Combine Climbers

The NFL combine is one of the most exciting and overrated events on the sports calendar and I can’t get enough of it. This week we’ll look at who made themselves some money and moved their name up draft boards - keeping it positive this week so no negatives. Some of names were already at the top - but they’ve got company now. Let’s go!

Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida

Anthony Richardson entered the Combine competing for QB3 with Will Levis  - just behind Bryce Young and CJ Stroud - and walked away as the solid QB3 in this draft for me. Even though he won't be ready to play right away, Richardson showed big time promise and potential on Saturday. Years ago quarterbacks were almost guaranteed to have to sit and wait a year before they could see the field in the NFL and then we went away from that strategy. But with guys like Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts having such success we may see sitting make its big return. Richardson has plenty he’ll have to work on but his athletic testing was through the roof - 4.43 40-yard dash (23.44 MPH), 40.5” vertical jump and 10’9” broad jump - both jumps broke the record for quarterbacks at the combine. Teams drafting outside of the top 10 will most likely have to move up to get AR15. A few teams that wouldn’t have to move far - the Raiders (7) and Panthers (9) could be strong candidates as well.