Who won the third day of the Combine?

The third day of the 2023 Nfl Scouting Combine is done and dusted, and it was a potentially huge one for the New York Giants.

There were several bus loads of wide receivers on the field today, not to mention a deep and talented group of Tight ends. As it just so happens, the Giants could use a receiver or two, and potentially a tight end as well. There were also several talented quarterbacks who could upset and help reshuffle the draft board.

Who were the winners from the quarterback, wide receiver, and tight end workouts?

(Spoilers: The answer for tight ends is “yes”.)

Stetson Bennett (QB, Georgia)
Bennett needed a big day at the combine, probably more than any other player on the field today. Despite coming from nowhere to lead Georgia to a 29-1 record since 2021 and consecutive National Championships, Bennett’s small stature (5-foot-11, 192 pounds) had him discounted at the NFL level. And just a month ago he was arrested for public intoxication in Dallas. He needed to claw his way back to being draftable.

He ran an official 4.67 second 40, tied Will Levis for the highest ball speed and was the most impressive thrower of the first quarterback group.

Dorian Thompson-Robinson (QB, UCLA)

I have to admit my personal bias here: I came into the Combine liking DTR. It isn’t often you see a 200-pound quarterback throw a block for a 220+ pound running back. He has rare competitiveness and a big arm to go with plenty of athleticism. Today, DTR ran a 4.56 second 40, measured 6-foot-2 with 9⅞ inch hands, and eclipsed both Will Levis and Anthony Richardson with a 62 mph ball speed.

He seems to have improved his mechanics and gotten more consistent with his footwork, which could help explain his impressive ball speed. I’ve maintained that DTR is my pick for a quarterback drafted after the first round who can emerge as a starter.

Anthony Richardson (QB, Florida)

I can’t sit here and say that a quarterback who is reportedly QB2 on some teams’ boards is a Combine “Winner”. But when you test out as the most athletic quarterback in combine history, it bears mentioning.

(Note: His official time was a 4.43 and he had a top speed of 23.4 mph)

Richardson was somewhat erratic in his throws — which fits in with his scouting report. He’s undeniably raw as a quarterbacking prospect, and it almost isn’t fair for him to throw just before C.J. Stroud. But his upside and tools will almost certainly get him drafted in the first half of the first round.

Bryce Ford-Wheaton (WR, West Virginia)

Ford-Wheaton raised eyebrows early on Saturday with an incredible workout. Just how impressive was he? His only comparison is D.K. Metcalf:

Oh, and he was impressively smooth catching the ball in the field drills.

Derius Davis (WR, TCU)

It’s easy to lose track of individual receivers when you have 50 receivers working out in the position group. But Davis had a very good first impression with an official 4.36 second 40. That would prove to be the fastest time of the first group of wide receivers. He was overshadowed as a prospect on TCU’s offense by Quenton Johnston, Steve Avila, Kendre Miller, and even Max Duggan. But Davis will likely convince teams to go back and see if he’s a hidden gem who can emerge in the NFL.

Andrei Iosivas (WR, Princeton)

Iosivas had one of the more impressive workouts among the wide receivers in the measurable drills. He confirmed his speed, with a solid 4.4 second 40 at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds. What jumped off the field was that whenever it seemed as though there was an impressive throw and catch among the first group, Iosivas was on the receiving end.

Matt Landers (WR, Arkansas)

Arkansas’ quarterback KJ Jefferson (who I’ve affectionately nicknamed “Truck Stick”) won’t be coming out until 2024, but Matt Landers gave scouts plenty of reason to go back to the Arkansas tape for 2023.

At 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, he turned in a 4.39 second 40, a 37-inch vertical, and a 10-foot-10 broad jump. The 2023 NFL Draft has athletic receivers and big receivers, but it doesn’t have many big, athletic receivers. That’s going to catch a lot of scouts’ eyes.

Tucker Kraft (TE, South Dakota State)

Okay, If I’m being honest, the entire tight end class was a winner today. They looked fantastic out there and it’s saying something when the 10th-fastest TE was still turning a 4.7.

Everyone knows that Michael Mayer is probably the top all-around tight end in the class and Iowa produces very good tight ends (Sam LaPorta). So I’m going to give some shine to one of the small school players, and Tucker Kraft looked like he belonged with the top big-school tight ends in the country. Not only is he a very good athlete, but he was solid in all of the field drills. He is going to be one of many starting tight ends coming out of this draft class.

Darnell Washington (TE, Georgia)

Okay, stop me if you’ve heard this before: An athletic freak from Georgia put on a show at the NFL Scouting Combine.

If Washington wasn’t considered a first round talent before today, he certainly is one now. The 6-foot-6, 264-pound tight end came into the combine with a reputation as a fantastic blocker, but a relatively unproven receiver. His tape certainly proved his blocking prowess, and given how thoroughly talented the Georgia team is, it’s understandable that the ball rarely went his way. It’s easy to expect the big blocking tight end to look more like an economy-sized offensive tackle. But instead, he looked more like an NBA power forward out there on the field. He moves exceptionally well for his size and was a very smooth receiver.

He still needs work in that area of his game, but the upside is somewhere between Martellus Bennett and Gronk.

Just ask NFL NextGenStats...

And then there’s this:

Zack Kuntz (TE, Old Dominion)

I’m not sure Kuntz was on anyone’s radar before the draft — and if he was on the NFL’s radar, they were being quiet about it.

But the 6-foot-7, 255-pound tight end turned in an insane 4.55 second 40-yard dash and a 40-inch vertical. Not only was he the tallest player in Combine history to record those kind of numbers, he did so after having surgery to repair a dislocated knee cap (ouch!). Even more impressively, Kuntz looked surprisingly fluid in the field drills.

How’s that for a catch radius?