INDIANAPOLIS — Jeremiyah Love, as he did time and again at Notre Dame, took a hop step. Then, as he never did on tape, put his left hand onto the Lucas Oil Stadium turf, then his right and cartwheeled into a backflip.
The running backs around him threw up their arms and jumped with him. The fans in the stands behind him roared in amusement. Love stole plenty of Indiana hearts over the past three years in South Bend. The draft’s top ballcarrier may have stolen a few more in the NFL on Saturday, too.
Love set the tone at the NFL scouting combine on Saturday, a day in which several top prospects spurned the increasingly common desire to sit out and opted instead to run, jump and participate in drills before a lively crowd at the Colts’ home stadium.
Premier players rose to the occasion. So, too, did a handful of others. With three position groups split into three sessions, there were plenty of risers and a few fallers.
Here’s the latest stock report after Saturday in Indianapolis.
Risers
Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
Simpson was the best quarterback on the field Saturday. He was consistently accurate, poised and precise, and his arm strength matched what his film suggested. Simpson entered combine week trying to prove he belongs in the first round after a disappointing second half to end his season, and he delivered a convincing performance in Indianapolis.
Carson Beck, QB, Miami
Despite a strong chorus of boos every time his name appeared on the stadium’s big screen, Beck was the best quarterback in the first group. The 6′ 4″, 225-pound Beck drove passes with good velocity and hit several deep passes, and his accuracy and ball placement was more consistent than his peers. Beck may land near the end of Day 2.
Carson Beck was booed relentlessly by the pro-Indiana crowd but still managed to have a big day. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU
Nussmeier’s stock dropped more than perhaps any other player in college football last season, but he helped his case Saturday. He found a strong rhythm in the middle of the throwing session, tossing several quality deep balls and showing precision in the short to intermediate range. He has a case to be a third-round pick.
Zachariah Branch, WR, Georgia
Branch won’t stand out with his size—he’s 5′ 8 5/8″ and 177 pounds—but he blazed a blistering 4.35 40-yard dash, notched a 38-inch vertical jump and registered a 10′ 5″ broad jump. Branch shined during field drills and was the best receiver in the first group. He caught nearly everything, and the speed and precision with which he moved showed he can run a more expansive route tree than Georgia often let him. He looked every bit of a top-50 pick, if not higher.
Skyler Bell, WR, UConn
A finalist for the Biletnikoff Award given annually to the nation’s best receiver, Bell tested off the charts in Indianapolis. He recorded a 41-inch vertical jump and 11′ 1″ broad jump while running 4.40 in the 40-yard dash. Branch aside, Bell may have caught more passes than any other receiver in the first group. At 6′ 0″ and 192 pounds, Bell has the profile of a solid mid-round pick.
Ja’Kobi Lane, WR, USC
Lane’s ball skills were tremendous during field drills. He made the best catch of the day—a full-extension catch into a tumble on a corner route—and snagged a deep ball in-stride down the right sideline. The 6′ 4″, 200-pound Lane aced athletic testing, too, with a 40-inch vertical jump, 10′ 9″ broad jump and 4.47 40-yard dash. He looked worthy of a Day 2 pick.
Bryce Lance, WR, North Dakota State
The younger brother of former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance, Bryce had a brilliant day Saturday. He looks the part at 6′ 3″ and 204 pounds, and tested well, running a 4.34 40-yard dash to go along with a 41 1/2-inch vertical jump and an 11′ 1″ broad jump. His twitch, suddenness and hands passed the test during field drills. Lance should be a top 100 pick, if not top 75.
Mike Washington Jr., RB, Arkansas
In a running back class with a varying order after the top two, Washington made a strong statement for the No. 3 spot on Saturday. Carrying a strong 6′ 1″, 223-pound frame, he ran a 4.33 40-yard dash, the fastest among all ballcarriers. His 39-inch vertical jump ranked second-best in the class, as did his 10′ 8″ broad jump. Washington should be a Day 2 pick.
Eli Heidenreich, RB, Navy
Heidenreich, at 6′ 0″ and 198 pounds, ran an impressive 4.44 40-yard dash and shined during field drills. Apart from one literal slip, Heidenreich’s cuts were crisp and fluid, and he moved at a high rate of speed. He ran efficient routes with clean footwork and showed off his reliable hands. Heidenreich can play several roles offensively, but he’s a tremendously gifted pass-catcher and could carve out an early niche at the next level as a Day 3 pick.
Fallers
Malachi Fields, WR, Notre Dame
Fields put himself into the late-first round conversation with a strong week at the Panini Senior Bowl, but he had a difficult day in Indianapolis. He measured well at 6′ 4 1/2″ and 218 pounds, but his 4.61 40-yard dash was the slowest among all receivers in his group. Fields also had a difficult session in the gauntlet drill marked by multiple drops. He was better in the field drills thereafter, but Fields looked more like a mid-Day 2 prospect than anything else.
Denzel Boston had a handful of drops during his on-field drills Saturday. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
Well-positioned to be a first-round pick entering the day, Boston will have pressure to perform at his pro day after an uninspiring combine. He notched a 35-inch vertical jump, middle-of-the-road amongst receivers, and didn’t post a number in the broad jump or 40-yard dash. During field drills, Boston had a few drops, including one on a well-thrown deep ball that hit his hands before falling to the Lucas Oil Stadium turf. Boston’s day wasn’t disastrous, but he didn’t help himself.
J’Mari Taylor, RB, Virginia
Taylor, projected as a Day 3 pick, didn’t help his cause Saturday. He didn’t run the 40-yard dash, his 9′ 7″ broad jump tied for the worst among all running backs and his 34 1/4-inch vertical jump ranked second worst. Taylor’s field drills were up-and-down but his collective body of work failed to elevate his stock.
Other News and Notes
- There were still several prospects who opted not to participate, including quarterback Fernando Mendoza and receiver Jordyn Tyson. Receiver Carnell Tate did athletic testing but not field drills.
- USC receiver Makai Lemon and Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson each went through drills. Lemon and Simpson were the highest-ranked players participating in the night’s final session.
- Since Notre Dame opted out of its bowl game after missing the College Football Playoff, star running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price had more time than perhaps either expected to prepare for the predraft process. Still, the fact they both ran 40-yard dashes and participated in field drills speaks volumes about their competitiveness.
- Love was particularly brilliant. He ran a 4.36 40-yard dash and, at 6′ 0″ and 212 pounds, moved with an explosion and gracefulness uncommon for players his size.
- Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green had perhaps the best athletic testing of any signal caller in combine history. At 6′ 6″ and 227 pounds, Green ran a 4.36 40-yard dash to go along with a 43 1/2-inch vertical jump and an 11′ 2″ broad jump. His accuracy was up-and-down in field drills, but his strong arm and elite athleticism were on full display.
- UConn quarterback Joe Fagnano drove the ball at a high level, but he missed several receivers either too high or too long.
- A group of receivers—Malik Benson, Germie Bernard, Barion Brown and Kevin Coleman—each impressed at various points in the workout. Coleman moved around the field at a seemingly faster pace than most everyone around him.
- Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia ended the night with a backflip in front of fans. Pavia threw the ball well Saturday—he was accurate and pushed the ball quite well downfield, though several of his deep balls required slight decelerations from the receivers. Pavia has obvious size limitations but helped himself Saturday.
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