Day 1 NFL Combine Takeaways

Welcome to The McShay Report! We just arrived in Indianapolis for the NFL scouting combine. Here are my takeaways from Wednesday, February 26. Please make sure to check out The McShay Show on Spotify and YouTube. We’ll be back Thursday, live-streaming on YouTube at 7 p.m. ET. 

Here are four thoughts from my first day at the combine:

• Updated Tiers: There are still only three players in my top tier.

• Jahdae Barron Love: I can’t get enough of the Texas DB.

• Matthew Stafford Buzz: Are the Raiders in play for the Rams QB?

• Shedeur Sanders Won’t Work Out: Does it matter?

My Updated Tiers

The above graphic shows my updated Tier Rankings. On Wednesday’s McShay Show, my co-host Steve Muench said he can’t believe I don’t have Tyler Warren as a Tier 1 player. I disagree, but I think we’re splitting hairs. Warren is a phenomenal player whether he’s at the bottom of Tier 1 or top of Tier 2. More interesting to me is how big the gap is between Warren and Colston Loveland. After finishing my tape study of Loveland on Monday, I don’t think there’s much of a gap at all. Loveland isn’t a strong blocker. Neither is Warren (that part of his game is embellished by a few highlight clips) but he’s clearly better than Loveland. That, combined with his massive frame and bruising run-after-catch ability, gives Warren the advantage according to most evaluators I’ve spoken to. But I’m telling you right now, Loveland is special with his suddenness, wide receiver-like routes, and ability to separate with his feet. His receiver-type traits are in the same ballpark as Brock Bowers’s. My prediction right now is that Warren and Loveland will come off the board earlier than any pair of tight ends since 1992 (Derek Brown at no. 14; Johnny Mitchell at no. 15).

Omarion Hampton has a chance to make some noise this week. At over 220 pounds, with a chiseled frame and lower-body explosiveness and speed, I’m expecting him to have a great showing. He’s entered my top 15 overall, and with Ashton Jeanty not working out, Hampton has a chance to steal the show in a special running back class.

I Can’t Get Enough of Jahdae Barron

I’m planting my flag right now: Jahdae Barron is the best pure defensive back in this class. I’ve got him ranked no. 2 behind two-way star Travis Hunter among DBs, but you can’t tell me there are 10 better football players in this class than Barron. There are nickel defenders that I fall in love with every year or so, and Barron is the latest. Another recent player was Brian Branch a couple of years ago. I remember then-Alabama coach Nick Saban called me and chastised me for saying how much I loved Branch, because Saban thought he needed another year in college. Michigan’s Mike Sainristil was another example in last year’s draft. I couldn’t believe he fell to pick no. 50. 

One thing that jumps out from Barron’s tape is how he plays all over the field: He lined up outside at cornerback a lot more this past season, but he also thrives at nickel, at deep free safety, and even at linebacker depth in the middle of the field. He also plays more man coverage than he gets credit for but he’s clearly best-suited in a zone-heavy role in the NFL.

He doesn’t have 4.4 speed, and if he gets behind a receiver on a crossing route or because of a rub mesh (or even working around a referee, which I recently saw on tape), and the ball is thrown on time, he’s not catching up. But he has such good instincts that he can protect himself against that 95 percent of the time. I’d be shocked if he ran a 4.4 40 at the combine, but remember, Branch ran a 4.58, which is probably why he fell just outside the first round. But I don’t care: Barron is better than Branch. 

But of all the great aspects of Barron’s game I’ve seen watching his tape, my favorite is his ability to detach the ball from a receiver. He’s one of the best I’ve ever seen doing it. If he gets in there on time or even a quarter-count late, he uses his body control and reflexes to dislodge the ball before the receiver even knows what’s happened.

What to Make of the Matthew Stafford–Tom Brady Rumors

The buzziest news Wednesday involved a rumor that Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford met in Montana while on a skiing trip. Whether the league would deem that tampering is another question, but it makes sense that the Raiders would be interested in acquiring Stafford, who’s reportedly been permitted by the Rams to speak to teams about his market value. As I wrote in Monday’s newsletter, Brady absolutely believes in giving young quarterbacks time to develop. If the Raiders select a quarterback in this draft—I have them taking Shedeur Sanders at no. 6 in my Mock Draft 1.0—expect them to bring in a veteran to allow that rookie to learn and grow into the starting job. What better player to execute that strategy with than Stafford? 

Shedeur Sanders Isn’t Working Out. Does It Matter?

Speaking of Sanders, he’s one of the notable names not working out in Indianapolis, though he’ll participate in interviews. While I don’t support his decision, I certainly understand it. Sanders’s game is about instinct, touch, timing, ball placement, and throwing guys open. He’s the best pure passer in the class. But he doesn’t have an elite arm and isn’t a great athlete. Why would he stack himself against a dozen or so other quarterbacks and possibly put up pedestrian testing numbers?  

Everyone who matters already knows what Sanders’s strengths and limitations are. What is really going to matter is when teams invite Sanders into their building, put him through their stuff, make it complicated for him with their installs, and see how he responds.

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