Darron Cummings/Associated Press

2022 NFL Combine Flops with the Most to Prove at Pro Days

Alex Ballentine

For some, the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine likely earned them extra cash in the form of getting their name called earlier on draft day. For others, well, let's just say it's good the game isn't played in shorts and T-shirts. 

A bad performance at the combine might not single-handedly sink a prospect, but it can raise red flags. 

Whether it's due to a concerning measurement or a disappointing performance in the athletic testing, there are some prospects who left Indianapolis with serious work to do to salvage their draft stock. 

Fortunately, they'll have a chance at redemption when the pro-day circuit starts. They'll need to hope having extra time to prepare and performing in familiar confines translates to better results.

RB Isaiah Spiller, Texas A&M

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

In a draft class that doesn't necessarily have a clear-cut No. 1 running back, the combine was a good opportunity for players at the position to make their case. Michigan State's Kenneth Walker III (scouting report here) and Breece Hall (report here) both made strong arguments.

Texas A&M back Isaiah Spiller (scouting report here) will need to have a great pro day to get in the conversation. 

Spiller has good size for the position at 6'0" and 217 pounds, so he didn't have to blow scouts away with his athletic testing. But he needed to look better than he did. He posted just a 30-inch vertical and a 9'6" broad jump, which are concerning indicators for his explosiveness. 

The running back didn't even run the 40-yard dash. 

Spiller's agent, Rocky Arceneaux, said Saturday that his client worked out with a strained abductor muscle, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Arceneaux added that Spiller will "show why he should be the first RB taken" in two weeks at his pro day.

Spiller have to prove those poor jumps were a result of his injury while posting at least a decent 40 time to revive his stock. 

RB Kyren Williams, Notre Dame

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

The biggest knock on Kyren Williams (scouting report here) heading into the combine was that he was a little undersized. At 5'9" and 194 pounds, he was already going to have a hard time selling himself as something more than a third-down back. 

The combine didn't help his case. 

The diminutive Williams posted an unofficial relative athletic score of 1.75 out of 10, according to Kent Lee Platte of Math Bomb. He received a "poor" or "very poor" grade for size, speed and explosion and didn't test in the areas that measure his agility. 

His 32-inch vertical and 4.65 40-yard dash were the most concerning metrics. A back his size needs to either have good explosiveness to run through tackles with his low center of gravity or the speed to pull away. 

When scouts come to his pro day at Notre Dame on March 25, they will need to see him improve in either of those areas or shine in the agility drills.    

OL Kenyon Green, Texas A&M

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

The difference between guard and tackle when it comes to draft position and compensation can be staggering. With that in mind, Texas A&M's Kenyon Green (scouting report here) may have lost himself a considerable amount of money at the combine. 

Things started off well for him when his arms measured at over 34 inches. At 6'4" and 323 pounds, that's enough length for him to have a shot at playing tackle. Unfortunately, he didn't look like the kind of athlete who will play on the outside in the NFL. 

Green ran a 5.24 40-yard dash, which is fine, but the projected 1.81 10-yard split should be a concern. What's worse were the 26-inch vertical and 5.12 20-yard shuttle times that indicate a lack of elite explosion and agility. 

The offensive lineman's versatility has been touted as a strength. He's made starts at every position on the offensive line except center. 

But at the combine he looked like a plodding guard. That isn't going to completely sink his first-round hopes. But a better showing in the athletic testing at his pro day could reignite the talks that he could play tackle down the road at the next level.    

Edge Myjai Sanders, Cincinnati

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

While Cincinnati teammates Desmond Ridder (scouting report here) and Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner (report here) were having a great combine, Myjai Sanders (report here) epitomized a bad week in Indy. 

Things started poorly at his weigh-in when he came in at 228 pounds, which is the lightest weight for a pass-rusher at the combine since 1999, per Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus. 

They didn't get better for him when it came to his testing. He ran a 4.67 40-yard dash, which isn't a killer for the position but certainly is at that weight. His change of direction and explosion were brought into question as well. He ran a 4.37 20-yard shuttle for a RAS score of 7.44 and had a 33-inch vertical. 

There's a simple explanation for the disappointing showing, though. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the Bearcat was dealing with an illness leading up to and during the combine. 

That makes sense. The 6'5" Sanders weighed in at 242 pounds at the Senior Bowl. If he can get healthier and put the weight back on by March 24, when Cincinnati has its pro day, he can answer some of the concerns.

Edge Kingsley Enagbare, South Carolina

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

A bad combine arguably doesn't matter all that much for some positions. Edge defender is not one of them. In general, the league's best pass-rushers are among the most athletically gifted players in the league. 

That's what makes Kingsley Enagbare's performance at the combine a concern compared to his fellow pass-rushers (scouting report here)

The South Carolina product came in at 6'4" and 258 pounds. At that size, Enagbare needed to showcase explosion off the starting line and an elite athletic profile. He partially did that with a 36 ½-inch vertical (84th percentile, per Anthony Treash of Pro Football Focus).   

The 40-yard dash was the concerning part. His time of 4.87 was in the 23rd percentile, and even worse was his 10-yard split of 1.72, which is in the 14th percentile. 

There's still a lot to like about Enagbare. His nearly 35-inch arms are ideal for the position. However, he's going to have to prove to be a bit more twitchy at his pro day if he's going to optimize his draft position. 

CB Jermaine Waller, Virginia Tech

Steve Luciano/Associated Press

Results in the 40-yard dash can be shrugged off for many positions. A player's straight-line speed doesn't always comes into play on a football field. 

Cornerback is not one of those positions. In a combine in which 10 cornerback prospects ran a sub-4.4 40-yard dash, Jermaine Waller's 4.68 time stands out like a sore thumb—especially when you consider he only weighed in at 180 pounds. 

He was the slowest at his position by more than a tenth of a second. Mykael Wright of Oregon ran the next-slowest time at 4.57, which is just within the general threshold that NFL teams will consider. 

B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings specifically mentioned in Waller's scouting report that he would need to run a fast 40 to improve his draft stock. On tape, the Virginia Tech product often gets left in the dust by faster receivers. 

Waller opted out of all other testing at the combine, so it's hard to even argue that his overall athleticism makes up for his lack of speed. Heading into his pro day March 22, he'll need to participate in all the drills and show he has the athleticism necessary to play corner. 

                  

All measurements and combine results via NFL.com unless otherwise noted.

   

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