't what happened.

To be fair, his workout was hardly awful. His 4.66-second 40-yard dash time was faster than Darius Leonard's 40 back in 2018, as were his 25 reps in the bench press.

But his 40 time also ranked in the bottom 10 among linebackers. His 35" vertical ranked outside the top 10. His 10'6" broad jump was 10th at the position. His performance in position drills also wasn't especially impressive.

Now, there's still plenty of tape of Lloyd making plays for the Utes. He will also still have Utah's March 28 pro day and private workouts to shake off this so-so-showing. And in any event, it's still more likely than not that Lloyd will hear his name called on April 28.

But if he was offered a mulligan for Saturday's workout, you can bet the rent he'd take it.

Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Oregon

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

There isn't a more polarizing prospect than Oregon edge-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux (B/R Scouting Report). He's an elite talent who can take over a game, but there's also a perception out there that he's only dominant when he wants to be. That he disappears at times in games. Takes plays off.

Disappearing from the combine isn't going to help that narrative.

Earlier this week, Thibodeaux told reporters that questions regarding his motor are off-base.

"No matter what else I do off the field, football is my main focus," he said. "And winning a Super Bowl, getting a yellow jacket, being Defensive Rookie of the Year is on my list of goals."

Of course, Thibodeaux also reportedly said that he would participate in all the drills at the combine. But after peeling off an impressive 4.58-second 40-yard dash (with a 1.62-second split) and 27 reps of 225 pounds in the bench press, he pulled out of the position drills.

According to Willie McGinest of the NFL Network during Saturday's telecast of workouts, Thibodeaux claimed that he wanted to do drills as both a defensive lineman and linebacker. He will presumably do both at Oregon's pro day April 2, but doing so in Indy would have made for a longer day than he was comfortable participating in.

The pressure on Thibodeaux to blow that pro day out of the water has now increased exponentially because, right or wrong, withdrawing from the combine will only reinforce the negative perceptions of some regarding his work ethic.

The argument can be made that the wiser course of action would have been just doing the DL drills. While Thibodeaux will still most likely be a top-10 pick, every spot he slides back takes considerable cash out of his pocket.

Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

Heading into the combine, there were some draftniks who had Treylon Burks (B/R Scouting Report) of Arkansas ranked as the No. 1 wide receiver. It's an opinion shared by Burks himself.

"I would say just my physicality, able to be used at multiple positions," he told reporters in Indy. "I can play outside receiver, inside receiver and running back. It doesn't matter. That sets me apart from everybody else."

It's true that Burks lined up all over the formation in Fayetteville, evoking comparisons to Deebo Samuel of the San Francisco 49ers. And Burks made a dent on the stat sheet, hauling in 66 passes for 1,104 yards and 11 scores last year while picking up another 112 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.

But in a crowded class at the position, there's little margin for error for players looking to be first-round picks, and Burks didn't do himself any favors in testing.

The 4.55-second 40-yard dash that he turned in isn't awful for a 6'2", 225-pounder, but it doesn't look great compared to the 4.36 that North Dakota State's Christian Watson (another bigger receiver) registered. It also wasn't Burks' only pedestrian workout. He managed just 33" in the vertical jump and a so-so 10'2" in the broad jump. He also struggled with his change of direction in position drills.

None of that precludes Burks from being a first-round pick in April or a difference-maker at the professional level, but there's little question that his main focus between now and Arkansas' pro day on March 9 will be shaving as much time as possible off that 40.

David Bell, WR, Purdue

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

Purdue's David Bell (B/R Scouting Report) was productive in college, as twice in three years the 6'1", 212-pounder topped 1,000 receiving yards. In 2021, he caught 93 passes for 1,286 yards and six scores—numbers that earned him Big Ten Receiver of the Year honors over Ohio State's Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson.

But as Bell himself told reporters in Indianapolis, there was one goal he really needed to accomplish at the combine.

"(Run) a pretty fast 40," he said. "I think that's what a lot of teams want to see is how fast I actually am."

Yeah. About that.

On a night when a staggering nine wideouts ran the 40-yard-dash in under 4.4 seconds, Bell checked in at 4.65. Only one wideout posted a slower time.

It wasn't the only drill in which he struggled. His 33" vertical was below average for his position group. His 9'10" broad jump tied for fourth-worst among wide receivers. His 4.57-second 20-yard shuttle ranked dead last among the receivers who participated in that drill.

The night wasn't a total loss. Bell was a player in college who won with route-running and strong hands more than with blazing speed, and those hands were evident in position drills.

But the biggest knock on him heading into the combine was that for all the things he does well, he just isn't an especially explosive athlete.

Unfortunately, his workouts in Indianapolis reinforced that perception.

Kyren Williams, RB, Notre Dame

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

It's entirely possible there won't be a running back selected in the first round. But there's a pack of players who could come off the board on Day 2, and after rushing for 1,002 yards and 14 scores last year, Kyren Williams (B/R Scouting Report) of Notre Dame came into the combine looking to solidify his status as a potential second-round pick.

At just 5'9" and 194 pounds, he is on the smaller side for a running back, but he told Tom Loy of 247Sports that he disagrees with the perception that he can't be an every-down player.

"I don't like hearing [I'm just a third-down back]. When I hear that, I emphasize I'm an all-down back. I can get in the slot on first and second down, and then on third down, if you need me to run inside the tackles or outside the tackles or pass pro, I can do that too. I see myself as a complete back on all downs, and I can do it all."

Had Williams put on a show in Indianapolis, he likely would have allayed some of the concerns about his size. Instead, by running a sluggish 4.65-second 40 (that was adjusted down from an unofficial 4.72) and just a 32" vertical and 9'8" broad jump, he raised concerns about his athleticism.

Williams has quite a bit going for him, as the converted wide receiver is one of the better pass-catchers in the class, and he's better at pass protection than many backs coming out of college.

But if he is going to be a Day 2 pick, he needs to considerably improve that 40 time at Notre Dame's pro day.

Kenyon Green, OL, Texas A&M

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

Over three years and 35 starts at Texas A&M, Kenyon Green (B/R Scouting Report) did a little bit of everything—and did so at an All-American level. In 2021 alone, the 6'4", 323-pounder made starts at left guard, right guard, left tackle and right tackle.

He told reporters in Indianapolis he believes that versatility is an asset that can only help his draft stock.

"(NFL teams) say (versatility) is very important and very rare," Green said. "I'm blessed and able to play different positions, show my talent at different positions. I'm grateful for it."

Heading into the combine, Green was generating quite a bit of first-round buzz, with some draftniks projecting he could be selected inside the top 15.

However, as Chad Reuter wrote for NFL.com, Green's performance in the position drills could give potential suitors pause.

"He needed an exceptional performance to prove to teams that he can play tackle in the NFL, and he came up a bit short. Green's movement during drills was good at times, but he also displayed average stop-start ability, which will be an issue playing against elite edge-rushers. His agility and suddenness did not match up with that of (Charles) Cross, (Ickey) Ekwonu or even (Jordan) Lucas, which means he will likely continue to be projected as a guard. That might cost him a first-round slot."

This could have just been a case of the combine jitters, but given that Green's agility was the primary concern of many scouts, the notion that he's best suited to play guard in the pros has gained momentum.

And that won't help his draft stock.

Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington

Steve Luciano/Associated Press

There was quite a bit of disparity of opinion leading up to the combine regarding Washington cornerback Kyler Gordon. In his scouting report here at Bleacher Report, Cory Giddings ranked the 5'11½", 194-pounder outside the top 100 prospects overall.

"Gordon needs to prove that his speed isn't a liability in his game by performing well in the 40-yard dash and the short shuttles," Giddings said.

On the other hand, Touchdown Wire's Doug Farrar recently mocked Gordon inside Round 1, slotting him to the Arizona Cardinals at No. 23.

"(Gordon) gave up just 21 catches on 41 targets last season for 243 yards, 70 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, two interceptions and an opponent passer rating of 49.1," he said. "Gordon is a big, aggressive defensive back who's still putting his overall coverage plan together, but when it all comes together, it's pretty tough to deal with."

ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller went Farrar one better, predicting before the combine that Gordon would put on the show of shows in Indy.

"Don't be surprised when Kyler Gordon is the overall "winner" of the Combine, Miller tweeted. "Pound-for-pound I think he's the most athletic overall player in the '22 Draft.

Sunday at least, it was Giddings' skepticism that won out.

Granted, a bad 40 time isn't going to wreck Gordon's stock, and to his credit he showed good fluidity of motion in change-of-direction drills.

But Gordon's unofficial 40 times of 4.57 and 4.60 seconds were the most surprising of his position group, and while his official time of 4.52 seconds is better, on a day when two corners ran a sub-4.3 and eight more ran faster than 4.4 seconds, it still doesn't look especially good.

If Gordon wants to hear his name called in Round 1, he's likely going to have to shave some time at Washington's March 29 pro day.

Smoke Monday, S, Auburn

AJ Mast/Associated Press

Before we go any further here, one thing has to be said: Auburn safety Smoke Monday (B/R Scouting Report) has one of the best football names of any player in this class.

There's plenty of tape to back that name up, as well—at least where supporting the run is concerned. Over his last two seasons with the Tigers, the 6'2", 207-pounder piled up a whopping 136 total tackles.

But the question for scouts with Monday wasn't his physicality. Or his willingness to get his jersey dirty in run support. It was the perception that he's more of a classic "box" safety who could be a liability in pass coverage.

Nothing that happened Sunday is going to alleviate those concerns.

On some level, it's almost unfair to criticize Monday's 4.52-second time in the 40—especially since it was .07 seconds faster than the time of Notre Dame's Kyle Hamilton, who is just about universally considered the top safety in this class and a potential top-five pick.

But Monday doesn't have the hours of tape displaying his elite range that Hamilton does. He also didn't show the sort of agility and flexibility that Hamilton did in position drills.

Hamilton will all but certainly run faster at Notre Dame's pro day. Even if he doesn't, he isn't getting out of the top 10. There were draftniks who went into the weekend believing that Hamilton was the top prospect in this class overall.

For Hamilton, confirmation bias will help salvage his combine, as scouts who love him will dismiss the time. But for Monday, his fourth-slowest 40 among safeties will likely cement his status as a limited player in a league where that particular limitation is a stock-killer.