2018 NFL Combine: 10 players who helped their stock

The NFL combine has wrapped up in Indianapolis. There were players that outperformed expectations and helped their draft stock.

Every year the NFL flocks to Indianapolis, Indiana to watch over 300 prospects attend the NFL scouting combine. Scouts, coaches and general managers sit back and watch four days of drills. Just as important is what goes on behind the scenes with medicals and player interviews. Some players leave with more questions than they entered with. Others showed off what was expected and left with the same stock. This list will go through the ten players that put on a show at the NFL combine and improved their stock the most.

All data was pulled from Mockdraftable’s database, including spider charts.

10. Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU

The NFL every year falls in love with big physical receivers. Then when those players get to the combine, their numbers disappoint and they fall back to the middle of the pack. This year’s big receiver with all eyes on him was Courtland Sutton of SMU. He has elite college production with 31 career receiving touchdowns and over 300 receiving yards in three years.

Sutton came out and showed that he has the traits to be the second receiver taken behind Alabama’s Calvin Ridley. People will look at the 40 yard dash of 4.54 and question his deep speed, which is warranted. However, he was elite in almost every measure.

For a 6-foot-3 receiver to 6.57 3-cone, placing him in the 95th percentile, shows that he has the ability to make crisp and clean breaks. That is a trait that showed on film when watching Sutton. He also put on a show with the 60 yard shuttle where he finished in the 91st percentile.

Sutton proved that he is a big, strong receiver who can run crisp routes at the next level. Despite only a 4.54, he plays faster than that showed. This is a name to keep an eye on at the back end of round one where there are a handful of wide receiver needy teams.