The second day of the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine testing concluded yesterday.

With cornerbacks, safeties, and tight ends taking the field.

To recap, the day below is one winner and one loser from each position group.

Scouting Combine Winners & Losers:

CB:

Winner: Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo

Heading into the offseason, Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell was looked at as a fringe round-one prospect who was projected to hear his name called early in round two. His performance in during this draft cycle has removed the word "fringe" from his draft stock. It began in Mobile, Alabama, at the Senior Bowl, where he was one of the stars of the week, and everything I spoke to around the league believed he cemented himself as a first-round pick.  

And now, with the Scouting Combine, I've been told that teams enjoyed their meetings with the talented CB and ended his time in Indianapolis with an exclamation mark by running an impressive 4.33 40-yard dash, the second fastest of all corners. He also showed off his strength by finishing 20 reps on the bench press, the most by any corner. His impressive draft cycle has his stock at an all-time high; teams outside of the top 20 who want him have to look at trading up. 

Loser: Kalen King, Penn State

Penn State's Kalen King has had the opposite effect during this draft cycle to Mitchells. Many had King as a first-round pick heading into this offseason, but he struggled at the Senior Bowl and continued that into the Scouting Combine. He ran the second-slowest 40-yard dash of any corner (4.61), the fourth shortest broad jump (10'2"), and a middle-of-the-pack vertical (37.00") and 20-yard shuttle (4.16). I'd say King has an early day-three outlook at this moment, which is quite the fall from his round-one predictions earlier this offseason. 

S:

Winner: Tyler Owens, Texas Tech

It's not often that I give a player who didn't even run the 40 the winner spot for his position at the Scouting Combine. But Texas Tech safety Tyler Owens did some freaky things during his jumps that have earned him this honor. Owens might not believe is outer space but he finished with the highest vertical of any safety, the fourth highest overall (41.00"), and the furthest broad jump of any safety or player (12'2"). His broad jump was so impressive he jumped over a foot further than any other safety, and it was the second furthest broad jump in the history of the Scouting Combine, only an inch behind Byron Jones' 12'3".

Loser: Kamren Kinchens, Miami

Heading into this draft cycle, the consensus top safety in this class was Miami's Kamren Kinchens. But he failed to separate himself at the 2024 Senior Bowl after struggling during the week of practice. And ended up as one of the worst safety performers at the Scouting Combine. Compared to the other safeties that tested, he finished with the fourth-lowest vertical (35.00"), the shortest broad jump (9'2"), and tied for the slowest 40-yard dash (4.65). Some thought Kinchens had the best chance of any safety to go in round one, but after a lackluster draft cycle to date, I'd say it's safe to assume he goes on day two, and he probably won't even be the first safety drafted. 

TE:

Winner: Theo Johnson, Penn State

Have a day, Theo Johnson. It seems the TE out of Penn State showed up in Indianapolis with one goal in mind: to put on a show. And it's safe to say that goal was accomplished. Compared to other TEs, he finished with the second fastest 40-yard dash (4.57), second highest vertical (39.50") second furthest broad jump (10'5"), and the fastest 20-yard shuttle. The battle for TE three has looked like stiff competition, but this performance from Theo should put him in the discussion to be the second TE taken come April.

Loser: Cade Stover, Ohio State

The consensus TE three has a few names mentioned, but Ohio State's Cade Stover has been the favorite for that spot. While he wasn't my TE three coming into the week, I don't see how many people can have him as the favorite for that spot going forward after a lackluster performance at the Scouting Combine. Stover, compared to the other TEs testing, ended with the fifth slowest 40-yard dash (4.65), the second shortest broad jump (9'9"), the second slowest 20-yard shuttle (4.45), and a middle-of-the-pack vertical (34.50").

Winners and Losers of Day 1 at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine

The winners and losers of day 1 at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine for LBs, Edge, and DT