NFL Combine Winners/Losers: Tight Ends
The NFL combine is officially underway, and the prospects that have put their entire lives into creating an NFL career are now showcasing all of their talents over the course of the weekend. Some will thrive, but others will see their draft stock take a dip when the weekend wraps up. Here are the winners and losers among those at the tight end position.
Winners
Trey McBride
The Colorado State star tight end was expected to be TE1 in April’s draft. After his combine performance, that seems all but guaranteed. He did not participate in the 40-yard dash, but he looked notably smooth in every route and catch drill throughout the afternoon. Then he didn’t have a bad rep on the sled, either. If there was any doubt who would be the first tight end off the board in 2022 NFL Draft, there shouldn’t be anymore.
Jelani Woods
Overall, Jelani Woods had the best workout for the tight ends on Thursday. Starting off the day with a position-leading 24 reps on the bench was impressive enough, but he followed it up with a blazing 4.61 40-yard dash. There were a couple hiccups on some of the route drills, but he certainly held his own there as well. Woods should be on the rise across draft boards.
Chig Okwonkwo
If there is someone that may not have been on your radar at the tight end position that should be now, it’s Chig Okwonkwo. He paced the position with a terrific 4.52 40. There weren’t any concerns with his ability on his routes either. The 4.5 speed lived up to the hype with his explosiveness while also staying under control at the top of the routes. Okwonkwo could propel into Day Two or early Day Three.
Losers
Isaiah Likely
Isaiah Likely didn’t necessarily do anything wrong in his workout, but he did not give any reason to believe that he should be drafted over Trey McBride who was his main competition this week. His struggles on the sled could cause some concern for NFL teams as well.
Jake Ferguson
We knew going in that Ferguson wasn’t going to be the fastest guy in this class, and he needed to prove some sort of separation in his blocking and routes to stand out. He had a fine rep on the sled, but overall, his routes were tough. There were a couple drops and instead of being sharp on his change of direction, he rounded off a little too much. I recently mocked Ferguson to the Vikings early in Day Three, but that may be changing after his combine.