The NFL Combine is generally regarded as the event that begins to solidify draft boards, as players rise and fall based on their testing and interview sessions during the week in Indianapolis.
Here are four players who improved their chances of being a Charger this fall.
Florida State DL Braden Fiske
Fiske was already on many people’s radars after a stellar performance at the Senior Bowl in February, but his draft stock had only jumped from Day 3 toâ¦earlier Day 3. Not so after his performance in Indianapolis, as Fiske posted elite numbers in every testing event except the bench press. His 9.88 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) was just outside the top ten for any player present at the Combine.
Fiske is now ranked as the 83rd best player in the draft by Jack Lichtenstein’s consensus big board, which aggregates ranks from 20 of the internet’s most reputable draft coverage sources. That could put him well in play for the Chargers’ third-round pick at 69th overall, especially considering that new defensive coordinator Jesse Minter prefers his interior defenders to be plus athletes.
North Carolina State LB Payton Wilson
Wilson blew up the testing portion of the festivities in Indianapolis, leading the linebackers with a 4.43 40 yard dash and testing above the 70th percentile in both the vertical and broad jump. But all of that was expected, to some extent. What was more worth celebrating for Wilson was his medicals, which reportedly came back clean after a college career wrought by shoulder injuries.
If Wilson truly is a green flag on the medical front, the only thing stopping him from being a top 40 pick is the positional value of linebackers. His film is arguably the best of any prospect’s at the position this year. Ranked at #61 on Lichtenstein’s consensus big board, Wilson could slip to 69th overall, but a clean bill of health could also just as well put him in contention at 37th overall.
Illinois TE Tip Reiman
A Chargers Wire favorite this cycle, Reiman vindicated the staff of this website by testing as the tenth-best tight end ever, per RAS. He ran a 4.64 40-yard dash at 271 pounds and posted elite agility times for the position despite a 97th percentile weight. Reiman also drew notable crowd reactions for his work in blocking drills once the tight ends hit the field.
That last section will be key for the Chargers, who will be searching for tight ends who can bang as in-line blockers under new offensive coordinator Greg Roman. Roman’s offense, because of its run-heavy tendencies, also utilizes tight ends in the pass game fairly often. Reiman showed in Indianapolis that he has a bit more to him than draftniks have given him credit for-he’s ranked on only two of the 20 sites used to form the consensus board.
Wisconsin OL Tanor Bortolini
Breaking records at the Combine is generally pretty good. It’s even more notable when the record you’re breaking is Jason Kelce’s, which is exactly what Bortolini did by throwing down a 7.16 3-cone drill in Indianapolis. The rest of his testing was similarly elite, with his shuttle, jumps, and 40-yard dash all ranking at the 95th percentile or higher.
Bortolini isn’t an exceedingly powerful player-his 21 reps on the bench were around the 25th percentile for centers-which may cloud his fit with the Chargers. But Los Angeles needs a center, and Bortolini’s added versatility at guard could prove useful as a swing lineman early in his career while new strength coach Ben Herbert adds power to his frame. Ranked 176th on the consensus board, Bortolini is a name to watch closely on Day 3.
