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  Mel Kiper has been working as an NFL draft analyst for ESPN since nineteen eighty-four. He frequently appears on SportsCenter and ESPN Radio and has a weekly column on ESPN Insider.

my rankings, but he could rise a couple of spots. I see him as a third-round pick in April.

Laube, with a fantastic 4.54 second 40-yard dash and an impressive 37-inch vertical jump, proved his ability to compete at the highest level. He also had the best time of 4.02 seconds in the shuttle drill out of nine running backs who participated. His workout was impressive enough to secure him a spot on a team, potentially in the late stages of the sixth or seventh round. Despite potentially being limited to a third-down back and special teams player, his skills will still be valuable to teams on the last day of the draft.

I am a fan of linebackers with long arms, and this particular linebacker has arms measuring 34 inches, which is a noteworthy measurement. At the NFL Combine, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.51 seconds, placing third among all linebackers, and had a vertical jump of 34 and a half inches, ranking him seventh at his position. When watching his game footage, Cooper’s impressive range and quickness in reaching the ball stood out, as evidenced by his 14 tackles for loss from the previous season. His testing results confirmed his abilities on the field, exactly as I had hoped to see. Although he may be on the lighter side, he has room to grow into his physique in the NFL and will be a reliable defender on the field.Trey Benson, Florida State6-foot, 195 pounds

I will be gathering information from various sources within the league in the upcoming weeks in order to learn about potential concerns and standout performances during the team interviews at the combine. Below are my draft prospects, listed in random order, based solely on their on-field performances.

1. To put it simply, Thomas performed exceptionally well in his overall workout, validating his ranking as No. 11 on my pre-combine Big Board. While it may be challenging for him to move up significantly, this event was crucial for his development. His quickness off the line of scrimmage is remarkable. Despite leading the FBS with 17 touchdown catches last season, Thomas still has untapped potential. In a highly competitive group of receivers, he should not be overlooked as a potential top wide receiver in the future.

2. Ulofoshio was considered a late bloomer for the Huskies, having only recorded four tackles for loss throughout his first five years in college. However, during his sixth season at Washington in 2023, he excelled with 7.5 tackles for loss and a total of 94 tackles in just 15 games. Despite being slightly smaller in size, his impressive performance during linebacker workouts, including a 4.56 40-yard dash and leading in both vertical jump (39½ inches) and broad jump (10-foot-8), could potentially increase his chances of being selected in the middle rounds of the draft.

3. How impressive was the 2024 NFL combine? We witnessed several record-breaking performances, such as Texas’ Xavier Worthy setting the fastest 40-yard dash time. The highly skilled classes of wide receivers and offensive tackles also lived up to their hype. Despite the top three quarterbacks and top two wide receivers not participating in workouts, over 300 prospects took part in on-field drills, medical examinations, and meetings with coaches and front office personnel from all 32 teams. This event is crucial in the lead up to the first round of the draft, which starts on April 25th.

6-foot-2, 230 poundsMel Kiper Jr., Football analystMar 4, 2024, 06:30 AM ET

coverage:
Recapping Days 1-4 of the combine

The most recent Round 1 mock draft by Kiper.

Kiper’s updated Big Board rankings6-foot-3, 209 pounds5-foot-10, 210 pounds5-foot-10, 206 pounds

Reworded: Wright had an impressive 1,013 rushing yards on only 137 attempts this past season and is now a strong contender as the first pick in the upcoming April draft. I have given him a third-round rating.Jonathon Brooks, Texas

Mitchell stood out among his peers at the Senior Bowl and has had a successful pre-draft experience. It’s now appropriate to view him as a top contender for a top-10 selection.

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In my most recent mock draft, I projected Mitchell to be selected by the Jaguars at the 17 spot. Therefore, it may seem contradictory that he is now on this list. However, his exceptional performance at the Indianapolis combine has solidified him as a top cornerback prospect in the entire draft. He impressed with a 4.33 second 40-yard dash, second among cornerbacks, and also led in the bench press with 20 reps of 225 pounds. Not only that, but he also showcased his elite agility and speed during positional drills.

Worthy achieved the combine’s fastest record with a 40-yard dash time of 4.21 seconds and a 10-yard split time of 1.49 seconds. Thomas was slightly slower with a time of 4.33 seconds, ranking second among receivers in Indianapolis, but his 10-yard split was only slightly slower than Worthy’s at 1.50 seconds. It’s worth noting that Thomas accomplished this while being four inches taller and 44 pounds heavier than Worthy.

As Brooks continues to heal from the torn ACL in his right knee sustained in November, there was an opportunity for the players below him to step up, including Wright, who was ranked fourth among backs. Wright impressed with a swift 4.38 40-yard dash, placing him second in his position, as well as a top-ranking 11-foot-2 broad jump and a 38-inch vertical leap. These outstanding numbers, especially in comparison to Estime’s slower 4.71 40-yard time, make Wright a standout performer.:

Notre Dame’s Audric Estime

I have long been a strong supporter of Cooper, considering him to be the top off-ball linebacker and ranking him at number 20 on my Big Board. The reason for his rise? His recent workout solidified his position as the best linebacker in this year’s class, making him a likely contender in my upcoming mock draft. While teams may not always prioritize off-ball ‘backers in the first round, Cooper made a strong argument for himself on Thursday.

Which players saw the biggest increase in their reputation during the physical portion of the combine? I selected a few prospects who have been gaining momentum following their performances in Indianapolis, specifically those who excelled and improved upon our expectations. While some of this may be attributed to their 40-yard dash time or other athletic assessments, it could also be due to how they compared to their fellow players on the field.

The running back group for the 2024 draft may not be as strong as anticipated. Unlike last year’s standout, Bijan Robinson, there is no standout top pick. It is unlikely that we will see any running backs selected within the first two rounds. Going into the combine, I had an unbiased perspective on my rankings, which were as follows before the event:

Laube’s stats make him stand out among other prospects in this group. He ran the ball 158 times, gaining a total of 715 yards and scoring nine touchdowns. In addition to his rushing stats, he also caught 68 passes for 699 yards and seven touchdowns last season. Impressively, he also accumulated 647 return yards and scored two more touchdowns. This makes him a highly productive but somewhat unnoticed player. While I was unsure of his skills based on the opponents he faced, his workout proved to be crucial in assessing his abilities.