Phillips is one of the younger players going to the NFL Combine coming out of school after only three seasons. He played in three games at Tennessee before transferring to Maryland for his final two years. He has very good size for the position at 6’3″, 320 lbs., but he’s raw as a player.
Grant comes to Indianapolis from FCS William & Mary but possesses physical traits on par with top-end FBS offensive linemen. He’s unofficially listed at 6’4″, 300 lbs., and played with great footwork in college.
Walker is an undersized EDGE player who showed up big time at the Senior Bowl. He measured 6’0″ with just under 32″ arms. Not the ideal size for an NFL pass rusher, but he’s proven he can make up for it with his play style.
Similar to Fannin, it’s difficult to call Bech a sleeper after being named the Senior Bowl MVP. The 6’1″ prospect has good size and hands in contested situations but will need to show how good of an athlete he is in the on-field workout.
Parrish needs a good week in Indianapolis as the cornerback measured just under 5’10” at the Senior Bowl. He put up five interceptions and 19 pass breakups in his three seasons at Kansas State, and projects as a CB3 with inside/out versatility.
Gordon may have been the top running back taken in if he came out for the 2024 NFL Draft after winning the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top running back in 2023 putting up 1,732 yards and 21 touchdowns. He’s a massive back at 6’2″, 225 lbs., but isn’t a freak athlete and lacks breakaway speed.
McCord was a three-year player at Ohio State but transferred to Syracuse after a lackluster 2023 season as the starter. The quarterback blew up at his new school proving he’s not a product of a loaded offense by setting single-season FBS records for completions (391), attempts (592), passing yards (4,779), and yards per game (367.6).
Noel is an intriguing prospect as he was tagged as a slot-only option after the season but blew up at the Senior Bowl playing both inside and out. He capped off his college career with 80 receptions, 1,194 yards, and eight touchdowns, and comes into the NFL Combine as the No. 110 prospect in the MDS Rankings.
Howard comes to Indianapolis off a College Football Playoff National Championship and a year where he led the Big 10 in passing yards (4,010), touchdowns (35), and completion percentage (73.0%). Decision-makers have to determine whether Howard’s one year of excellent accuracy was a fluke as his career completion percentage is just 63.8%.
Fannin set the single-season FBs records for receptions (117) and receiving yards (1,555) by a tight end in 2024 so designating him as a sleeper might be a stretch, but the MAC product has to have a solid week at the Scouting Combine. Smaller school prospects have to work that much harder in the pre-draft process and the All-American proved the bright lights don’t affect him at the Senior Bowl.
