Five takeaways from the NFL combine: Xavier Worthy’s 40-yard dash record and Eagles prospects

INDIANAPOLIS — As Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy stepped behind the line marking the start of the 40-yard dash, one thing was on his mind: breaking a record that has stood for seven years. On Friday, Worthy told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine that his goal was running the 40 in 4.2 seconds.

A false start only added to the anticipation of an active crowd inside Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday, watching as the Texas wideout prepared to make history. Once he took off, blazing down the 40 yards in a combine-record 4.21 seconds, surpassing John Ross’ 4.22 in 2017, Worthy was greeted with a raucous cheer, fans showing their appreciation for a seemingly impossible feat.

The moment was a microcosm of the week in Indianapolis as all 32 teams began to make connections and stack up the 321 prospects participating in the combine. With free agency as the next major NFL event of the offseason, here are the week’s top takeaways as teams begin to reshape their rosters for next season.

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The offensive line class as a whole, with headliners in Notre Dame’s Joe Alt and Penn State’s Olu Fashanu pacing the group, is as deep as any recent class. A number of players tested extremely well at their size and physique, from Georgia tackle Amarius Mims running a 5.07-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-7, 340 pounds, to South Dakota State’s Garret Greenfield recording the highest vertical jump (38½ inches) over the last 20 years for an offensive lineman.

Washington’s Troy Fautanu and Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga silenced the doubters by testing well athletically during on-field workouts while locking themselves into top-20 selections. One of those drills was run by Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, allowing him to get a chance to coach an extremely talented group of offensive linemen during Sunday’s workout.

In total, nine offensive linemen could hear their names called in the first round of the draft. Fashanu didn’t participate in on-field drills after a quadriceps injury while running his 40-yard dash. Players like Fuaga, Fautanu, and Mims; Alabama’s JC Latham, Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson, Duke’s Graham Barton, and Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton are all in the mix.

Worthy was the buzz of the combine this weekend, but he wasn’t the only player who found his name being pushed up the draft board in Saturday’s on-field testing and drill sessions. His teammate, Adonai Mitchell, ran a 4.34 40-yard dash, leaped a group-high 11 feet, 4 inches in the broad jump, and added a 39½-inch vertical jump.

Mitchell wasn’t the only wideout to garner high first-round love after his performance. LSU’s Brian Thomas, largely thought of as a late-first-round selection, is capturing buzz to be drafted inside the top 15. Running a 4.33 40-yard dash with a 1.5-second 10-yard split, third fastest of all receivers, Thomas showed he was a more than capable receiver on non-vertical throws. His field-stretching ability alone, though, will impress teams in need of a deep threat.

Even with top wideouts in Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. and LSU’s Malik Nabers deciding not to participate in the combine workouts, Washington’s Rome Odunze still elected to put on a show, displaying smooth hands, excellent athleticism, and answering doubts about his long speed. Odunze likely locked himself in as a high-first-rounder, which could mean three receivers come off the board in the first 10 picks.

Florida’s Ricky Pearsall, with whom the Eagles met last week, put on a show after measuring in at 6-1, 189, running the group’s fastest three-cone time (6.62), boasting the third-highest vertical jump (42 inches), and catching every ball thrown his way during the field drills.

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Top quarterback prospects Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels opted out of combine workouts, giving center stage to Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, who is catching momentum as a first-round pick. Compared to the three quarterbacks primarily ranked ahead of him, McCarthy has far less experience carrying his team with his arm in Michigan’s run-first offensive scheme, which asked him to throw fewer than 10 times in big games.

Saturday’s throwing session, with Oregon’s Bo Nix, Tennessee’s Joe Milton, and former Timber Creek standout Devin Leary, proved to be a largely inconsistent group across the board, specifically for McCarthy. The upside and tools are apparent with the former Wolverines quarterback, showcasing a compact delivery and accuracy throwing to his right side, but throwing to the left and down the field seemed to be areas of struggle for him.

A run on quarterbacks at the top of the draft is expected. Many have speculated that McCarthy could be a trade-up candidate for teams in the top 10. While Saturday’s session may not sway teams about the 21-year-old quarterback, the gap between Williams, Maye, and Daniels vs. the rest of the quarterbacks remained the same.

After last year’s tight-end class had several worthy prospects garnering attention, this year’s class lacks the same depth. Georgia’s Brock Bowers, the class’ top tight end, did not do any on-field workouts, allowing Penn State’s Theo Johnson to steal the show for the position group. Johnson ran a 4.47-second 40-yard dash (second-fastest of the TEs) and leaped 39½ inches in the vertical jump, along with a 4.19-second 20-yard shuttle to prove his rare athleticism.

After Johnson, Kansas State’s Ben Sinnott tested well as the group’s top performer in vertical jump (40 inches), broad jump (10-6), and three-cone (6.82 seconds). Texas tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders is considered the next-best tight end after Bowers, testing moderately well. But after those four names, the tight-end class has a serious drop-off, meaning if the Eagles want to draft one, they should do it before the third round.

The same can be said about the linebacker position. Top performers in the group included North Carolina State’s Payton Wilson, the group’s fastest linebacker (4.43-second 40-yard dash), Texas A&M’s Edgerrin Cooper, in whom the Eagles have shown interest, and Kentucky’s Trevin Wallace, one of the top jumpers of the group. Clemson’s Jeremiah Trotter Jr. elected to run only the short shuttle, three-cone, and on-field drills, while Michigan’s Junior Colson opted not to do any combine testing because of injury.

All in all, the linebacker group as a whole is worth addressing earlier rather than later for the Eagles, who need a dynamic, durable athlete with coverage upside to play next to Nakobe Dean.

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This should be the year to break the 22-year drought since the Eagles last drafted a first-round cornerback. It is a talent-rich position, especially at the top of the group, where Alabama’s Terrion Arnold and Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell excelled at the combine. Clemson’s Nate Wiggins left with an injury, but not before he ran a 4.28-second 40-yard dash, best of the group.

Iowa’s Cooper DeJean did not test, but will do so at some point before the draft. He’s a player who makes sense in the Eagles secondary, with his ability to play in the slot and as an outside corner. Missouri’s Ennis Rakestraw, who didn’t have the best testing day because of a groin injury, participating in just the broad jump (10 feet) and 40-yard dash (4.51 seconds), still makes sense as an inside-out player for the Eagles as well.

USC’s Calen Bullock, with whom the Eagles met as they do work on draft-eligible safeties, was a top performer at the combine, despite measuring at 6-1, 188. Tied for the best 10-yard split of any safety (1.51 seconds), Bullock looked his best on the field in the various defensive back drills while showcasing his excellent ball skills. He accounted for 11 interceptions over the last two seasons.

Finally, a nickel and corner hybrid, Kentucky’s Andru Phillips, put on a show. Also having a formal meeting with the Eagles this week, Phillips leaped 42 inches in the vertical jump, 11-2 in the broad jump, and impressed during the on-field drills for defensive backs.