For better or worse, the NFL Scouting Combine matters. By no means are 40 times or hand measurements the determining factor in a player’s skill level, but they do matter.
Most importantly, the drills and measurements impact perceived value, which factors into each prospect’s fantasy football value. Here are some rookies who helped their dynasty value, as well as some who hurt theirs at the Combine.
NFL Combine Dynasty Rookie Winners
Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State
Watching Ezekiel Elliott over the past 2-3 seasons has been painful, to say the least. But let’s not forget that Elliott wasn’t always old and slow. He was once young, spry, and one of the best running back prospects of the past decade.
It’s not just that Quinshon Judkins went to the same school. He and Elliott are physically built very similarly, with less than half an inch in height and four pounds separating them. Yet, Judkins looks way more athletic, blowing Elliott’s 10-yard split, broad jump, and vertical out of the water.
I’ve been flip-flopping Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson all year. When it’s all said and done, the answer to “Quinshon Judkins or TreVeyon Henderson” may simply be, “yes.”
Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Virginia Tech
I remain skeptical that Bhayshul Tuten will end up being an impactful fantasy back. He still looks more like the guy NFL teams bring in for a handful of plays with a ceiling as a primary passing-down back.
Regardless, it’s impossible to deny that Tuten improved his fantasy stock with his 4.32 40-time. At 206 pounds, his 118.29 speed score is the best in this class by a wide margin. Expect his name to creep up dynasty rookie draft boards over the next few weeks.
Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina
The day for Omarion Hampton —
40: 4.47
Vert: 38”
Broad: 10’10”At a rocked up 221 lbs. pic.twitter.com/9lWApbe9Ex
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) March 1, 2025
Omarion Hampton is not a small dude. A lot of modern NFL lead backs are around 210 pounds, give or take — he’s a stout 221.
Yet, Hampton ran a 4.46 40 time, giving him the third-best speed score in this class. He’s a freak athlete with the college production already banked. Hampton may very well have solidified his status as the RB2 of this class behind Ashton Jeanty.
DJ Giddens, RB, Kansas State
A 4.43 40 time at 212 pounds is excellent. I don’t know how to articulate how impressive of an athlete DJ Giddens is better than this.
DJ Giddens is a RB prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.89 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 22 out of 1909 RB from 1987 to 2025.
Splits projected, times unofficial. https://t.co/7W0USdP0vn pic.twitter.com/ixrkRsnjKB
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 1, 2025
This doesn’t automatically mean Giddens will be a feature back and a weekly fantasy asset. But it does mean NFL teams are going to take him higher than they previously would have, which increases his odds of being a productive player.
Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri
Maybe this is my love for Luther Burden III shining through. Regardless, I don’t really care. With his impressive 4.41 40 time and overall showing at the Combine, Burden convinced me to rank him ahead of Tetairoa McMillan.
While Burden does project as a slot receiver, I’m sufficiently convinced he can also win on the outside if asked to do so. He looks like the most complete receiver in an underwhelming class.
Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
Teammate Isaiah Bond claimed he was going to break Xavier Worthy’s 40-yard-dash record of 4.21. He didn’t come close, running a 4.40. In fact, Bond wasn’t even the fastest WR from his own school.
Matthew Golden ran the event in 4.29 seconds, the fastest by any wide receiver at the 2025 Combine. Golden was already rising up big boards, and this likely solidified his first-round status in this year’s draft. Given how important draft capital is for likely fantasy value, Golden’s value is going up.
NFL Combine Dynasty Rookie Losers
Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa
Allow me to preface this by saying I am not out on Kaleb Johnson. The general rule of thumb is an RB has to hit a 4.65 40 time to avoid disqualification. Speed does matter, but it’s not the be-all, end-all — just be fast enough.
Johnson is one of those guys who looks faster on film. But of course, numbers don’t lie. His 4.57 40 time is objectively bad, yet he still managed to hit a triple-digit speed score.
Johnson’s slow 40 could end up being a blessing in disguise for dynasty managers since it will hurt his value. If he falls to the tail end of the first round, I will gladly scoop him up.
Ollie Gordon II, RB, Oklahoma State
Given that Ollie Gordon II is 226 pounds, a 4.61 40 time isn’t nearly as bad as it would be for someone lighter — but it’s not great.
The problem is less that Gordon isn’t overly fast and more that this class has a ton of incredible athletes at the RB position, and he’s not one of them. There are only so many spots available on NFL rosters, and after the Combine, it seems increasingly unlikely that Gordon will get one of them.
Tez Johnson, WR, Oregon
It’s really hard to have a worse day than Tez Johnson. First, he weighed in at 154 pounds, which makes him the fourth-lightest WR since 2000. The lightest fantasy-relevant WR in NFL history is Tank Dell at 165 pounds. Furthermore, Dell and Worthy are the only receivers in history under 170 pounds that have ever mattered in fantasy.
Then there’s the matter of Johnson’s speed. Most small guys are at least blazing fast, yet he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.55 seconds. Not only does this bode poorly for his abilities at the NFL level, it’s almost certain to torpedo his draft stock.
Johnson’s fantasy value is plummeting before our very eyes.
Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
Wait…what? Surely there’s a mistake. How could Golden be a winner and a loser?
I promise there’s a method to the madness.
Golden is a winner because a 4.29 40-yard dash at his height and weight is objectively excellent. We also know NFL teams care about speed, which means he’ll be drafted higher and increase his chances of being an impact fantasy asset.
The problem is elite speed is actually not a good thing. Since 2000, 68 wide receivers have run a 4.35 40 time or faster. Only 10 of them, however, went on to become productive fantasy WRs.
When we upgrade the threshold to 4.30 or better — the elite of the elite — it’s even worse. Only 12 wide receivers have qualified with that 40-yard dash time:
- Xavier Worthy
- John Ross
- Donté Stallworth
- Henry Ruggs III
- Marquise Goodwin
- J.J. Nelson
- Jacoby Ford
- Jerome Mathis
- Tyquan Thornton
- Darrius Heyward-Bey
- Mike Thomas
- Yamon Figurs
Nine more WRs ran a 4.31. Only one of them was fantasy-relevant (Santana Moss).
Golden is fast. Golden is athletic. But history suggests fantasy managers should fade Golden in dynasty rookie drafts.