The 2024 NFL Combine is in the books and now NFL fans have to wait nearly two months until we see these young players get their name called on Draft Day.
The NFL Combine has been such a polarizing topic in the football world and there are many things we can take away from the four-day event. Not only did we see some of the best athletes in the world compete through skill testing and drills, but we also got to hear interviews from general managers and coaches all across the NFL. This is an exciting time of the year as now we get to sit and wait to see what free agency has in store next week.
We saw players, such as Xavier Worthy and Rome Odunze, have great performances at the NFL Combine which may result in a higher draft stock. Others struggled, but there’s only so much stock we can put into this, as in-game situations are more important. Still, there are “losers” of the 2024 NFL Combine. Let’s take a look at a few of them.
Top Losers of the 2024 NFL Combine
Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
Even though he has one of the coolest names in the entire NFL Draft, Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry’s draft stock may have dipped after the Combine. After going through the medical test, it was reported that McKinstry would not be participating in any Combine drills due to having a fractured right foot.
It didn’t help his situation that his former teammate Terrion Arnold had a great showing. Another corner that stood out was Quinyon Mitchell, the six-foot cornerback out of Toledo who many believe was one of the “winners” of the Combine and just might be the first CB off the board. I had Mckinstry as the highest-ranked corner before the event, but don’t be surprised if he is the third selected in the draft.
Spencer Rattler, South Carolina
Spencer Rattler has been one of the more polarizing prospects in this draft class – only because I remember at one point he was viewed as a future top-overall pick. He resurrected his career at South Carolina after getting his spot taken by Caleb Williams, who is now favored to be selected first overall, while the two played at Oklahoma.
His draft stock was trending upward after a great performance in the Senior Bowl where he completed all four of his passes for 65 yards and a touchdown – which was enough for him to win the Senior Bowl MVP. Unfortunately, his NFL Combine performance was not very impressive.
Rattler ran a 4.95-second 40-yard dash and had a nine-foot broad jump, which ranked last among all quarterbacks. I expect that Rattler’s value is trending downward, but still believe that he will be selected somewhere in rounds 3-5.
Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, Mike McCarthy, Robert Saleh
The only four head coaches in the NFL who did not attend the NFL Combine were Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, Mike McCarthy and Robert Saleh. This doesn’t exactly make them Combine losers, but I find it difficult to justify why they did not attend.
I heard Andy Reid on a podcast talk about how he does not go to the Combine to watch the drills but goes to meet the players in person. I feel that meeting players in person helps give a coach a better sense of judgment when deciding if that player will be a good fit or not. Character is one of the most valuable traits that a player can have. We have seen many examples of players with questionable character traits who lose control of their careers.
Even if these coaches join in on the meetings through Zoom, I still believe that it reflects the organization better when you show up in person. The optics of the situation can be perceived in a negative way when you miss an event like this. I understand that McVay and Shanahan have had a ton of success throughout their careers. With that being said, neither of them are the top coaches in the industry – that title belongs to Andy Reid. Until you start rattling off Super Bowl victories like Reid, I would make sure I am present at the NFL Combine, even if it means waiting an extra four days to take a vacation.
For the record, Saleh did end up showing up to the Combine on Saturday after people in the media started bashing him for not attending.
