Biggest Winners and Losers from the 2022 NFL Combine

The 2022 NFL Scouting Combine has come and gone. Multiple players wowed us with an outstanding performance, while others hurt their draft stock. The 2022 NFL Combine winners and losers will see a drastic change in their draft stock.

After watching the NFL Combine, it’s a good time to give my 2022 NFL Combine review. Let’s talk about the 2022 NFL Combine results and examine the winners and losers.

The biggest event in the NFL Combine is the 40-yard dash. Let’s check out the best NFL Combine performances from the 40-yard dash.

Baylor cornerback Kalon Barnes flirted with John Ross’s 40-yard dash time record but fell one second short. Still, that marks the second-fastest time in NFL Combine history.

.@BUFootball CB Kalon Barnes was just .01 shy of John Ross' Combine record of 4.22. ? @KaayBarnes_

?: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/1uYxqNOPlg

— NFL (@NFL) March 6, 2022

There’s no doubt that performance will help his draft stock. Now Barnes wasn’t the only cornerback to put down a blistering time. The 2022 NFL Combine review was high for Tariq Woolen.

He ran a 4.26-second 40-yard dash while performing well in the vertical leap. Woolen was a mid-round sleeper, but the former wide receiver could see his name come off the board in the second round.

Barnes wasn’t the only Baylor player to run a fast 40-yard dash. Wide receiver Tyquan Thornton’s 4.28 second 40-yard dash was the fastest time for an offensive player. Initially, it looked like Thornton broke Ross’ record, but the official time moved him back to 4.28 seconds.

Still, it’s enough to make our 2022 NFL Combine recap.

The 40-yard dash wasn’t the only event to feature players impressing scouts. Kayvon Thibodeaux has lost the stranglehold on the No. 1 overall pick, but he impressed with his bench press. His 27 bench presses were the most among defensive ends.

Thibodeaux is high on people’s draft boards for his quickness and athleticism, but his strength was on full display.

Kayvon Thibodeaux ripped off 27 reps on the bench press — dude is STRONG and FAST. Two skills you can build around.

He's already proven he can be a premo pass rusher, the right coaching could take him to a new level.

— Alex Wilson (@AlexWilsonESM) March 5, 2022

Tariq Woolen impressed many people with his blazing 4.26-second 40-yard dash. However, that wasn’t his only standout drill at the 2022 NFL Combine. The former wide receiver posted the highest vertical jump at 42 inches.

Woolen’s status as a mid-round sleeper has faded away. Now, teams will have to use significant draft capital to acquire the UTSA defensive back.

The wide receiver position is extremely deep in the 2022 NFL draft. It’s easy to forget about players outside the top half dozen, but Christian Watson is rising boards. The 6’4” wide receiver had an outstanding overall performance, with his best showing coming in the broad jump.

Watson led all players with an 11’4” inch broad jump. That will only help his potential to sneak into the first round.

The 2022 NFL Combine winners and losers stand out more than anyone else. This section will focus on top NFL Combine performances. Let’s talk about five winners of the 2022 NFL Combine.

It’s no secret that the 2022 draft class is weak at the quarterback position. Many people were hoping a quarterback would separate themselves at the NFL Combine. Well, it appears we have that in Malik Willis.

Willis didn’t run the 40-yard dash, but his athleticism and speed weren’t in question. Scouts wanted to see how he performed in throwing drills. His arm strength didn’t leave much doubt.

An absolute BEAUTY of a throw from @LibertyFootball
QB @malikwillis ?

?: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/nBtecvoB2I

— NFL (@NFL) March 4, 2022

But it wasn’t just his on-field performance. Willis was excellent in interviews, showing off his leadership skills. We even saw a video of Willis helping a guy deal with hard times on the street. That shows even more about his character. That’s a big reason he is the favorite to be the first quarterback off the board.

Willis established himself as one of the best players from the 2022 NFL Combine. There are many QB needy teams in the NFL draft, and with a weak free-agent class, Willis could find himself in the top 10.

A few players boosted their draft stock at the 2022 NFL Combine, but the best NFL Combine performance has to belong to Jordan Davis.

The 341-pound defensive lineman shocked everyone by running a 4.78 40-yard dash. For reference, he is the only player over 340 pounds to run faster than 4.98 seconds.

That alone made him one of the top performers, but he had more left in him. He became the second player at 300-pounds or heavier since 2000 to clear 10 feet on the broad jump. His 10’3” mark bested Tristian Wirfs by two inches.

His 32-inch vertical jump wasn’t too shabby either.

The biggest question with Davis is his stamina, but we can’t discount this performance. The 2022 NFL Combine review will mark him down as a big winner. He could slide into the top 10 of the NFL draft, with the top 15 being his floor.

Jordan Davis wasn’t the only Georgia defender to have a top NFL Combine performance. Defensive end Travon Walker had an excellent performance, running a 4.51-second 40-yard dash at 272 pounds.

That was an impressive time, but his performance in the three-cone and shuttle earned him a spot among the 2022 NFL Combine winners and losers. He showed great flexibility and athleticism with a 6.89 three-cone. That drill had scouts gushing about his potential.

Travon Walker update.

9.99 is Myles Garrett range. pic.twitter.com/hrKMeAwp5V

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 5, 2022

The top of the NFL draft should feature a pair of edge rushers in Aiden Hutchinson and Kayvon Thibodeaux. Is it possible Walker moves into that discussion? That would’ve seemed crazy before, but that shows how the NFL Combine can change your stock. Walker is the favorite to be the top Georgia player on the board.

Walker could be the next great edge rusher. Will the 2022 Combine results reflect on his NFL career?

The NFL Combine QB reviews have Malik Willis at the top, but Desmond Ridder’s Combine performance made him a close second. Ridder surprised many people with his impressive athleticism.

He ran a 4.52-second 40-yard dash while recording a 36-inch vertical and 10’7” broad jump. His athleticism has some comparing him to former second overall pick Marcus Mariota.

The 2022 NFL free agency QB class isn’t the best. Ridder could sneak into the first round if a team doesn’t like their options. That seemed far-fetched at the Senior Bowl, but the 2022 NFL Combine recap puts him in a good spot.

Perhaps Ridder can step into a starting role for the 2022 season.

Before the NFL Combine, we didn’t hear much about the running back position. It looked like Breece Hall and Kenneth Walker were battling for the top running back in the NFL draft, but Hall separated himself with a big performance.

Since 2017, Hall and Jonathan Taylor have been the only 215+ pound running backs to run a sub 4.4 40-yard time. After watching Taylor last season, I’d say that’s not a bad comparison.

The 2022 NFL combine winners and losers feature Hall more than his speed. His explosion and athleticism looked great with a 40-inch vertical jump and a 10-inch broad jump.

Most NFL mock drafts didn’t have a running back going in the first round. It wouldn’t surprise me if Hall snuck into the end of the first round.

Unfortunately, it’s not all great for the winners and losers from the 2022 NFL Combine. Let’s talk about the losers of the 2022 NFL Combine.

I think everyone saw this coming. Honestly, Kenny Pickett didn’t have a bad performance at the NFL Combine, but everyone talked about his hand size. His 8.5-inch hand size would be the smallest of any NFL starting quarterback.

Scouts won’t take Pickett off their board entirely, but he could slip down draft boards. He was the top QB off the board in January on our 2022 NFL mock draft. Now, there are questions if he’ll go in the first round.

That’s a big reason why the sportsbooks favor less than 3.5 quarterbacks going in the first round.

.@Pitt_FB QB @kennypickett10 letting it fly. ✈️

?: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/9wgAtIufd8

— NFL (@NFL) March 4, 2022

Again, his passing performance didn’t have him among the worst players from the 2022 NFL Combine. The hand size is something people will be talking about for the next two months.

Ultimately, it might not matter in his NFL career. Still, going from a potential top 10 pick to a second-round pick will result in a significant monetary loss. That’s why the 2022 NFL Combine review is so important.

There are many great wide receivers in the 2022 draft class, with at least four or five likely going in the first round. The 2022 NFL Combine was a good chance for a wide receiver to separate himself as the top guy.

Many people believed Treylon Burks could be that player. Unfortunately, his 2022 NFL Combine results were underwhelming.

Multiple receivers ran 4.3 and 4.4 40-yard dashes, while Burks ran a 4.55. He was also disappointed with a 33-inch vertical and 10’2” broad jump. The 40-yard dash isn’t a big issue because he’s a bigger wide receiver, but his athleticism comes into question with those other results.

Arkansas WR Treylon Burks gives his own pro comparison to another versatile, big body receiver.

“I watch a lot of Deebo [Samuel]. … I mimic my game after him.” pic.twitter.com/bPKEyIHMEs

— Levi Edwards (@theleviedwards) March 2, 2022

Burks wants to model his game after Deebo Samuel, but he has a way to go. Ohio State wide receivers Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave have become the top two wide receivers. Will Burks stay in the first round? He is (+900) the first wide receiver off the board.

I hate to say one player was the worst in the NFL Combine, but DeMarvin Leal had one of the worst NFL Combine performances in terms of performing up to expectations.

It wasn’t long ago that Leal was a potential top 10 pick. He was already starting to slip down draft boards, but the NFL Combine represented an opportunity to build up his stock. Unfortunately, he did the opposite.

Leal’s big thing was his athleticism. Well, we didn’t see that on display as he failed to run his 40-yard dash under five seconds. It only got worse when he was underwhelmed in the vertical and broad jump.

It’s interesting to include Derek Stingley Jr. among the 2022 NFL Combine winners and losers because he didn’t compete.

Stingley missed the NFL Combine as he recovered from a foot injury. Injuries happen, but it’s not ideal for him to miss the Combine, considering he was already sliding down draft boards.

Stingley wasn’t entirely out of the NFL Combine. He took part in measurements, but his arm length and wingspan were below-average.

Following his freshman year, Stingley looked like the top defensive back in the country. Recently, a video emerged of him battling Ja’Marr Chase in practice.

We haven’t seen Stingley show that same potential. He is starting to emerge as a boom or bust prospect. He was in the top five of our latest NFL mock draft analysis, but now, scouts are favoring Ahmad “Sauce” Garner.

Stingley will have a chance to showcase his skillset at LSU’s Pro Day.

We haven’t heard much about the tight end position like running back. It doesn’t sound like there’s much high-end talent, but the depth is there. Jake Ferguson had a chance to emerge as the top tight end, but the 2022 NFL Combine review has him going the other way.

Ferguson only ran a 4.81-second 40-yard dash. He failed to show off his strength with 15 bench presses. Check out his overall numbers from the NFL Combine.

Day One is in the books! ?

Here’s how Jake Ferguson fared:#NFLBadgers x #NFLCombine pic.twitter.com/rQZunGkr9q

— NFL Badgers (@NFLBadgers) March 4, 2022

I wouldn’t say it was one of the worst NFL Combine performances, but he failed to impress. There was nothing that stood out about his combine performance. Now, he could be lost among the mid-round tight ends.

How will the NFL Combine review 2022 affect Ferguson’s draft stock? We’ll find out over the next month and a half.

The 2022 NFL Combine brought the speed, with three players posting a sub-4.3-second 40-yard dash. It’s always interesting to see how teams evaluate the 40-yard dash because it’s not always the best indicator of a player’s NFL potential.

I’d say the individual drills for a particular position are more important. Malik Willis didn’t run the 40-yard dash, but everyone knows he would’ve posted an impressive time. The throwing drills were much more critical for his draft stock.

There’s no doubt the 2022 NFL Combine affected many players’ draft stock.

Winners and losers from the 2022 NFL Combine significantly affect the 2022 NFL draft. These players will either rise the board or fall into a lower round. The NFL Combine will also have a direct impact on NFL draft betting.

SportsBetting.ag has props for the 2022 NFL draft, including top quarterback and wide receivers selected in the first round. The sportsbooks will continue to update the NFL draft betting market.

Make sure you check out the top 2022 NFL draft betting sites for the best odds.

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