NFL Combine 2023: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Darnell Washington among winners and losers in WR, TE groups

The day began slow for the pass-catchers, but it quickly picked up with some memorable performances. A handful of prospects elevated their stock with strong performances while others sent scouts back to the tape. 

Here are some of the winners and losers from Saturday’s on-field drills in Indianapolis, starting with a look at the measurements of our winners:

Winners

Wide receivers

Tyler Scott, WR, Cincinnati: Scott is fun to watch with his ability to get in and out of breaks. He showed explosive qualities in his broad and vertical jumps. In the gauntlet drill, he kept his route flat across the field and looked really smooth in the process. 

Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU: Johnston could have really blown people away with a strong 40-yard dash time, but he jumped out of the stadium in all directions. Johnston followed up with on-field drills showing his ability to secure the catch down the line and track the ball deep. He stated his claim as the draft’s top wide receiver prospect. 

Marvin Mims Jr., WR, Oklahoma: Mims tested fast and explosive. His on-field performance did not disappoint, either. Oklahoma was down this season and Mims transitioned from Caleb Williams to Dillon Gabriel, but Mims still asserted himself as the go-to wide receiver in that offense. He should see his stock rise.

Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College: Flowers was quick through the whip routes and generally excelled in areas that most would expect. However, he did a good job of playing above the rim when given the opportunity and tested respectably. Houston’s Tank Dell is another who did a good job in the gauntlet drill, flattening his route across the field. 

Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina: Downs was a smooth operator. His measurables may not stack up favorably to other top prospects in this class, but his attention to detail running routes, getting in and out of breaks and eluding defenders post-catch have not gone unnoticed. He may not be as role versatile but will have no problem producing.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State: Smith-Njigba missed most of the season with a nagging injury, so it was good to see him back on the field. He did not do any athletic testing beyond the vertical and broad jumps. However, his route-running was crisp and he caught everything cleanly. He ran a 6.57-second 3-cone drill, which was nearly 0.3 seconds quicker than the next fastest. His 3.93-second 20-yard shuttle was nearly 0.2 seconds quicker than the next fastest. Smith-Njigba was an elite tester in change of direction drills. His stock may jump up a bit, but it could really skyrocket with a fast 40-yard dash time at his Pro Day.

Princeton’s Andrei Iosivas is yet another wide receiver who looked good from the first wide receiver group.

Tight ends

Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia: Washington was almost second fiddle in Athens because of the impact of Brock Bowers. Washington was primarily used as a blocker, but he showed a fluid ability to work down the line on the gauntlet drill. He acquitted himself well as a pass-catcher, in addition to his track record as a blocker. Washington made the catch of the night on a fade towards the end of the on-field session.

Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa: LaPorta was a bit undersized, but he ran well. Fans saw him display an ability to track the football downfield, as well as keep his line across the field in the gauntlet drill. One NFL team is going to get a well-rounded tight end from a consistent producer of the position. LaPorta was not able to haul in the final fade throw on the night after a solid workout.

Will Mallory, TE, Miami: Mallory rounds out what was a stellar showing from the tight end group. He is lightly discussed relative to the rest of the class, but he ran fast and jumped high. Miami had some inconsistent play at quarterback, but Mallory was consistent.

Losers

Wide receivers

Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU: Boutte needed a strong performance to really elevate his stock, but that was not the case. He ranked low in nearly all athletic testing except for the 40-yard dash. 

Jalen Brooks, WR, South Carolina: Brooks looked a bit more stiff relative to a lot of the other athletes among the wide receiver groups. He ran the slowest 40-yard dash time (4.69 seconds) and the slowest 3-cone drill (7.15 seconds).

Tight ends

Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame: There were hardly any losers from the tight end group, but Mayer may have been one just from the perspective of other tight ends rising. Mayer caught the ball well but did not test off-the-charts, which was to be expected. He is going to be a successful, pro but his stock may have been impacted by others, like Darnell Washington, rising.

The 2023 NFL Draft will be held April 27-29 in Kansas City, Missouri. 

For live reaction from today’s festivities, check out Saturday’s live blog. The running backs and offensive linemen wrap up action in Indianapolis Sunday.