2024 NFL Combine Fantasy Sleepers

Isaac Guerendo

Guerendo wasn’t on my radar heading into the combine. He’s a fifth-year senior who didn’t see much run at Wisconsin before transferring to Louisville. He broke out in 2023 as the backup to Jawhar Jordan, rushing 132 times for 810 yards and 11 scores. Despite the quiet college career, Guerendo checked some notable boxes on his limited college reps. He ranked 16th in Pro Football Focus rushing grade and sixth in yards after contact per carry among Power Five backs with at least 100 carries. Guerendo was also impressive as a receiver, finishing second among P5 runners in PFF receiving grade and third in yards per route run.

Guerendo weighed in bigger than most committee backs at the start of the combine and was off to the races (literally) from there. His worst performances were in the agility drills. He earned a sub-seven three-cone drill and 4.15-second shuttle, both of which are solid numbers. Guerendo crushed the burst drills and cemented his status as one of the best athletes in Indy with a 4.33 40-yard dash.

To be that fast at his size is nearly unheard of. At running back, only Jonathan Taylor, Antonio Gibson, and Knile Davis have run a sub-4.4 40 while weighing in over 220 pounds. College production matters for running backs, but it’s also a position where players can put up massive numbers if they are thrust into the right role. Guerendo has the size, athleticism, and pass-catching prowess to take advantage of a good situation.

Tyrone Tracy Jr.

Tracy was another player who needed a strong showing at Lucas Oil Field to help his draft stock. He was recruited to Iowa as a wide receiver and even appeared to be on the precipice of a breakout with a 36/589/3 receiving line in 2019. His playing time would be scaled back over the next two years and he transferred to Purdue for the 2022 season. Tracy stayed at receiver for another season before fully converting to running back in 2023. He operated in a committee and rushed 113 times for 716 yards and eight scores.

With a multi-sport background in high school and a multi-position resume in college, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Tracy aced the combine. At 5’11/209, his 4.48 40 was solid, but it was his agility numbers that truly put him on the map. His 6.81-second three-cone led all running backs and his 4.06-second 20-yard shuttle ranked second in the class.

Tracy handled kick return duties late in his career and should have no problem running routes out of the backfield at the next level. In terms of how he succeeds in the NFL, he compares closely to Darrynton Evans.

Jaylen Wright

Much like the previous two entries, Wright was a committee back in college. When a player doesn’t dominate their backfield at lower levels of competition, we shouldn’t expect them to do so in the NFL. This isn't always the case though and the exceptions to the rule are often backs that leave as screaming, “Why didn’t he get more work?” Wright is the best example of this in the 2024 draft class. He finished his final season ranked second among all running backs in yards per carry (7.4) and fifth in yards after contact per attempt (4.4). Over half of his rushing yards in 2023 came on carries of 15+ yards.

Wright affirmed his explosive rushing numbers with a strong showing at the combine. He has great long speed plus uncanny lower-body strength and balance on film. Both of those traits were readily apparent in Indy when he ran a 4.44 40 and surpassed the 90th percentile in the broad jump and vert.

In an underwhelming draft class, Wright’s outstanding combine has him rising to the top of the running back ranks. The performance gives him a good shot at being one of the first three running backs to hear their name called.

Devontez Walker

The weigh-in was a rough start to the draft process for Walker. He came in a half-inch shy of 6’2 and 193 pounds. Things quickly turned around for the former Tarheel as he blazed the Forty with a 4.36-second time. He also crushed the broad and vertical jumps en route to a 9.88 RAS.

That doesn’t include any agility drills which he opted out of. Given his burner skillset, it’s safe to assume the shuttle and three-cone would not have been his strong suits. Walker did one thing in college: He won downfield balls. Walker did so with elite speed and also caught 59 percent of his contested targets. The combine showed he has all of the physical attributes necessary to blow by defenders or leap over them in the NFL. Walker will start his career in a similar role to Alec Pierce or Marquez Valdes-Scantling, but could develop into a more versatile player.

Jermaine Burton

Burton’s college career was a slow burn. He saw action as a true freshman at Georgia, earning an impressive 404 yards and three scores in his first season on campus. His role didn’t progress in his sophomore campaign and he transferred to Alabama. Burton didn’t post a true breakout season until his senior outing, going for 798 yards and eight scores in 2023, though he did lead Alamba in receiving yards in 2022 as well. He posted a respectable, 4.45 40 at 6’/196 and aced the burst drills, exceeding the 90th percentile in the broad and vert.

Burton and Walker both profile as outside receivers who can take the top off of defenses, but Burton will enter the NFL with a more well-rounded skillset. He has better hands and smoother routes, though Walker does hold the edge in pure speed. The combine solidified both players as likely contributors at the next level and potential Day Two picks.

Theo Johnson

Athleticism matters at all positions, but it really matters for tight ends. The average RAS for a 150-point PPR season for a tight end over the past 13 years is 8.4. That climbs to 8.6 for 200-point seasons. Johnson smashed that box with a 9.99 RAS, second among 1,105 tight ends with workout data since 1987. At 6’6/259, his 4.57 40-time is terrifying while his broad and vertical were both outstanding as well. He nailed the shuttle drill but came up short in the three-cone, meaning he only finished as the second-most athletic tight end in the past quarter-century.

The downside to all of this is that production matters too. Of the top 12 fantasy tight ends last year, only one failed to top a 22 percent College Dominator in a single season. Most were above 25 percent. Johnson, on the other hand, peaked at 20 percent in his final season. He was also inefficient, averaging 1.26 yards per route run as a senior. That ranked 29th out of 45 Power Five tight ends with at least 30 targets. Johnson is an interesting flyer if the NFL views him as a Day Two pick, though I will be substantially less interested in him if they ignore his athleticism like they did with Zack Kuntz last year.