A very small number of running backs worked out, meaning their session was over in a flash. The first group of quarterbacks failed to shine in a down year for the position — but Ty Simpson led a far more impressive second session. The receiver drills are notoriously difficult to track given the focus on the players throwing them the ball — yet some still stood out.
Let’s start with a big positive from the day, potentially in particular for the Seahawks.
Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr has been a blog favourite for some time. His combination of size and speed was always intriguing, plus he fits the outside zone system very well.
He ran a 4.33 at 6-1 and 223lbs today. He added a 39-inch vertical and a 10-8 broad jump. Washington’s profile of a dynamic, electric runner combined with top-end explosive traits demands more attention than he’s been getting in the wider media.
De’Von Achane ran a 4.32 at his combine at 191lbs. Think about that for a second. Washington is 32lbs heavier than Achane and runs at the same speed. He’s also far more explosive — Achane jumped only a 33-inch vertical and a 9-3 broad.
Achane was underestimated by the NFL and has turned into one of the very best backs in the game. This is an opportunity to draft someone with the same level of speed yet with a far bigger frame and level of explosive power.
He is adept at sprinting to the outside and then turning upfield for big gains. I think he has every chance to be an excellent outside-zone runner. However, he’s also capable of running through contact to get the tough yards. He recorded 644 yards after contact in 2025.
His second-level acceleration will be a huge asset for a team wanting its runners to sprint to the opening, plant and turn upfield. He has home-run hitting ability. He changes direction well too and finishes runs. He has a gliding quality to his running style you don’t often see on a physical back like this.
Washington consistently allows blocks to be established then cuts upfield with explosion. Yet when required, he hits the hole well and runs with decisiveness and no dancing. He dodges and weaves through attempted tacklers and he’s capable of making defenders miss in space.
I’d be surprised if he wasn’t on Seattle’s radar. If Ken Walker departs, they are going to need to find a runner from somewhere. His fit for this system, his upside, make him extremely intriguing. I think there’s every chance he will not only go earlier than many in the media have been projecting but the Seahawks in particular could be keeping a very close eye on him.
For what it’s worth, he’s also high character and would fit well in their building.
Shout-out to New Mexico State running back coach and Assistant Head Coach David Cobb for his work with Washington before he moved to Arkansas. He also worked with Seth McGowan, who transferred to Kentucky, who also had a strong work-out. He’s big (6-0, 223lbs) and not as quick as Washington but he was the most explosive tester among the runners (42.5-inch vertical, 10-11 broad) and he still managed an impressive 4.49 forty.
Jeremiyah Love unsurprisingly had a good workout. He is destined to be a top-five pick I think, such is the lack of premium-position talent at the top of the draft. Love’s combination of production, physical brilliance and character will be coveted.
His team-mate Jadarian Price made decisive movements during drills, showed no dancing, had an easy change of direction and was very smooth in the blast drill. He did well catching the football, especially when he needed to catch away from his body. He also ran a 4.49. He’s another potential Seahawks target.
Jam Miller had a reasonable work-out. I thought Kaytron Allen laboured a bit. His Penn State team-mate Nicholas Singleton — who would’ve had a great combine — didn’t test after picking up an injury at the Senior Bowl.
There are limited options here. Could the Seahawks target the position early if Walker departs? I think with players like Washington Jr and Price available, it’s possible. After all, this is the team that used second round picks on Walker and Zach Charbonnet, and a first rounder on Rashaad Penny.
In the first group of quarterbacks and receivers, there was little to get the juices flowing. It was a very average throwing session.
Taylen Green made major headlines for his testing. He ran a 4.36 at 6-6 and 227lbs, before jumping a 43.5-inch vertical and an 11-2 broad. I’ve been one of Green’s more vocal supporters for months, talking-up his physical profile and upside.
However, the reality is he is not an accurate passer. We saw that in games, at the Senior Bowl and then today throwing against air. I genuinely believe he is worth drafting to try and develop. There’s too much there physically to write him off. Yet his technique needs a total re-work, he might never be accurate and you’ll probably always be relying on improv and tools.
His mid-range throws were all over the place today. His first deep throw sailed out of bounds like he was aiming at one of the scouts in the stand and he didn’t deliver with much anticipation on the shorter range outs.
Haynes King ran a 4.47, jumped a 35-inch vertical and a 9-8 broad. He was a warrior on the field for Georgia Tech and he’s clearly a good athlete. He threw a bit behind early on. For the out-route session I thought he threw with the best anticipation in group one. However, he just doesn’t have the arm to drive the ball downfield and that showed on the go-routes.
Drew Allar’s footwork still needs a ton of work. His accuracy was off on multiple throws. As he got to the end he started uncorking and threw without a hitch and had a lot more drive and velocity. On tape there were huge alarm bells with how late he throws and with zero anticipation. I don’t think any of those fears were allayed today. He’s another player you draft late-on at best to sit and just see if you can develop anything.
Carson Beck’s footwork was the best of the group but he also threw low and/or behind sometimes. He had good base on his throws and did a decent job throwing long over the middle. The thing is, there were no defenders on the field. When they are on the field, he throws to them too often.
Luke Altmyer was smooth, in control and had the best touch on his passes. He threw the most catchable ball and had better deep throws than expected. His testing was reasonable too. He’ll be worth a late round flier for someone with a defined scheme needing a backup. Jalon Daniels showed a reasonable arm and made some good throws too.
I need to watch the cut-ups of the receivers to learn more about how they performed. However, there are some testing notes.
Remember — the Seahawks focus on speed/suddenness regardless of size. They have typically avoided players who run +4.50.
Malachi Fields has always been a 4.61 runner. It’s been crazy seeing people with a national audience just ignore that or claim he’s faster than he is. He was hyped up at the Senior Bowl, projected by some of the big names as a potential late first rounder and I just don’t see where any of this comes from (see, also: Lee Hunter, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren).
The tape showed he wasn’t quick at all. The Senior Bowl 1v1’s showed the same. He can’t separate. He also had drops in the gauntlet too. I feel for the player really, because his public evaluation isn’t fair. Some of the stuff said about him was blatantly not true on tape.
Chris Brazell however, who has been underestimated for months, ran a 4.37. As soon as I heard Kyle Shanahan say his biggest priority was more speed on offense this off-season, I’ve been thinking Brazell could be a first round option for the 49ers. Chris Bell, who didn’t work-out as he returns from injury, could be another option for them. They both feel like Niner types.
During his work-out, Brazell caught awkward passes and contorted his body to complete catches. That was very clear on tape too — his tracking and ability to catch anything is clear.
Omar Cooper Jr ran a 4.42 which will aid his rise. There’s a very realistic chance he finds a home in the top-40. I’m not totally convinced still. His run-blocking effort is poor and there are reported concerns about his approach with issues raised about his commitment and application.
With the second group, it was great to see De’Zhaun Stribling test as well as he did. He ran a 4.37 at 6-2 and 207lbs. He has big 10-inch hands. He also jumped a 36-inch vertical and a 10-7 broad.
Here’s my write-up for him:
Apologies to the Cougs out there, Stribling is really good.
He only had one drop in 2025 and nine total drops in a five-year college career. Some players have that many drops in a season. That’s nine drops in 345 career targets, by the way.
He’s listed at 6-2 and approximately 210lbs. He settles into intermediate pockets nicely, knowing when to ramp down the speed. If you give him a cushion he’s good at selling the deep route and coming back to the quarterback to present an open target.
His release can be really sharp — especially when he has space to run around a defender from an inside position. When he can’t separate he’s shown he can make contested 1v1 catches including some that are high difficulty.
Stribling looks the part with his frame and movement/actions. If you give him a shot, he can make things happen. He turns upfield quickly when presenting his hands and eyes back to the QB. He has a stutter step move off the snap that is well executed.
He shows good concentration skills on challenging/contested passes and his tracking seems decent. His big frame can box off opponents on quick hitting routes and slants. He could be a real asset on slants and in-cutting routes on critical downs.
He catches the ball away from his body and as noted by his lack of drops, he shows good hands. He was predominantly used as an outside threat (326 snaps out wide vs 71 in the slot).
He also had a 76.6 grade for run blocking — the third best mark behind Nyziah Hunter & Denzel Boston. This is a big bonus.
There’s no doubt in my eyes Stribling can play in the NFL, we just need to see what his upside is when he tests. I would draft this guy.
We know now he has a lot of upside with his speed and size. For me, I would keep looking for guys like this. These are the kind of players you can work with who can be available at a very reasonable draft range.
I like Carnell Tate as a technician who runs good routes. He’s consistently where he needs to be and he can be a very reliable WR2. However, I don’t think anyone should’ve expected a great forty (he ran a 4.54) nor is there any reason to imagine he should be going very early in round one unless you determine the class is so thin up top, a solid WR2 is what you want to spend a top-10 pick on. He is not a game-changer. He’s a great complement to a top receiver if you have one.
The second quarterback throwing session was a lot better than the first, headlined by an outstanding performance from Alabama’s Ty Simpson.
This was a complete package display. His technicals were on a different level to most rookies. His footwork, drop, body control, throwing base, shoulder directed towards the target, release — all excellent. His out-throws to the back-shoulder were textbook in quality. His throws over the middle were on time and strong. He consistently delivered passes with anticipation as receivers hit their breaks.
There was velocity on his throws, flashing the kind of arm most didn’t realise he had (watch all of his games and you’ll see ‘wow’ moments, especially early in the season). His go-balls had legit moon-ball height. Only Cade Klubnik was able to match that.
This was one of the best throwing performances at a combine in recent history. This was Simpson showing he could go in round one, particularly in a thin draft at the position. He absolutely nailed this and should be considered one of the big winners in Indianapolis this week.
Garrett Nussmeier also showed well. He was resourceful with his throws with no hitch or wasted motion. His footwork and base was also good. His deep-out had punch, accuracy and touch while the go-routes had air and touch. I thought he had a very good performance to remind teams ‘why not take a chance on me?’
Cole Payton had good velocity on his throws and the ball pops out of his palm. There were a couple of wayward throws early on and his mid-range throws did not land for the most part. He threw too high on his first deep-out and over-compensated on the next. He saved his best throws for the end, managing to launch downfield over the middle on the play-action section. The tools are all there but there was a different technical level with Simpson and Nussmeier.
I thought Klubnik had a very reasonable performance. His intermediate throws sailed at times but as noted, he had good height on his go-balls and generally showed nice touch. Diego Pavia struggled for the most part and I saw little of interest from Behren Morton and Sawyer Robertson.
Again, you need to see the cut-ups to analyse the receivers in this setting but Ja’Kobi Lane had a great gauntlet — he didn’t slow down, showed a gliding quality and made effortless adjustments to each throw. He then made an amazing diving grab on one route to the sideline and a fingertip grab on a Nussmeier go-ball. He jumped off the screen in a way no other receiver did.
