Daniel the Draftnick – A good week at the Combine is necessary for these five

 

The next step of the most stressful job interview there is, is here. Hundreds of aspiring NFL players will travel to Indianapolis this week to participate in the NFL combine. NFL teams will interview and watch these players participate in drills to make final evaluations and determine whether they’re the right fit for their organization.

 

It’s a chance for players to boost their draft stock and to reassure scouts why they deserve to be taken with a high draft pick. Here are five players who can use a strong combine performance to help boost and solidify their draft positions.  

 

 

The conversation with Thomas is that he’s an undersized edge rusher being listed at 6-foot-2, 249 pounds. Those measurements will be updated this week, but it’s still clear he’ll be a smaller edge at the NFL level.

 

The size wasn’t a problem in the SEC. He played four years at Oklahoma and had 63 pressures and 15 sacks over the past two seasons. He’s explosive, fast and gives any team real juice on the outside – he had a pass rush win rate of 20.3 percent in 2025.

 

Downsides start to show in his arm length and his ability to set the edge consistently. If Thomas showcases his elite athleticism and tests well at the combine, he’ll intrigue teams even more and likely get one to bite in the second round or potentially late first.

 

 

If you watched any Texas Tech games this year, you probably wondered, “Man, No. 10 is all over the field.” He definitely was, as his 2025 performance had him finish fifth in Heisman voting. Pro Football Focus gave him a 93 defensive grade, a 94.8 run defense grade and a 92.3 coverage grade, showcasing his versatility.

 

Instincts drove his success on the field this season. His background as an offensive player helps, as he played every offensive position in his freshman season at Virginia. The big question is his athleticism; speed is the main concern. If he tests well at the combine, or even average, he’ll solidify to teams that he’s worth a high selection and likely go on Day 2 of the draft.

 

 

Trigg is a hard, tight-end prospect to project to the NFL level. He bounced around in college, playing at USC and Ole Miss, and finished his career at Baylor. Over five seasons, he played in-line 26.9 percent of the time. He’s not a traditional tight end, primarily playing as an H-back or in the slot. The interest in him starts with his size, being 6-foot-4, 240 pounds. He moves exceptionally well for his frame and showcased it at Baylor this season.

 

The downside is his blocking. It’s the lackluster part of his game, and it’s likely to lead to teams avoiding playing him in-line early in his NFL career. Trigg will benefit from testing well at the combine to prove to teams he can be an athletic mismatch in the slot. Athleticism is his main selling point; it’ll boost his stock and solidify his outlook going into April.

 

It wouldn’t be a crazy take if you were to say that Simpson would be the top quarterback in this class throughout the first six games of this college football season. He showcased elite arm talent, anticipation and conviction in those games.

 

Then it all changed after he took a shot from South Carolina defensive end Dylan Stewart in October. There was no official injury listed, but it was clear he felt discomfort over the back half of Alabama’s season. He still flashed his elite arm talent in games to close out the year, certainly in the college football playoff game against Oklahoma.

 

If there’s a quarterback who can recertify his position in this class, it’s SImposn. A good day throwing the football, followed by good interviews, Simpson can lock up QB 2 in this class and potentially be selected in the first round come April.

 

 

Jordyn Tyson, Carnell Tate and Makai Lemon should be the first three receivers off the board. The next one off is up for debate. KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston, Omar Cooper Jr. and Brazzell are all names that could easily be the fourth receiver taken. There’s no clear answer or right answer. Each brings a different skill set and can thrive at the NFL level.

 

Brazzell is 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds with blazing speed on the outside. He averaged 16.5 yards per reception this season for the Volunteers. Players this size usually can only run fast and go straight – we’ve seen it before. But the difference with Brazzell is his elite footwork to create separation at the top of his routes, his big catch radius given his size and his excellent hip drop.

 

If he can solidify his athletic traits and the combine stand out in things like the 40-yard dash, along with the vertical jump, he will be a standout. Brazzell has a real shot at being the fourth receiver taken off the board in April.