Receiver standouts from the first day of scouting combine drills

If you like speedy receivers, the 2022 scouting combine is for you. Before this combine, the record for receivers running official sub-4.4 40-yard dashes was seven. In this class, a full 14 ran unofficial sub-4.4 40-yard dashes, and while that number will drop when the times become official, the speed on the track at Lucas Oil Stadium was obvious.

Of course, there’s more to the position than running in a straight line. NFL evaluators will tell you that the tape tells you at least 80% of the story, and bowl games and postseason activities (combine, pro days) rack up the remainder. But from a pure traits perspective, here are the receivers who helped themselves the most at the 2022 scouting combine.

Calvin Austin III. Memphis

(Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports)

Austin was the Tigers’ most productive receiver by a wide margin over the last two seasons, with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons at 5-foot-8 and 170 pounds. Size may take him off some teams’ boards, but that could be a mistake in the end, because he has the attributes to be a slot weapon at the next level.

There was no question about his athleticism during combine drills.

Skyy Moore, Western Michigan

(Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)

If you’re in the market for a receiver who gets off the line with quickness, sinks into his routes, and has no fear when it’s time to face converging cornerbacks and safeties, Moore could be your man. The official 4.41 40-yard dash he ran showed the speed part, but the tape shows the rest — and it all comes together for a guy whose name you might hear on draft day (perhaps early in the second day) before you may expect.

Velus Jones Jr., Tennessee

(AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Jones burned up the track in Indy at 6-foot-0 and 204 pounds, and though he’ll be a 25-year-old rookie, he has the potential to make a roster both as a return man and as a receiver. 2021 was by far his best season to date, with 62 catches for 802 yards and seven touchdowns, and he could produce similarly in a vertical offense.

Bo Melton, Rutgers

(Art Stapleton/NorthJersey.com-USA TODAY NETWORK)

When you watch Melton, you have to separate his performances and his statistics from a Rutgers quarterback situation that has been… less than ideal. His 55 catches for 618 yards and three touchdowns should be taken in that context, and when he gets the ball, Melton can make things happen. This is a receiver who could blossom into a credible WR2 or WR 3 once he gets some NFL-level quarterback play, and whoever Melton’s NFL quarterback is will appreciate the straight-line speed.

Danny Gray, SMU

(Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports)

Gray had 87 catches for 1,251 yards and 13 touchdowns in just two seasons with the Mustangs, and he’s more than just a speed guy — he can run routes and beat press coverage as well. Throw in his 40 time, and some NFL team is going to get an undervalued asset, perhaps in the middle rounds.

Chris Olave, Ohio State

(Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch-USA TODAY NETWORK)

It seemed that Olave became the Buckeyes’ forgotten man in 2021 behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Garrett Wilson, but the tape still showed that when you need a guy who can use technique and quickness to get open, Olave can be your guy as much as anybody in this class. Those who denigrate Olave’s NFL potential because “well, look how open he got in that offense” are missing the point, to a point — Olave has a clear understanding of how to exploit and widen openings in coverage.

Which is clear on the tape. What was clear at the combine was that as much as everybody is talking about Wilson this week )justifiably so), we should not forget about Mr. Olave.

When you then go back to the tape, it’s pretty clear — Olave is a first-round prospect.

Tyquan Thornton, Baylor

(Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports)

Well, this was ridiculous. Receiver John Ross ran the fastest 40-yard dash in combine history with a 4.22 in 2017, which caused the Bengals to take him with the ninth overall pick in that draft. That was a mistake based on athletic traits as opposed to receiver traits, but Thornton might have NFL teams kicking him up a few rounds based on this performance.

Thornton is a super-thin speedster at 6-foot-2 and 181 pounds, and he needs to full out his game as well as his frame. But this will put him on the map, for sure.

Christian Watson, North Dakota State

(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

There was a bit of pre-combine hype around Watson based on a 2021 season in which he caught 43 passes for 801 yards and seven touchdowns, but the performance he put up in Indianapolis at 6-foot-4 and 208 pounds will accelerate that process. Not only did he set the tone in the broad jump with an 11-foot-4 mark, he also blazed the track on both of his 40 attempts.

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