2024 All-Combine Team, Offense: QB Michael Penix, WR Xavier Worthy showed out at Lucas Oil Stadium

Best team fits: Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders.

With most of the other top quarterbacks (Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels) declining to participate in Saturday’s workout, Penix took up the mantle and impressed. He routinely showcased the live arm that made him a Heisman Trophy finalists this past season, launching a few gorgeous deep passes and ripping laser-guided rockets to targets on outs, deep corners, deep ins, comebacks, etc. He finished the day with a perfect end zone fade to his Washington teammate, Rome Odunze, capping a stellar performance that highlighted all of his strengths.

Best team fits: Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Chargers.

Irving’s testing numbers didn’t pop off the spreadsheet, but the volume of touches he saw in collegiate stops at Minnesota and Oregon certainly showed in his workout. Irving thrived in nearly every drill, showing off his springy and fluid attributes in the bag and Duce Staley drills, and ran every route with precision and pace. He was a natural pass catcher when running routes, sprinted fast enough in the 40 (4.55 seconds) to pass that test, and undoubtedly looked like a football player equipped with the tools to handle the full workload of an NFL running back. In an RB class that lacks top-flight talent (and was missing some notable names in the workout), Irving stood out as a pro-ready back who could surprise some folks.

Best team fits: New York Giants, Tennessee Titans, Minnesota Vikings, Cincinnati Bengals.

This is a projection pick for a specific fit, so bear with me. But also allow me to make a declaration: Robinson is going to be a difference-making pass-catching back in the NFL. The kid is a natural, a fluid receiver out of the backfield who runs routes and snags passes with ease. He won’t carry the same value in running situations, but as a receiving option, he’s the best in this class. In fact, I could see him ultimately splitting time between RB and WR at the next level. He has the juice, posted a top-four athleticism score among running backs (thanks to a 4.42 40 and a 10-foot-5 broad jump) and convinced me he’ll be a weapon on third down.

Best team fits: Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons.

I’ll say it right now: McConkey’s NFL production will surpass his collegiate numbers in exponential fashion. He’s a fantastic, efficient route runner in a mold similar to Cooper Kupp, and judging by the testing numbers he produced Saturday — including a 4.39 40-yard dash — he has the speed to do damage after the catch at the next level. His hands are soft yet strong, and he has zero issues with attacking the ball with his paws and securing passes, no matter the difficulty of catch. He had the most complete — if not best — showing of any receiver on the field in Indianapolis, and I cannot wait to see what he does in the NFL.

Best team fits: Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots.

Receiver is the easiest position group of all to fill out for this team, and Odunze is a great example of why. Viewed as a top-three receiver in this class upon arrival in Indianapolis, the 6-foot-2 7/8, 212-pounder lived up to the hype, posting a 4.45 in the 40-yard dash, then backing it up with a clean, controlled series of drills in which he ran crisp routes and caught every pass in his radius. Odunze is not the type of prospect worth time spent splitting hairs; he’s very good and backed up his reputation with a quality outing at Lucas Oil Stadium, taking care of business eight weeks before he’ll hear his name called in Round 1.

Best team fits: Kansas City Chiefs, Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons.

Look, it’s simply impossible to not include the guy who just broke the combine’s all-time record in the 40-yard dash. Worthy was expected to fly when Saturday began, and in his first run, he posted a time so fast — 4.25 seconds, unofficially — that his cohorts were heard telling him to take his shoes off. But Worthy wanted more, lining up for a second attempt that instantly built anticipation inside Lucas Oil Stadium. When he crossed the line and 4.22 flashed on the video boards, unofficially tying John Ross’ record, the crowd erupted as if he’d just hit a walk-off home run in the World Series. Then, when the official time came through — 4.21 seconds — the moment became historic. Worthy’s jumps (41 inches in the vert, 10-11 in the broad) matched his incredible 40 time, but he opted out of positional drills. Perhaps we’ll get to see him run routes at Texas’ pro day on March 20.

Best team fits: New England Patriots, Los Angeles Chargers, New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Culp stood out throughout the TE workout. He led all tight ends with a speedy 4.47 40-yard dash, which translated to the on-field drills. Culp can cook — so much that he outran a pass on the wheel-route drill — and he’s a natural who displayed excellent hands on both sides of the corner-route drill, then capped the day off with an effortless grab on an end zone fade. He’s an athlete who is a bit of a hybrid at 231 pounds, which helps explain why he stood out from his heavier groupmates. In the NFL, he might not find a fit as easily as a prospect like Ben Sinnott or this class’ clear TE1, Brock Bowers (who didn’t participate Friday night). But if Culp can make it work at tight end in today’s age of flexing these guys out to create mismatches, he can carve out a nice role at the next level.

Best team fits: Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders, Denver Broncos, Cincinnati Bengals.

Reiman is a mountain of a tight end, standing 6-4 7/8 and a thick 271 pounds. But don’t let those numbers fool you — the man can move. Reiman surprised with a 4.64-second 40-yard dash, a hundredth of a second faster than Ohio State’s Cade Stover, whom Reiman outweighs by 24 pounds. Both of those tight ends thrived on the blocking sled, which is in Reiman’s wheelhouse as a throwback at the position. And Reiman doubled down on his early successes by proving he’s fleet of foot despite his weight — running crisp, controlled routes and displaying reliable hands. His run through the gauntlet was truly a splendid sight, and even when he struggled with a couple of sideline catches, he finished strong with a nice toe-tapping grab in the drill that simulates the end zone fade. I’d hate to be on his tracks on the field, and as he proved Friday, he’s certainly more than just a blocker.

Best team fits: Los Angeles Chargers, Tennessee Titans, New York Jets, New England Patriots.

It doesn’t take long to see why this is the guy at tackle in this class. Alt nailed every drill, showing off his athleticism (and background as a tight end) with excellent mobility. His power was visible in his strikes of the blocking shield, and no matter what was asked of him, he thrived. Alt’s testing produced a top-four Next Gen Stats athleticism score (85) among OTs. By the end of his workout, I was sold: This is a future All-Pro.

Best team fits: Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots.

There’s a ton of talent in this tackle class, but Fautanu stood out from the start of the on-field work as a fundamentally sound and consistent blocker with tons of upside. He tested excellently, earning a Next Gen Stats athleticism score of 87 (tying for the sixth-best mark among all offensive linemen), and displayed light feet with plenty of power in his lower half during his drill work. In my notes, Fautanu’s name consistently appeared alongside “very solid” or “very good,” with these sentiments eventually evolving into: “He’s a flat-out stud.” I love his feet, which will open plenty of avenues for him to make a difference at the next level, where he should prove to be a wise investment.

Best team fits: Washington Commanders, Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals, Las Vegas Raiders.

I really like this kid. Save for his 9-foot-7 broad jump — good for fourth-best among all offensive linemen — his testing wasn’t overly spectacular, but he excelled in the drills. Hanson displayed impressive mobility, executing every pulling drill well while also showing he has powerful hands when striking blocking shields. By the final couple of stations in the on-field work, I’d stopped writing small details about his performance and had officially accepted he’s a damn good football player. The one sack given up in four seasons (1,027 total pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus) backs that up. Size may be somewhat of a concern, but at 300 pounds, he’ll enter the NFL in a good starting spot. And with the skills he showed off Sunday, I like his chances.

Best team fits: New York Giants, Washington Commanders, Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers.

There were a handful of really good guards who could’ve received this slot, which I spent considerable time deciding. I ended up going with Haynes because he tested well enough to clear that bar and was among the most consistently impressive performers at his position in the positional work. Haynes displayed remarkably quick, light feet when moving laterally, nailed every style of the pulling drills and produced solid reps in pass drops, including in the stunt-pickup variation. NFL evaluators will find plenty of quality options in this draft when aiming to reinforce their offensive interior, and Haynes is among the best of them. 

Best team fits: Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, Washington Commanders.

This was the toughest decision of the entire week for me. Tanor Bortolini crushed the testing, then went out and aced nearly every positional drill, prompting me to fill my notes with overflowing praise. He was my pick for this spot — until Jackson Powers-Johnson mightily tossed a coach to the ground in the screen drill, confirming my thoughts about the pivot in one motion. Ultimately, this comes down to a comparison of different styles. Bortolini will thrive in schemes that ask him to fill a Jason Kelce-like role, getting out in front on long pulls and working to the second level in zone schemes. Powers-Johnson, meanwhile, fits more of a traditional mold, one of sheer size and power. His college tape suggests he can also work to second level, too, and he was excellent in every drill he completed in on Sunday — he just isn’t quite as fleet of foot as Bortolini. Both will make their future employers very happy, but I’m going with Powers-Johnson here because of his potential to dominate along the interior.