Saturday was the big premier day fo the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. Not only did we get some of the best times by wide receivers and running backs we’ve ever seen, but we also got to see several of the top quarterback prospects for the 2024 NFL draft go through workouts. Here are our four big takeaways from the workouts.
Effortless deep throws
All the top quarterbacks who worked out on Saturday seemed very comfortable with the deep pass. From Bo Nix to J.J. McCarthy, it seemed getting the ball 50 yards downfield was just a flick of the wrist. This was especially true of Tennesee’s Joe Milton who is a real sleeper in this group.
Sam Hartman's velocity disappointed
After watching Hartman and Wake Forest and then Notre Dame, I understood he didn’t have the velocity on his intermediate throws of some of the other guys. But in comparison to Milton, a guy projected very similarly was a full 10 miles per hour slower (52mph to 62mph).
Caleb Williams' confidence at an all-time high
We would have loved to see Caleb Williams work out with the other top quarterbacks. Same for Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye. But make no mistake, Williams ego couldn’t get much bigger. He opted to not work out or throw, no medical checks and no release of records. Then when asked if he had thought about what might happen if he isn’t the No. 1 picked, he seemed almost shocked someone would suggest that.
Jayden Daniels did literally nothing
Everyone said it was selfless that LSU’s Jayden Daniels was going to wait to work out until the LSU pro day to get his teammates more exposure. But it’s puzzling that Daniels didn’t even bother to submit for measurements. This could be because Daniels, like FSU’s Jordan Travis are quarterbacks of a very slight build and history says NFL quarterbacks who weight less than 205 pounds rarely see success.
