2026 NFL Draft Special: Combine Predictions | 40 Times, Freak Athletes, & Who Will Rise (Ep. 1969)

Summary

FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast

Episode 1969: 2026 NFL Draft Special: Combine Predictions | 40 Times, Freak Athletes, & Who Will Rise
Date: February 23, 2026
Host: Seth Wilcott
Expert Guest: Derrick Brown ("DBro")

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Overview

This special episode dives deep into the 2026 NFL Combine, focusing on athletes poised to make headlines with their athletic prowess, especially in events like the 40-yard dash. The hosts provide sharp predictions, debate the relevance of certain drills, unpack the odds for positional speedsters, and identify both breakout and potentially overlooked players. The episode is essential listening for fantasy football players, dynasty managers, and NFL bettors looking to get ahead of the draft hype.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Matters at the NFL Combine?

• QB Throwing Drills Are Overrated
  • Derrick Brown dismisses the importance of quarterbacks throwing at the combine, emphasizing that performance in an unfamiliar, non-game environment is irrelevant to NFL evaluators.
  • Quote (Derrick, 01:03):
    "Throwing at the NFL combine is not going to change that. And if it does, in any scout's estimation, they suck. I'll just straight up say it."
• On-Field Drills That Matter
  • Dbro values short-area quickness drills (10-yard splits, shuttle, 3-cone) over flashy drills like the gauntlet or straight-line 40s for skill positions—especially for evaluating realistic football skills.
  • Dbro: "You can miss me with the Gauntlet drill. I do not care. It does not matter." (03:45)

2. Episode Structure

• Dbro "Freak List": Top 3 elite athletes to watch at the combine.
• Flag Plant Predictions: Key picks for position group winners in the 40-yard dash.
• Who Will Rise: Predicting breakout performers and players who shouldn't be downgraded by mediocre testing.

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The Freak List – Top Athletes to Watch

Quarterback: Taylen Green (Arkansas)

• Attributes: 6’6”, 220 lbs, former triple jumper, reportedly hit 23 mph in training, 36” vertical, potential 4.5 40-yard dash.
• Draft Projection: Currently 174th overall; combine could boost him into late 4th round consideration.
• Highlights:
  • Rushed for over 1,500 yards in the last two seasons.
  • Compared to “Anthony Richardson of this class.” (09:05)
• Quote (Seth, 09:05):
  "He is kind of the Anthony Richardson of this class. When you just look at 6’6”, 220…"

Running Back: Demon Claiborne (Wake Forest)

• Attributes: 5’9”, 192 lbs, 22.3 mph in-game, rumored 500 lbs squat, patient runner with high burst.
• Combine Expectation: Projected to be the favorite for fastest RB 40; likely top-3 odds.
• Quote (Derrick, 10:29):
  "This dude can clean 300 freaking pounds… I think he’s going to be up there as far as odds [for fastest 40]."

Wide Receiver: Brennan Thompson (Mississippi State)

• Attributes: Blazing speed, Texas 3A 200m champion (21.2 sec), clocked at 23.7 mph, benches 305 lbs.
• Draft Value: Likely 3rd/4th round due to lack of size, but a likely chalk pick for fastest 40.
• Quote (Derrick, 14:10):
  "I think this is going to be the chalk pick to run the fastest 40 at the combine… blazing fast, but incredibly tiny."

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Flag Plant Predictions – 40-Yard Dash Bets

RB & WR Favorites:

• Demon Claiborne (RB) and Brennan Thompson (WR) are considered chalk picks for fastest times, but both hosts advise conservative betting due to line movement and variability at the combine.
• Longshot Bets:
  • Desmond Reid (RB, Pittsburgh): Explosive returner with track background, “worth a sprinkle” at long odds. (22:40)
  • Barion Brown (WR, LSU): Multiple All-SEC return TD leader; 10.49 100m; projected to be overlooked by oddsmakers—potentially great value bet.
    • Quote (Seth, 22:59): "Barion Brown… led the SEC in return touchdowns for three straight seasons… when this guy gets the ball in his hands on a return, you better watch out."

WR Market Odds Discussion

• Barryon Brown vs. Zachariah Branch (Georgia)
  • Odds could favor Branch due to greater “buzz” and program clout, possibly leaving Brown undervalued.
  • Quote (Derrick, 25:16):
    "I think Barryon Brown and Branch might open with very similar odds. But I think… Branch could get more steam… that could leave Barryon Brown as one of the better values on the board."

Defensive Standouts

• Zane Durant (DT, Penn State)
  • “Feldman Freak List” regular; 6’1”, 290 lbs, rumored 4.66 40-yard dash at 290 lbs.
  • Quote (Derrick, 28:15):
    "Zane Durant’s a freak, man… has reportedly run a 4.66, 40 at that size. A wide-receiver 40 at almost 300 pounds…"
• Cornerback: D'Angelo Ponds (Indiana)
  • 5’9”, 170 lbs, state sprint champion, “could elevate his draft stock starting this week… possibly has the fastest 40.” (31:30)

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Under-the-Radar & Value Plays

• Haynes King (QB, Georgia Tech)

  • Could set the pace if a “fastest QB 40” market appears; 4.45 40 in high school, Texas state athlete, leads ACC in rushing TDs.
  • Quote (Seth, 35:45): "Haynes King, he's worth a look… a freak athlete all the way around."

• Tight Ends to Watch:

  • Eli Stowers (Vanderbilt)
    • Track star: 6A Texas high jump champ, rumored 39” vert, 21.4 mph top speed.
    • Must test as an elite athlete to go in the first two rounds.
    • Quote (Derrick, 36:55): "If he doesn't test as a top-shelf [athlete], I don't think he goes in round one…"
  • John Michael Jonesborg (Wyoming) & Khalil Dinkins (Penn State)
    • Deep sleepers with size and rare athleticism, not currently among consensus top-5 TEs.

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Breakout Candidates & Small-School Risers

• Ted Hurst (WR, Georgia State)
  • "Sleeper" WR with previously laser-timed 4.51 40, excellent 3-cone, could move into late Day 2 conversation with a big combine.
  • Quote (Derrick, 45:06): "Ted Hurst… he’s going to put the numbers up next to the name and really start to build some more hype, dude. Now that might not mean that he gets drafted higher than the third round of the NFL draft…"

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Players Who Shouldn’t Be Faded for Low Test Scores ("Do Not Overreact" List)

• Omar Cooper & Elijah Sarratt (Indiana)
  • Both players are strong on film but not “freak” athletes; combine testing unlikely to wow, but production and tape matter more.
    • Quote (Derrick, 49:11): "To me, the benchmark of what is usable and feasible [at WR]: run a 4.6 or lower. That’s all I give a crap about, dude. I don’t care…"
  • Sarratt: “One of the most pro-ready wide receivers in this class.” – Seth (51:43)
  • Cooper: Could surprise slightly with athleticism but not a “burner.” Both are contending for WR6/7 in positional rankings. (54:41-54:53)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On QB Combine Throwing (Derrick, 01:03):

  "Throwing at the NFL combine is not going to change that. And if it does, in any scout's estimation, they suck. I'll just straight up say it."

• On the Gauntlet Drill (Derrick, 03:45):

  "You can miss me with the Gauntlet drill. I do not care. It does not matter."

• On Betting the Combine (Seth, 17:30):

  "I took Arian Smith… on Tuesday when lines dropped last year and he was even money and by the time we got to the combine it was like minus 140... you have to bet him early if you're going to bet him."

• Durant’s Athleticism (Derrick, 28:15):

  "Zane Durant’s a freak, man… reportedly run a 4.66 40 at almost 300 pounds…"

• WR 40s Overrated (Derrick, 49:11):

  "One of the most over dramatized and over-inflated crap for wide receivers is the 40 time... Are you a 4.5 guy? Are you a 4.6 guy? Oh, a low 4.6. Cool. I do not care..."

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Key Timestamps for Segments

• 00:48 – Combine preview & initial thoughts on combine drills
• 04:15 – What combine measurements/testing actually matters
• 07:04 – Start of the Freak List (Top “combine freaks” at QB/RB/WR)
• 10:29 – RB Freak Pick: Demon Claiborne
• 14:10 – WR Freak Pick: Brennan Thompson
• 20:00 – Start of Flag Plant Picks for 40-yd dash (favorite and value plays)
• 22:59 – WR Value Pick: Barion Brown
• 28:15 – Defensive “Freak”: Zane Durant (Penn State DT)
• 31:30 – Defensive value: D'Angelo Ponds (CB, Indiana)
• 35:45 – Fastest QB play: Haynes King (Georgia Tech)
• 36:55 – Tight End Freak Trio: Eli Stowers, John Michael Jonesborg, Khalil Dinkins
• 45:06 – Small school riser: Ted Hurst (Georgia State WR)
• 49:11 – Overreaction warning: Receivers whose tape > combine
• 54:41–54:53 – Cooper & Sarratt as WR6/7 in early rankings

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Style & Tone

• Direct, conversational, and playful—hosts mix sharp analysis with casual banter.
• Betting advice is pragmatic yet enthusiastic; they emphasize value hunting and hedging in combine markets.
• Realistic about the limitations of combine testing and resist the typical draft hype narratives.

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Summary

This episode delivers high-value, actionable combine predictions and deep-cut insights for both fantasy and betting audiences. By focusing on truly predictive metrics, naming top athletes by position, and warning against overreactions to raw speed scores, Seth Wilcott and Dbro provide an expert’s roadmap to draft week—and fantasy football’s next rising stars.

Transcript

[A]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[B]

Guaranteed Human.

[A]

All right, and welcome into the Fantasy Pros NFL Draft show. The process rolls on to Indianapolis, where all eyes will be on the NFL Combine. We'll break down everything you need to know from a predictions and preview standpoint. I'm your host, Seth Wcott. Coming off last year's combine where I hit a 42. One ticket on on Matthew, going to have the fastest 40 time for wide receivers. And I'm joined by a man who also hopes to cash in on this year's event. He's absolutely been grinding the tape over the last few weeks because he is the GM for all fans, football managers everywhere. He's Derrick Brown. Dbro, how are you? As we gear up for another piece of the puzzle coming into focus this week at Lucas Oil Stadium.

[B]

Dude, I mean, we're getting ready for it. The 2026 Underwear Olympics are here, baby. Let's go. I mean, dude. But seriously, like, it's, it's a wonderful spect. Like, there's a lot that we're going to unpack here on this episode and there's a lot to be gained where, you know, whether it's all the measurables and things like that. I want to hop the. I want to jump this off with something that I think is absolute just crap and I don't care about at all because I've seen this making the rounds on the social media and people are like, sure, oh, the quarterbacks. Like, this guy is going to throw. Oh, he's not going to throw. Mendoza's not going to throw. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I don't care about quarterbacks throwing at the freaking combine, man. We're going to talk about a ton of stuff that we think matters and that is worth the substance of 40 times in athletics and stuff like that. You can miss me with all the quarterback throwing drills. It does not matter at all. It doesn't matter for draft stock. It doesn't matter for any of these guys because simply put, like Seth, do you think NFL GMs give any sliver of crap about the fact of a guy throwing to wide receivers that he's never thrown with before in an unfamiliar environment with guys he has no rapport with?

[A]

Right.

[B]

Versus multiple years of game tape throwing in games that matter? It does not matter. People are like, oh, this is the place for Ty Simpson to really cement his first round status. And I was like, dude, he's either a first round player on boards or he's not. Throwing at the NFL combine is not going to change that. And if it does, in any scout's estimation, they suck. I'll just straight up say it. They, they, they're not doing their job well. Because this should not matter, man. It doesn't matter. Am I wrong?

[A]

No, no, I, I, I think, I think you're straight on. And like really today's crux of the episode is we'll be breaking down more of the measurements and like what's going to matter in the testing. As far as the on field drills though, Derek, I would love to just kind of get your standpoint on like what are the on field drills that you're really paying attention to, whether that's the gauntlet for position players or how are the shuttle, the 3 cone? Like, like what are some of these ones outside of the main 40 yard dash and like these testing metrics that we're going to be talking about.

[B]

I mean the short area stuff. And then once we get into the nitty gritty of like the 40 times, like, okay, those matter but to the 10 yard splits and when we get out of those, because yeah, there's a lot of correlation that can be found as far as like not just 40 times with 10 yard split time and that correlating to tackle breaking ability and stuff. So for me it's, it's the deeper stuff. Like you can miss me with the Gauntlet drill. I do not care. It does not matter.

[A]

Okay?

[B]

And people are gonna be like, like we've had these, these debates in previous years of like his 40 time isn't good, but on the gauntlet he ran 22 miles an hour. It, that doesn't matter. It, it really doesn't. I don't care about that. Like the fluidity of a guy running in a freaking straight line and going pass, pass, pass, pass. When, when is, when is that happening in an NFL game of a guy just like being like, all right, catch, pass, catch, pass, catch, pass, catch, pass. It, it doesn't matter. Like you could see fluidity, you could see hip movement, you could see guys as far as that type of athleticism all on their actual game film. As far as like what I'll care about at the on field stuff. Some, some of the drills, like the short area drills for running backs and you know what you take out of that? Some of the route running stuff, you know you can. Yeah, because some of these guys haven't been asked to run some of those routes. Like there's just some of the running backs, like a lot of collegiate offices do not ask them to run angle routes. You, you don't see them running wheel routes. Like literally it's just dump off swings, flats like that's it. They leak out of the backfield after they chip somebody on the way to a dump off. Like so some of that that I'll take out of this. But by and large, like I said, I, I don't care about a quarterback throwing the wide receivers that he has never thrown to before. When sure, you have to have the merriment of the rapport of knowing how a guy is going to run his route and stuff. And if that, if that doesn't match up, it's going to look like a really bad rep and it might not be the quarterback's fault at all. He was expecting the guy not to stop the route but to continue it down or not to round it off and run it two, two yards deeper or something like that. So you can miss me with all of that.

[A]

Yeah, it certainly there's going to be a lot of fodder. There's going to be a lot of conversation. You kind of just have to wade through it. Today's program does look like this. So we're going to break down DBro's freak list. Just the top three athletes to watch this weekend at the combine. Then we'll break down our flag plant predictions for the 40 yard dash. This is one of my favorite betting markets to get invested with every single season. I've said it in the past and it hasn't been received well that between the NFL Combine, first NASCAR road course of the season, this is one of my favorite biggest cards I'll have out on the betting pros app this weekend. So make sure you're following me over there as well as Derek. And then we're gonna round out the program with with the player that Derek really expects to rise the most this weekend in Indianapolis. And then the players who also we shouldn't really overreact to a poor combine performance from so before we jump in, a real quick reminder and a shout to everyone who's tuning in either on the Brand News Fantasy Pros Dynasty YouTube channel or the audio feed. We're trying to get to 10,000 subscribers by the time the Las Vegas Raiders are on the clock in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the NFL draft. And we can only do that with your help. So please do us a quick favor. Give this video a thumbs up if you enjoy this type of content. Also, make sure you're subscribing to the channel if you're new as well. And dbro, let's Start right there at the freaks list. These are the players that you think will impress the most at the combine due to their world class athleticism. Whether that's the 40 times the strength, the high vertical jump, you name it. And let's start at the quarterback position. Who is your freak at qb?

[B]

So I easily could have made a, made a case for Cole Payton and how he runs and how he tests but I, I thought we've, we've given a lot of. And now social media is catching up to us. Seth.

[A]

Too much?

[B]

Plenty. And it needs to continue to get louder sir. But social media is talking about Cole Payton so I wanted to go in a different direction here and somebody that I feel like this athleticism is also going to be directly tied to his possible draft stock. Improving in terms of proof of concept and the dual threat ability of quarterback Taylor Green out of Georgia. Like looking at him, you know it comes down to what is he going to do in the 40? What is he going to do in the testing metrics? Is he or excuse me. And I totally botched his college. That's why I was looking this up on the side screen Arkansas. So yeah looking at Taylor Green there were reports he's got a 36 inch vert. He ran 22.1 miles per hour in the collegiate season. There are rumors out there he's got a 4 or 540 man. And so looking at Taylor Green's draft stock and it where is he going to go right now on mock draft database? 174th overall. So like really like scraping late round picked them.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Looking at Taylor Green can he explode in the combine and be like a late fourth rounder versus being a guy that's fifth round or UDFA or what have you. And so I really think like the proof of concept of him being a top shelf athlete and that really lending itself to teams saying okay sure like you the rushing component is going to be a thing in the NFL and you have the athleticism and the size, speed combo to do that. And for a quarterback class like a lot of people are anointing, oh Ty Simpson is the QB2 of this class. I think there's fluidity and you're going to see fluidity of ranks for everybody out there. Everything from QB2 to QB7 or QB8. And so where Taylor Green falls in that I think putting his best foot forward at the combine is really going to help him.

[A]

Yeah, I completely agree. Like he is kind of the Anthony Richardson of this class. When you just look at 6, 6, 2, 20 more projected as you mentioned. Yeah, I, I think that's a, a great, a great comp as well. And like allegedly he has hit 23 miles per hour in training and also a triple jumper in High School. 43 foot triple jumper if you want to get specific with it. So this is a guy who has a track and field background, rushed for over 1500 yards the past two seasons at Arkansas. So he has been electric, not a winner. That's kind of the thing that we've all, you know, really taking our shots at this guy for Arkansas, whether it's Sam Pittman or when the interim came in this year, just kind of disappointed a little bit from that. You know, a football winning leadership standpoint. I will say too, like I'm gonna throw out some college football 2026 speed scores. You don't have to take those. I personally think they do a pretty good job of hitting these most of the time. He's tied for the second fastest in college football 2026 at the quarterback position among quarterbacks in this class. So just something to keep in mind there that I think this guy is going to be a great athlete. He's going to put it on display here in Indianapolis. Let's go to the running back position and Derek, it's one that coming out of the ACC is going to be a bit chalky. Probably the favorite to run the fastest 40 now that Nicholas Singleton is out of this event. Who is it and why are you all about him this week?

[B]

I mean you're talking about EA College Football 2026 grades. Let's talk about the guy with the fastest grade of any running back considering and that's Demon Claiborne, man. I mean for everybody that's not familiar with him, we haven't brought him up on previous shows. 59192 this guy's a speedster, man. Absolute electricity, 22.3 miles an hour, rumored 500 pound squat. This dude can clean 300 freaking pounds. So looking at him and I, and I, I agree with you, I think he's going to be up there as far as odds, like what would you say? Just, I mean because we don't have odds as at the time of recording this. Yep, top three. He's gonna be at least in the top three if not the favorite. I think him and the other guy that I'm going to talk about to lead off wide receivers is probably those two guys are going to be amongst like two of the top three guys as far as like best odds for the fastest 40. Am I wrong?

[A]

Seth no, and I, I think if you're just looking at running backs as a whole, I think he will be the clear favorite and I would not be surprised if he's teetering right around even money. Right. Because when we see these players get steamed up that like this, like we saw Aaron Smith last year. He was going off by the time the combine started on Saturday. He, he was right around like minus 140 to win the, the wide receiver position and he didn't even do that. So. Yeah.

[B]

Something to keep in mind last year too.

[A]

Yeah, he's gonna get a lot of steam though, for sure. Because like Derek, he's a very patient runner. But then when he finds that hole, he's got great burst. Right. And he was someone that really took Wake Forest over the top this season. Wake Forest has been absolutely one of the more dumpster programs in the ACC. I mean they haven't had a winning season since 2022 and they came out. I mean they gave Georgia Tech heck earlier this year. They finished nine and four. They're in the conversation potentially go to the conference title game at one point. So I'm here. He's been on record for potentially hitting a 22.3 mile per hour mark and a 10 yard split of 0.9 seconds with a 25 yard buildup. So Clayborne, definitely someone I think who will be speedy.

[B]

Yeah, I agree with you, man. I think he's going to run fast and I've seen some people out there talking about, oh, Jadarian Price and some other names floating out there that are going to run like I want to throw it out there like as well as we're talking about like the freak list guys. Dude, I want. I'm not going to be surprised if Jadarian Price gets drafted in the second round. I know there's like some kooky first round buzz. He's not going to go in the first round. So like don't get it twisted, people. That. That's, that's not happening. The other thing that I do not think that'll happen is don't burn your money. If you're betting fastest running back. I don't think Jadarian Price is going to get fastest running back, like straight up. He's not a guy that has like 43 speed. Like I'm hoping that he runs somewhere in the mid 4 fours, but like if he runs a high 4 4, a low 4 5, depending on it. Because the other thing we saw last year in Indian, I don't know if they do this Again this year. But they put down all brand new turf and you saw a lot of guys that were projected for certain 40 times come in and run a little bit slower. So also put that into your calculus about like monitor some of that news. Are they going to replace any of this stuff? Because that, that also in the, in the grand scheme of all of this can make the difference between some of these guys and what their testing times and if they're smart not running an indie and just running at the pro day.

[A]

Derek, let's go to wide receiver, which is always a fascinating topic when it comes to the combine and we've seen it in previous years. The Don Tavian Wicks of the world, right, who can really submit themselves as at least a draftable player with a fast 40 with just overall athleticism on display. So who's your wide receiver? That is your top freak for this weekend?

[B]

I mean again we're talking about the chalk pick here. I don't think he's going to be drafted higher than like the third or fourth round because he's extremely fast. He is a blur. But he's also incredibly tiny. And how does he play in the NFL and what does that look like? And this feels like a case of what we thought Xavier Worthy was going to be in the NFL versus what Xavier Worthy has been in the NFL. And we're just kind of playing the same game again with Brendan Thompson. Dude, I, I think that this is going to be the chalk pick to run the fastest 40 at the combine like all, I mean you can correct me if I'm wrong here but dude, like blazing fast wide receiver, wide receiver, former high school quarterback, Texas 3, a 200 meter champion with a 21.2 second time this guy is clocked into 23.7 miles per hour. And oh by the way, he could bench 305 pounds. Tell me this isn't the, is it going to be the chalk pick to run the fastest 40 this year?

[A]

No, that absolutely agreed with you. And this is someone who, I'm a big fan of Brennan Thompson coming out of Mississippi State here. He carried my college football fantasy team this past season. Really took over that slot role in Starkville after you saw Kevin Coleman transfer to Mizzou. That kind of opened up this spot for him really before he came to Starkville as well. He's really seen more of a gadget as a gadget player, whether that was his time at Texas or Oklahoma. Before that he had three years, two one at Texas, two at Oklahoma. And as you mentioned, like this is a track and field type of guy. Not only did he win that AAA 200 meter state title and keep in mind this is Texas. Like this is Texas where he has the most premier athletes, but he also finished second in the 100 meter dash as a high school junior as well. And then I think he went on in the senior year. He didn't even play track and field if you remember, just because he was already committed and I think was an early enrollee as well. So for me he's another guy. You look at College Football 2026, third best in the class among wide receivers, 96 in speed and I think that was even underserving him a little bit because we just didn't see enough of him ahead of the 2025 season. But hey, he was someone who was in my lineup every single week for fantasy this past year and someone I absolutely like. He's a multi unit play for me. I think when it comes to the wide receivers, I mean we said the same, at least I did with Arian Smith last year. He was also a track and field guy and really underperformed. But I think Brendan Thompson specifically at his size, is really a freak overall, especially with the bench as you said as well.

[B]

Yeah, I mean looking at him, if you are going to bet him, it depends on what the market opens as and I think if you're going to bet him you need to grab the line early because I think the steam is going to get heavy and it's going to. His line is going to move incredibly fast. So if you've ever bet the NFL combine before and you plan on doing so again this year, if you are going to bet him, you have to be like monitoring the books and as soon as his line drops, if you're going to bet it, bet it then because if not, it's going to be untouchable. Like what do you say? Like Seth, like probably like later, like even that day, like if not the next day, it's going to get steamed fast. You're going to see that line move very quickly.

[A]

I took Arian Smith I think on the Tuesday when lines dropped last year and he was even money and by the time we got to the combine it was like minus 140, minus 150 or seeing. So yeah, yeah, so I, I absolutely agree. You have to bet him early if you're going to bet him. And honestly Derek, the best place to do that is our presenting sponsor Hard Rock Bet Florida Sportsbook. And I know with no football it can be tough to figure out what to bet on. But as the song goes, I bet and I will survive, baby. With Hard Rock Bet, there's always something to bet on every single night. Hoops, hockey, nascar. So much more. We also have, of course, the combine you can bet on plus all the great same game parlay, live betting and player prop options you're used to on every other book. And did you know that Hard Rock Bet is actually the official sports betting partner of the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic? So they know their basketball. And if you haven't signed up with Hard Rock Bet yet, no worries. There's never a better time than right now to get invested. New Science can double their winnings with their first 10 bucks for a max of $50. That's right. If you had a bet that just won 100 bucks, you can go ahead and make that 200 with Hard Rock bet today. Plus, the Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook app is the only legal sportsbook for whenever you're in the great state of Florida. It's also live in Arizona, Ohio, New Jersey, Indiana, Tennessee, Virginia, Illinois, Colorado and Michigan coming to more states near you soon. Plus, Hard Rock Bet offers new promos every single day. So whenever you're listening, just fire up the app, see what they've got going on. Download the Hard Rock that app now and make your first deposit payable and bonus bets.

[B]

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[A]

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[B]

for the ones who get it done.

[A]

Derek let's go ahead and let's jump into the 40 yard dash and our flag plant plays and we'll start with you at the running back position, It's Claiborne for you. The question for me is just how confident are you and what will the unit allocation be for you?

[B]

Yeah, I mean I've already kind of given my guys out for running back and wide receiver with Demon Claiborne and Brennan Thompson. And I think that because of both of these guys, they're going to get steam very quickly and they're probably going to be near the favorite list. I'm not going to bet them heavy because we see the variability with combine every year where they're good point guys can get injured running it, they have a slower time than anticipated and stuff like that. So I would tread lightly with both of them only because I don't think the odds are going to be really good. So I mean, I'm kind of going with the two chalk picks here. But I'm curious who outside of my two chalk picks at running back and wide receiver, who are your two picks with running back and wide receiver here?

[A]

Yeah, and I think it's always smart to hedge in these markets when it's, hey, you're picking one player out of a list of a lot of players. Right. And because like, like last year I was so heavy on Aaron Smith, I had multiple, I think I had three or four units down on him and I just took a half unit flat. Yeah, yeah, it was a bad bet. But then I happen to take that half flyer on Matthew golden that really kind of made the weekend. So I think it's always smart to hedge in these types of markets. My first favorite flag plant at the running back position. Desmond Reed out of Pittsburgh. Absolutely worth a sprinkle here. 581-75-pound back that started his collegiate career at Western Carolina, eventually transfers up to the city of Bridges where he was originally just like an electric returner. And maybe I think he's the best running back pass catcher in this class when you're just talking about pure guy who can have soft hands and extend plays when he has the ball in his hands through the pass game. 52 receptions, 579 yards as a junior at Pitt. 93 speed in college football 2026, third best among the running back position in this class and most importantly to me, Derek, regional qualifier in both the 100 and 200 meter dashes in competitive in the competitive state of Florida. So he's someone who, he hasn't gone out like Thompson and you know, absolutely taken over and won these events at the state level, but he's at least been a regional qualifier. He Knows how to get off the blocks quickly which sometimes that can be your biggest issue. Right. I mean we saw guys like last year, Isaiah Bond, he was quick but he couldn't get out. He couldn't get out out of the gate quick and that's what you're going to need here. So I want a guy in Desmond Reed. I bet you're going to find him around 40 to 1, maybe 50 to 1. I think this is going to be a long shot play. Again. It's probably a 0:25, maybe a half unit sprinkle if I really want to get aggressive here with Desmond Reed. But he's my running back flag playing. I think he's going to show up at the combine, specifically in the 40.

[B]

Yeah, I think that's a good call and I absolutely love your call with the wide receiver position for a that if he's going to have a substantive like career in the NFL, it's going to have to be not only because of his speed but because of his return ability. So I mean just tell everybody who your call is a wide receiver dude, because I freaking love it.

[A]

Yeah, it's Barry and Brown. This is a guy coming out of LSU, small guy, right? 511, 185, kind of this newer style of player. And like don't get it twisted, this isn't someone that I think is going to have a decorated NFL career at anything other than returning. He led the SEC in return touchdowns for three straight seasons and he has the most all time in the SEC now the six most in college football history as well. When this guy gets the ball in his hands on a return like you better watch out because he is a straight line speedster. He was actually 247 sports number one speedster in college football for the two straight seasons. Allegedly has hit 22.6 miles per hour while at Kentucky before transferring here in his senior year going to LSU. 99 speed in college football 2025 back to back state champion in the 100 and 200 meter dash in high school in the state of Tennessee. His 10.49 second hundred meter time is also the third fastest in Tennessee state meet performance history since 1985. So I honestly think why I want to have probably at least a full unit on Thompson like Barry and Brown. He's someone if he doesn't get the the respect he deserves in the books, Derek. And he's sitting out there at 5, 6, 7 to 1. I think he's just deserving of a look and I think there's some quick

[B]

do you think he opens a 5? Because I was kind of like I'm sitting here like mulling over odds in my head as you're making the case for him. Like, would you be surprised if he's like plus 300? Like that's kind of where I'm thinking. Like, yeah, I bet he opens like 350. Do you think I'm wrong with that?

[A]

No, I, I could see that I might be being a little bit soft on the line just because like there's another guy that also in this class we're not really going to talk about a ton, but Zachariah Branch coming out of Georgia, like this is also a speed freaks. Like it's really to me these three packs of wide receivers that I think can do the most damage in, in this event. So depending where like I could see them if they want to put. The good thing is if they put him at three to one, they're probably not putting Thompson at even money like I thought they maybe could. Then maybe, then maybe Thompson's coming in two to one. Maybe Brown's three to one. And then you see Branch around that four and a half to five to half number. That's kind of how I see them.

[B]

I kind of feel like and this is just me reading, trying to read the room with. And again everybody like look, once that they drop odds and stuff on this, wherever you're betting yes at, you'll see these out there. But like the way that I'm kind of reading the room and it could be wrong, I already kind of see on social media people talking about Branch and how fast he's going to run. I honestly think that like if you're looking at how the odds might move and how they might open with this, I think Barry on Brown and Branch might open with very similar odds. But I think if you're looking at one guy that could get more steam. I think the, the, the group think could go in the direction of Branch.

[A]

I.

[B]

And I think that could leave Barry on Brown as like one of the better values on the board. But am I reading that room wrong? Like do you see it opposite for me?

[A]

No, because Barry and Brown, as we talked about, he's not someone highly decorated in this class. Right.

[B]

Like he didn't get a lot of buzz down there. So it's like you put that in another guy that versus the SEC school and, and the helmet scouting and then everybody starts talking about him and blah blah, blah, blah blah, you know. So again, just trying to read the room before we get out there making bets.

[A]

No, absolutely. And like Branch is someone from a Debbie standpoint. Derek who has. He was a USC commit. He went to USC for the first few season. Just had a lot of steam behind him. I know some of the sharper Debbie managers were actually trying to get out of him before he transferred to Georgia with Gunner Stockton at quarterback because they were a little worried about how he would perform and like. But he's. He's a more known name Barry. And Brown is kind of the one in this entire mix. Like while Brandon Thompson was kind of underrated till this last season. Like if you watch any SEC ball, you know Brendan Thompson now. Right. You still might not know Perry Brown specifically because LSU was not must watch television at the end of the season with nuss her and banged up and just underperforming in general the whole Brian Kelly firing situation. So you're right that he could be really a dark horse that people aren't talking about as much.

[B]

Yeah. And especially when you put all of this like. And trying to I guess encapsulate all this kind of stuff and try to read the room and stuff like that. You could see more steam on a program or a guy coming out of a program like Georgia versus lsu. And you just talked about how much stink is coming off of their season. Yep. You try like everybody talks about it like, okay, well that stuff's not going to make it to the betting market. You're kind of wrong if that's how you believe it. Because yeah, the good vibes of like, okay, this guy and this guy and guys you're betting on and stuff like that. People remembering what they did or did not do in the last collegiate season. It does. It. It transposes itself. It does.

[A]

And speaking of players who did some stuff in their last collegiate season, Derek, let's go to the defensive player again. You're probably going to see markets out there definitely for the fastest cornerback. And you also can see likely defensive line odds and linebacker as well. And you're heading to that defensive line market with a guy I'm very familiar with here up in Happy Valley. Hashtag, we are Penn State, baby.

[B]

Well, of course. And I had to hop into the. To the outline before you could grab him because I figured it was one of the names we were going to be talking about here. I had to get of the list before you got into it because I was like, oh, he's gonna go Penn State. There's no way. Actually two Penn State guys that I'm going to talk about here. Yeah, I had to get in here before you did, so you couldn't sit here and wax poetic. But Zane Durant's a freak, man. He's been on the Feldman freak list for three years in a row. So anybody that's been following any of this is not gonna be surprised. But just to put really some respect on his name, man, 6 foot 1, 290 pounds. This man has reportedly run a 4 6, 6, 40 at that size. So let everybody just let that sink into your brain. A 4, 6, 6, 40. A wide receiver, 40 at almost 300 pounds, has supposedly hit 21.1 miles per hour, has a 4.43 shuttle, has broad jumped almost 10ft, 910 vertical jump, reportedly at 30.5. He could bench over 425 pounds and power clean 345. Yeah, dude, he's a freak. Total freak.

[A]

Yeah, I mean, he absolutely is. And I know shot put is not an event. We'll see, but he actually placed eighth in the state of Florida's shot put competition in 2020. So he's someone that allegedly, this guy can bench 455 pounds. So I, I'm here for Zayn Durant, man. He's someone who definitely, like, he's not going to get the same buzz as some of the other defensive prospects in this draft specifically because, I mean, we are coming off a season where Penn State just, I mean, we had guys littered across the entire defensive line and being the defensive tackle, you usually just don't get the same buzz as the edge players do. Right. And so I think Zane Durant is someone who, I think he will be a day two draft capital type of player here and I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do in Indianapolis. So, yeah, I think that's a great call from you. We'll see what other defensive tackles and, and for. I think it's almost more impressive that he's a defensive tackle, Derek, and not an edge where you specifically think that there's going to be some of the more quicker, more explosive athletes.

[B]

Well, and the other thing, when you're reading the room on these markets, the other thing that to consider too is taking some of these guys because in the sense of a little bit further, more outlier bets, because here's the other part about it. The guys that are at the top of the class and if they can't help themselves with like in terms of draft stock and really improve their standing at all, or they don't view it that way, or their agents are telling them that the other thing you could see is guys are going to opt out of certain drills and they're not going to run. So that's the other thing. When you're betting some of these markets and you're looking at oh, fast is this fast is this player this and this. Some guys will opt out of some of this testing. And so some of these more long shot bets should be having better odds. When you're talking about, okay, well if this guy doesn't run and that guy doesn't run, then you're getting better odds because the, the market and the books are assuming that they will test and if these guys were taken out of the pool, then other players would be shot up the board.

[A]

Seth yeah, yeah, I, I, I think Durant's someone you need to know. Of course, deny Dennis Sutton, he's going to be likely one of the higher Penn State players drafted. Vega Ione, he's gonna go in the first round as well. So those are kind of like two of your top premier guys out of Happy Valley here. But he's definitely someone I want the Pittsburgh Steelers dad, because we need to stop the run a little bit better. And Derek, I want to go to the cornerback market with my next pick and it's a player that I think he could be a little overvalued. So just keep that in mind because he is such a high profile name now. But it's d' Angelo Pons out of Indiana five nine one seventy. So severely undersized. Right. And like that's going to be what really hurts him in the NFL draft when it comes to April. But to me, like, I don't think he should be like, like outside of a first round pick, to be honest. Like this guy. First team All America honors this past year, first team all Big Ten honors the past two years for the Hoosiers. Won the Florida State titles in the 100 meter and 200 meter dashes during his senior year. 10.47 Time for that 94 speed in college football. 2026 Again, I just finished up or I, I will be finishing up but I made the pick in my first mock draft that will be coming out in the fantasypros.com site this week and I have him going to the Seahawks at the end of the first. I think he's that type of player. I know it's a hot take because most people have him in the second third round, but I think Pawns is going to elevate his draft stock starting this week at Indian Ending Indianapolis where he potentially has the fastest 40 that's

[B]

a good call man. Love it.

[A]

We saw it last year. Maxwell Harrison, right. Who I don't think a lot of people had him as a first round pick and then he went out and just lit a blazing 40 and you know people were all about him in the betting markets and then afterwards as well. So d' Angelo Pond's a guy I like a lot.

[B]

Yeah. And to your call and something we haven't touched on yet. The NFL can say they don't double count. The NFL absolutely double count speed. It double counts the 40 time like yep. For everybody that says they don't. Okay then, then look at Worthy. Look at Golden. Look at all these other guys. Like you brought up Harrison. Look at all of these players. Look at John Ross previously. Like all these players that go out and run fast 40s and it vaults them up boards. It shouldn't. This happens every damn year dude. And it's going to continue to happen because just the NFL man.

[A]

Yeah. Whenever the first round to be a first round pick. Betting markets open pawns is a flyer because I bet he's going to probably come in somewhere around 40, 60 to 1. He he'll be worth the sprinkle on my card for sure. Derek, let's go to the other skill position players. I have one more quarterback that I would like to find some action on if there is a fastest quarterback market. It's kind of iffy whether we get it every year just because there's usually not a ton of quarterbacks actually running the 40. But if there is a market for that, I think Haynes King out of Georgia Tech is certainly worth a look And I will, I will preface by saying this is like one of my favorite college football players of all time. I've been a huge Haynes King, huge Georgia Tech fan. I actually had a 201 Georgia Tech championship future before the season started which looks pretty good. They started out the season eight. No, it looked pretty good. But Haynes King 2025 Player of the Year for the ACC. Led the conference in rushing touchdowns. Finished fourth in rushing yards with 953 and that's among all players, not just quarterbacks. And he's actually tied with Taylor Green for the fastest speed among this classes quarterbacks in college football. 2026. He has ran an alleged 4, 4540 in high school. He has put on some weight since then and some muscle. So keep that in mind. But and also while he wasn't A you know, 100 meter, 200 meter dash guy, he did run the 400 meter and he was also on the 4x4 relay, which usually, Derek, that's where you put your fastest kids. Some of your best athletes are the ones who are running that 4x4. It's the event that usually ends the track meet. The entire teams there hyped around it. And this is a guy from Haynes King and Haynes King, who's from Texas too, again. So this is a, a big boy state when it comes to premier athletes. So Haynes King, he's worth a look I think, if you can get him really in any market because he's a freak athlete all the way around. So Haynes King, Georgia Tech, someone I'll certainly have eyes on this weekend as well.

[B]

Derek Brown, very good call, dude.

[A]

Yeah, I started, started to put my official rankings together last week and Haynes King's up there right now. He, he actually has a chance, I think to be my QB3, which I, I know it might be hot, but I, I think he's a baller.

[B]

So you got this quarterback class. You really like have to stand on process and stand on the guys that you believe in and stuff because there's so many different names. And I think you're going to find a million different ranks of these guys, everything from QB2 to QB10, and we're going to get to that later in this process. But I think you're going to see varying, varying rankings of everything past QB1 in this class. So I don't hate that at all.

[A]

Derek, I want you to take me to the tight end position where you have a trio of guys you're looking to potentially sprinkle on depending their odds. And this is one of those markets, I have to say, Derek, it's very, very hard to hit this one every single year because it's usually like a Tucker craft that kind of comes out of left field that we weren't really expecting to absolutely blaze one down. So you have two players that people might not not know the name and then one who I think the entire draft and fantasy community is lower on than they should be. Yeah, man.

[B]

I mean, look, everybody's gonna be familiar with the name Eli Stowers. I mean, he's getting first round buzz. I don't think he goes in the first round. Just throw it out there to people. I think you're looking at probably like a day two guy, like second round, maybe third round depending on how teams view him. But his name has to lead the conversation because look, again, going back to Texas, we talked about a lot of players that have run really fast times in the State of Texas, this Guy was a 6A high jump champion, has an 113 rumored broad jump, 39 inch vert, 21.4 mph on the GPS. And really all this comes down to like that athleticism and testing like a total freak is going to be imperative for him to have the draft stock. That again, going back to all of this and just an overarching view. Out of all of these positions, the one that is most highly correlated to from top shelf athleticism to top shelf fantasy outcomes and outcomes in the NFL is the tight end position. Dude, like we can debate all this stuff about corners and quarterbacks and running backs and wide receivers and blah blah blah blah blah. You do not see any schmo athletes become all pros at tight end. It does not happen. So that's why I wanted to take these three pack of players and started out with Towers. Because if he doesn't test as a total freak, which I anticipate him doing, so yeah, then it's going to affect his draft stock, man. And going down the board here, two other tight ends that could surprise people a ton in how they test. And because again you're looking at consensus rankings and the top three tight ends, four or five tight ends of this class, you're not going to see either one of these guys names in that list at all. But John Michael Jonesborg out of Wyoming, this guy went to the Senior Bowl. High school basketball standout, had only one season of football. Entering college under his belt. He's 65250, 21.6 miles per hour on the GPS rumored 37 inch vert, 108 broad. He could squat 500 pounds, bench 350. Again we're looking at guys that could really blow up the combine and improve their draft stocks. Or honestly some people could be hearing some of these names for the first time. He's definitely one. And the other guy here again we're going back to Penn State and Penn State. I mean dude, we can go back 10, 15 years. Keeps producing like just these mutant athletes, these guys where it's like you go back to the Mike Gaseckis of the world and like even like Theo Johnson ran fast like all of these guys and going to the tight end position, man, like Khalil Dinkins out of Penn State. 64255 Bro. He is rumored supposedly has run a 4, 5 40, 21.8 mph 10 foot broad, he could bench 405. Like this is another Penn State guy that is an uber ridiculous athlete. And you look at the counting stats, it's not going to give him any love, but he could put his name on the map and go into the combine and just showing like, bro, yeah, like he, he's a crazy athlete.

[A]

I mean we've seen it in the past, right? We saw Theo Johnson a couple of seasons ago seemingly come out of nowhere and absolutely, yes, put himself on the map. And the interesting about Dinkings is like he was not, he was not a good player at Penn State. Like he was, he was a good enough player that he was on the roster for four years. He was committed to our program, which I really, really appreciate him. But after Tyler Warren left last year, like Luke Reynolds was supposed to be the real big thing at tight end, he of course has betrayed us and gone down to Virginia Tech to join a former head coach that we don't really care about up here anymore. See you James Franklin. But, but Dinkins was a guy who, you know, he was a third tight end most of his career, including this past year, but when he got the ball in his hands he was like, like you sneakily saw. You're like, man, he's athletic. Like I want to get them to get the ball to him more. And you mentioned it, man, whether it's Tyler Warren, Brenton Strange, Theo, like tight end Joanne Johnson was a tight end at Penn State 1 at one point in time, actually a receiver because we didn't know he was a tight end because we underutilized players like that. But there are some freaks to come out of here of Happy Valley and circling back to the Eli Stowers conversation as well. Quickly, Derek. I think there's a good chance if this guy shows up like you're predict, predict projecting and I'm predicting as well. I think he's tight end one in this class. I really, really do. And I think he could be a first round pick. But I think a strong performance at Indianapolis is going to have to carry him there because you're the John Mackey Award winner and you have so many years of production. The issue is, as you know, is he a tweener, right? Is he a guy who's going to play three downs or is he going to be Dalton Kincaid and get taken off the field because even though he played in that run heavy scheme down there in Vanderbilt where they're doing like their take on the triple option offense, he still wasn't a great blocker. He still wasn't used as a blocker as much as you would like to see.

[B]

And that's, that's the biggest thing. And we'll, we'll discuss him. We're going to have, you know, positional breakout episodes and stuff like that where we dive into each position. Those are coming up after the combine. But, you know, so not to give too much away right here, but dude, his. He has to test as a top shelf. Has to. Has to. Yep. If he doesn't, first of all, I don't think he goes in round one. I'll just, I'll throw that out here right now because of the blocking issues. And that's where like, you know, yeah. Can he block how teams view him? I just think like outside of Dalton Kincaid, if you look at the bucket or the five of them skill sets, the athleticism, the receiving upside, these guys typically are not first round picks, even second round picks like we're talking about. We're going back to yesteryear of, I mean, dude, the same conversation we could be had. And he got drafted nowhere near the top two rounds of the NFL draft for a Ronda Gadsden as well as Harold Fannin. And Harold Fannin is nowhere near the athlete that he last hours is. But talking about that tweener model Jaheim Bell from previous years, like this is that type of like skill set where it's like, how does the NFL view him? He will not pay off on all of this hype and draft stock and projected draft capital if he doesn't test as an elite athlete. He has to test and check those boxes to have a chance. If he doesn't do that, no shot. He goes round one around two. No shot.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. Absolutely agreed with that and very interested to see how these tight ends as a whole perform. It's one of those positions that really feels like after the top two this year, there's a lot of debate. Are any of these guys either even worth rostering in a dynasty format? Even on your taxi squad? We shall see. We're coming off one of the deepest tight end classes I think we've seen really in the modern history of the NFL. So to be determined, I would say with this 20, 26 rookie class. Derek, before we keep it moving, a real quick reminder to all those audio version listeners that we just launched the brand new Fantasy Pros Dynasty YouTube channel. This is the place to come for your rookie ranking, super flex strategy, startup draft and trade advice all year long. We're actually going to do a dynasty rookie draft myself and Derek, we're gonna have Adam on from Big Dog Fantasy Football as well as the South Harmon fans football Channel as well next week. So looking forward to that. But just go ahead search the Fantasy Pros Dynasty channel on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button. We have a ton more guests coming for you later this season as well, including your friends like Thor Nystrom and and Brett Whitefield coming over there from Fantasy Point. So we want to make sure you guys are plugged in in this, especially with everything that Fitzy and Boggs and Worm are doing over there with the main Dynasty podcast as well. So just hit subscribe there. We'd really, really appreciate that, Derek. Let's go ahead and jump in and round out the show with who we think should be a riser this year and also maybe who deserves a second chance. And let's start with that small school player that you think has the greatest chance of just crushing the combine this weekend and maybe forcing himself into a top 20 prospect conversation at their respective position.

[B]

I mean, first of all, I'm going to lead this off with he should already be very adamantly high in ranks and he's not given being given enough respect. I wrote him up as a sleeper in a group article for Fantasy Bros last week. Ted Hurst. Dude, I'm not going to stop talking about him. Like, I think he's going to run fast. Like supposedly he's got a Previously Laser Time 4.5 140. I think he blows that away. His film, like the the longer that you do prospecting, the more that you get an idea of like a guy's film and stuff like that and feeling that, that speed, that urgency in their film, I think he's gonna run in the four fours. He's got a rumored 108 broad 6.933 cone. This is the guy. I mean look, for everybody that's not familiar with Ted Hurst, man, like we talked about him in previous episodes, this guy coming out of Georgia State. The talent is real. I think he's going to put the numbers up next to the name and really start to build some more hype, dude. Now that might not mean that he gets drafted higher than the third round of the NFL draft. And everybody keeps talking about as they get more and more into this class, like how many names are you hearing on a weekly basis right now, Seth? Of like, oh, this wide receiver could get drafted in the second round. The second round, bro. There's only 32 teams in the second round and everybody getting drafted in the second freaking round. So I'm not telling you that Ted Hurst goes in the second round, but could he inject himself into the late day two conversation and Go in the third round. Absolutely possible. But he needs to have a solid combine. I think he's going to do it to do so. But what are your thoughts on Hurst before we move over to two highly touted names that I don't care about their testing and I think they're gonna be just fine in the NFL, what are your thoughts on Hearst?

[A]

Hearst is someone again, for being someone who is a ranker and an advocate for the group of five conferences. He was virtually an unknown this coming in this process for me, he really was. I wasn't a big Georgia State backer. I wasn't big better for them. But right now, based on the conversations we've had in the past, based on what I've seen as well that Ted Hur should be in that top 20 conversation already. I haven't wide receiver 16 currently in my rankings for that wide receiver position. He's behind guys like Zachariah Branch, Chris Brazil, Chris Bell, kind of those like, like flyer types of, hey, I had one or two years of production or I'm worth betting on the skill set with Ted Hurst. You're kind of betting on the skill set, right? You're betting that he can buck that narrative of the small school situation and really put himself into day two. Because that's the toughest thing, man, is like you kind of have to be someone who either flash crazy numbers from the group of five, like enter Harold Fannin Jr. From a year ago, or you have to have an absolutely crazy combine performance where the metrics are just popping out of the page and making you go there. I think it's gonna take a lot for him to go on day two, but I think this is the type of situation in Indianapolis where he can really put himself on the map a little bit further than he did the Senior bowl, where, hey, he had a lot of buzz down there as well in Mobile.

[B]

Yeah, I agree, man. And I, I could see him going in round three. I think, you know, most aspects he's probably around four player and you know, he's gonna be living and competing in the. In the same kind of fathom as like guys from bigger schools, you know, like Jacoby Lane, like you talked about Brazil, Even Kevin Coleman Jr. Eric McAlister, like all these different guys, Brendan Thompson, he's going to be probably competing with him because Thompson's probably not going to be a guy where unless the team is absolutely ridiculous and we go down the andy and Isabella 22 Atwell train and then the second round, you should never be drafted there. Thompson's a guy that's probably fighting for the same type of draft stock in the fourth round. Yep, yep.

[A]

Dion Burks. Those are kind of like the, the other like, you know, speedster type of names I think can be in there. The thing about Ted hurts. He has way more production than all of them. You just have to stomach that. It did come on one of the absolute worst programs in the country. So, Derek, let's go ahead and round out the program with your do not overreact candidates. These are the players that you shouldn't, you know, you think that should not be overlooked due to their impressive film. But they potentially will not be popping at the combine. They're not freak athletes by any means.

[B]

I want to start this conversation off with the fact of I. It's not that I do not care at all about 40 times for four wide receivers. Right. But to me, hint, the benchmark of what is usable and feasible. Run a 46 or lower. That's all I give a crap about, dude. I don't care. One of the most over dramaticized and over inflated crap for wide receivers is the 40 time. And this happens every single year. And I can go through a litany of players, the Cooper Cups, the DeAndre Hopkins, the Pukinakuas of the world, where it does not matter what your freaking 40 time is. And I'm saying this only in the sense of like, fine, if we want to have a conversation, I don't want you running where we're timing you with a sundial and you're running a 4 7. That's fine. I'm not discussing that. But I'm talking about. Are you a 45 guy? Are you a 46 guy? Oh, a low 4 6. Cool. I do not care, Seth. And the two guys that are going to fill this column up are Omar Cooper and Elijah Surat, the two guys out of Indiana. They're not gonna test as other worldly freak athletes and run 4:3-40s and all this kind of crap. And we're going to be coming out of the combine and everybody's like, oh, they're first round player. I. You won't hear any of that buzz. And honestly, if I was the agent of either one of these players, I would specifically tell them, do not test unless we know documented. We have times in our back pocket that you are good at and that's maybe the short area agility stuff for both of these guys. And that's about it. And if that's the case or the jumping metrics. Yep. Outside of that don't test, don't hurt your draft stock. Don't go from Maybe being a second round player to a fourth round player because you went out and the NFL's double counting where we can see on your film, you're a good player, you're a good route runner, you're a good wide receiver. You're not going to go in out there and test as an otherworldly athlete. And guess what? It doesn't even freaking matter. It doesn't matter. But neither one of these guys are going to test amazing. And if some foolish agent allows him to go out there and run and do that and hurt their draft stock, I don't even know what to say, man. But neither one of these guys are going to test great. And I don't freaking care. Seth.

[A]

No, and I specifically don't care with someone like Elijah Surat, which he, I've detailed him as, in my opinion, one of the most pro ready wide receivers, if not the most pro ready in this class. But it's not with that his athleticism that he wins with, man. It's just the fact that this guy is a mature, complete wide receiver. He's great in pass protection and like really the routes he wins on. Derek, it's your comebacks, it's your curls, it's not your, hey you, you gotta go straight line speed, route someone up and get down the field. Omar Cooper Jr. I think he probably will run opposed to Sirat because he was at one point known as a deep play threat before this last season especially you look at his out routes, man, he is nasty with it. Go back and turn on that national championship game. He, he routed up some really, really good Miami Hurricanes corners. So I expect Cooper to test specifically because also like I think this guy can jump out of his shoes too. We saw that Penn State catch that we talked about a couple weeks ago. So I think Cooper could have a little bit better of performance than maybe you do. Sirato, like right now. And again, I know I'm the high guy here at the company and I don't think I'm going to be backing off this like unless Boston or Concepcion really blow me away this weekend. He's my wide receiver. 4. He's ahead of Boston, Concepcion and maybe that's a crazy. I am, yes, I, I'll say it as you've said in the past, say it with your chest. I think Elijah, I don't think he'll be a first round pick, but I think he'll be an early day two type of guy. So that's kind of where I am with them. I do think Cooper has a little bit better performance, but to me, like, I know you're still kind of sifting through your ranks, but do you have these guys as top 10 players? I know you, you touched on Cooper as potential sleeper that you really liked when coming through. Not only is tape but also some of those advanced metrics we were keying in on.

[B]

Yeah, I mean I think the top five are locked in for me. These two guys okay right now in my early ranks and again, like I've still got to go through Chris Bell, I've got to go through McAllister, I've got a few of the other wide receivers branch and what have you that I need to go through and I need to finish my evals for. But right now as we sit recording this today, Cooper and Seurat are kind of fighting for wide receiver 6 and wide receiver 7 on my board and I gotta finish Cooper's tape later today and, and where I'm going to be back. And I'm probably, honestly, I haven't watched Surat since before Senior bowl, so I'm comparing these two and these two guys are probably gonna stay hugged up next to each other in my rankings. I, I, I want to do my due diligence and go back through Surat's tape again. So I get a fresh look after watching Cooper and figure out where I'm going to be with these guys. But it's probably going to be one. One of them is wide receiver six and one of them is wide receiver seven. And I'm probably honestly going to fight with myself throughout the remainder of this process. But to your point, man, like I, I do think that Cooper does test as the better athlete of the two. I won't be surprised if Cooper comes out and runs like a mid 4 or 5:40.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And, and I think he's going to jump well. So, you know, but again to that point, nobody's going to be hyping him for running a four or five. If anything, people will ding him for running a damn four or five.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

And I'm going to say it again. It doesn't freaking matter. And if you think the 40 times are the end all be all of whatever for wide receivers, I just, I question where, where your process stops and ends straight up.

[A]

Yeah, I, I absolutely, especially again there are receivers that lean on their athleticism. Right. And, and we need to see it from them. But there are receivers like the Omar Cooper juniors and specifically the Elijah Surrots of the world that they do not and and I do not care about it one bit. So Derek, really great discussion here man. I know we're gonna have a ton more of NFL Combine content coming out between the Fantasy Pros, the Fancy Bros Dynasty and the Betting Pros channel this week on YouTube. So make sure y' all are plugged in right there. That is going to do it for this episode of the Fantasy Pros NFL Draft Show. Please again, smash that like button if you enjoyed it. Don't forget to subscribe both on the Fantasy Pros Dynasty YouTube channel and that audio feed for Downtown Derrick Brown, I'm Seth Wilcock. Take care y'.

[B]

All.

[A]

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[A]

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