Editor’s Note: Now, all our premium tools for Fantasy, DFS and Betting are included in one subscription at one low price. Customers can subscribe to NBC Sports EDGE+ monthly ($9.99) or save 20% on an annual subscription ($95.88). And don’t forget to use promo code SAVE10 to get 10% off. Click here to learn more!
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- On Wednesday, with no measurements or tests going on, interviews were the entire show (Wednesday’s notes here). On Thursday, measurements and bench-press testing began during the day, and athletic testing began in the late afternoon. We’re officially in the thick of the NFL Combine.
Pitt QB Kenny Pickett measures in with what will become the smallest hands in the NFL.
Pickett ducked the Senior Bowl’s hand measurements, an odd decision, explaining that he wanted time to work on hand exercises to stretch his hands out before the combine’s measurements. To be fair, there was precedent for his plan of attack. Arkansas QB Brandon Allen’s hands went from 8 1/2" to 8 7/8" between the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine in 2016 following hand-stretching exercises. Alas, Pickett was unable to save himself the ignominy of the designation bolded above. Pickett is what he is. A guy who was a decent P5 starter for four years who suddenly exploded as a fifth-year senior when he had one of the nation’s best receiving corps, including mega-stud WR Jordan Addison. Pickett is accurate, but he has an average arm. His velocity and air yards are capped by genetics, be it grip-strength or arm-strength. Anecdotally, the fact that Pickett fumbled 26 times in college suggests that grip might be an issue, and, if so, his hand measurement would be empirical evidence that he may never be able to completely rectify that, no matter how many hand exercises he does. Then again, Joe Burrow and Jared Goff have 9" hands. And Michael Vick, who had one of the biggest arms in NFL history, had 8 1/2" hands, same as Pickett. On the other hand, Tony Romo is the only other quarterback outside of Vick who has had sustained success in the pros over the past 25 years with hands that measured under 9".
Notre Dame RB Kyren Williams made an empathic case at his media session that he is a three-down, all-purpose weapon.
Kyren Williams has heard the questions about his size (5’9/199), athletic profile projections, and potential usage at the next level. He came to the podium today with a clear message. I am a three-down weapon. Not a “third-down back.” You could tell that the mere insinuation of being seen as a niche back makes him seethe. Williams has always been more than the sum of his parts. And that’s because of his football skills — we don’t test for those. But speaking to those diverse skills, Williams said he intends to work out as a receiver at Notre Dame’s pro day and run “the full route tree.” He described his running style as “freestyler” and lit up when talking about elements he’s tried to lift from Alvin Kamara. Williams said Tampa Bay was one of his first formal interviews of the process, and he made a point to detail how well it went. Williams also revealed that he’s recently spoken with the Dolphins and Patriots.
Texas A&M RB Isaiah Spiller has formally met with Bills, Cowboys. Seahawks, Miami and Giants.
A basketball fan, Spiller told the assembled media throng that he can dunk, a statement in and of itself to those questioning his athleticism. And to that point, Spiller was clear: He will do all athletic tests this week. His running inspirations? Joe Mixon, Adrian Peterson and Le’Veon Bell.
Alabama OT Evan Neal says he weighs 337 pounds.
Neal looked almost — can we even say it for a 337-pounder? — svelte up there on the podium today. He was billed at 350, his playing weight at Alabama. His frame is so naturally massive that he could easily add more weight — but why? The guy is a ludicrous athlete, and that will play up all the more at a weight around 340 in the NFL. Neal announced last week that he won’t do athletic testing, in essence deciding to sit on his early lead after coming into the NFL Combine as the favorite to go 1.1 to Jacksonville. But Ickey Ekwonu, who will do all the testing and is expected to dominate, could close the gap before the week is done.
UNC RB Ty Chandler said he’s been working on speed all offseason.
Chandler was fifth-highest on FanDuel’s prop board for fastest RB forty time before it was pulled off the board. Chandler, who will run, told the media he believes he can run the fastest time among running backs.
Iowa State RB Breece Hall was resolute that he intends to post a strong 40-yard dash time this week.
You don’t have to worry about Hall ducking the combine’s marquee athletic showcase. Hall displayed self-awareness during his session, directly addressing the biggest question mark currently on his profile: speed. Hall appears to be a man on a mission to deliver a better-than-expected time. We’ll soon find out if he can deliver.
Washington State RB Max Borghi believes moving from Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense to Nick Rolovich’s Run ’n Shoot limited his opportunities to showcase his skills.
My NBC Sports EDGE colleague Eric Froton asked Borghi how it felt to go from Leach’s Air Raid (86 catches for 597 yards and five touchdowns in 2019) to Rolovich’s Run n’ Shoot (16 catches for 156 yards). “I didn’t like it,” Borghi said. “I caught 90 (*86) passes in 2019 and believe that I can be a playmaker both running and receiving. So I would have liked to do more in the passing game, but I’ll do whatever it takes of it helps the team win.” In addition to moving into an offense that didn’t have a need for skillset, Borghi fell into a timeshare. He may be a little bitter, but he has a point. A strong week of testing could put Borghi on the sleeper radar.
I’ll be in Indianapolis all week posting news, videos, and thoughts from the NFL Combine. Follow along on Twitter!
