NFL Combine Takeaways: QB Ty Simpson among the biggest winners

Few players had more to gain at the NFL Scouting Combine than Ty Simpson.

The polarizing Alabama quarterback entered the so-called “Underwear Olympics” in Indianapolis as the No. 2 quarterback on most analysts’ boards, yet his draft stock was a question due to his relative inexperience and uneven play down the stretch last season.

With that in mind, Simpson opted to throw during Saturday’s quarterback workouts to showcase his ability.

That proved to be a wise decision.

Simpson was one of the biggest winners at this year’s combine, as he stood out with his variety of throws, footwork and poise. Penn State’s Drew Allar and LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier also had solid days, but their performances were more inconsistent than that of Simpson.

The impressive showing likely solidified Simpson, 23, will be the second quarterback off the board in April, behind only Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza — the projected No. 1 overall pick — who is waiting until his pro day to throw.

The question now is where Simpson will be drafted. The QB-needy New York Jets are unlikely to take Simpson with the No. 2 pick but could consider him at No. 16 — if he lasts that long. The Cleveland Browns at No. 6, Los Angeles Rams at No. 13 and Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 21 are also in the mix.

Regardless, it was a productive trip to Indianapolis for Simpson, who seemed to ease at least some concerns after making only 15 starts in college.

Here are some of the other biggest takeaways from the NFL combine:

Styles stuns

Just how rare was Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles’ combine?

His 43.5-inch vertical jump was the best by an off-ball linebacker since 2003.

His 4.46-second 40-time tied Ohio State teammate Arvell Reese for the best mark by any linebacker, edge rusher or defensive lineman in this year’s class.

The fact Styles is 6-foot-5, 244 pounds made his workout even more wow-worthy. His profile earned comparisons to former wide receiver Calvin Johnson, a Hall of Famer nicknamed Megaton due to his physical prowess.

Styles, a converted safety, was already a potential top-10 pick after back-to-back productive seasons since moving to linebacker.

He now seems poised to be taken in the top five — potentially at No. 5 by the New York Giants, whose new head coach, John Harbaugh, had a long lineage of elite middle linebackers in Baltimore.

On the edge

With excellent showings, Reese and Texas Tech’s David Bailey seemed to separate themselves as the top edge rushers in this draft.

At 6-4, 251 pounds, Bailey demonstrated his incredible athleticism with a 4.50-second 40-time, a 1.62-second 10-yard split, and a 35-inch vertical.

Reese did not do the vertical, but he was even faster than Bailey with a 4.46-second 40-time and 1.58-second 10-yard split while measuring at 6-4, 241 pounds.

Both are strong contenders to be drafted at No. 2 by the Jets, who have a glaring need at edge rusher after trading away Jermaine Johnson last week.

And both have a great chance of going in the top five.

Bailey was the more productive college player, tying for the NCAA lead with 14.5 sacks while earning Pro Football Focus’ highest grade (93.3) among edge rushers last season.

Reese is more of a projection, as he shifted from off-ball linebacker to edge rusher last year and finished with 6.5 sacks.

Both had better combines than Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. — this draft’s other premier edge — whose arms measured at 30 7/8 inches. That was one of the shortest measurements for an edge rusher since 1999.

“None of the teams seem to be too concerned with it,” Bain said at the combine. “I will just talk the talk and walk the walk. … Nobody is really asking me about it.”

Bain also came in at 6-2 1/4 and 263 pounds, shorter and lighter than what he was listed at Miami. That would complicate him moving to the defensive interior as some have anticipated.

He could still be a top-10 pick, but for Bain to become an NFL star, he would have to do so as a physical outlier.

OL lineup

The combine also offered some clarity on the offensive linemen.

Utah tackle Spencer Fano’s 32 1/8-inch arms came in below the desired 33-inch cutoff, which could make him destined for a position change to guard.

That’s what ultimately happened with the Jets’ Alijah Vera-Tucker, who recorded the exact same measurement at the combine.

“If you want me to play center, I’ll play center,” Fano said. “I’ll do whatever it takes to be great in this league.”

Fano had an otherwise solid combine, coming in at 6-5, 311 pounds while demonstrating excellent athleticism with a 4.91-second 40-time and a 32-inch vertical.

But his underwhelming length could be a tiebreaker for which lineman is drafted first. The other top contender, Miami tackle Francis Mauigoa, is 6-5, 329 pounds with 33 1/4-inch arms.

And then there’s Georgia tackle Monroe Freeling, who may have been the combine’s biggest riser.

That’s because the 6-7, 315-pound Freeling dazzled with a 4.93-second 40-time; a 1.71-second 10-yard split; and a 33.5-inch vertical.

Freeling’s unofficial Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 9.99 out of 10.00 would rank second among the 1,512 offensive lineman recorded since 1987.

He is now squarely in the mix to be a top-15 pick.

All you need is Love

Jeremiyah Love probably didn’t need a jaw-dropping combine to be a top-10 pick, as some evaluators already considered the electric Notre Dame running back the best overall player in this class.

But Love delivered a combine for the ages anyway, posting a 4.36-second 40-time while impressing in on-field drills as a runner and receiver.

Many pre-combine mock drafts pegged Love to the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 9, but he’s now being talked about as a potential top-five pick, with the Giants among those connected to him.

A running back has not been selected in the top five since the Giants took Saquon Barkley at No. 2 in 2018.

Tate’s time

Carnell Tate’s 40-time of 4.53 seconds was a bit slower than expected and ranked 27th out of the 34 wide receivers who participated.

That’s not ideal for a player many consider the top receiver in the draft, though it likely isn’t catastrophic for the Ohio State alum’s stock, either.

For what it’s worth, ESPN and The Athletic both reported at least two teams timed Tate as running faster than a 4.53.

Either way, Tate — a 6-2 route runner with great hands — remains a likely top-10 pick and possibly the first receiver off the board.

Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson and USC’s Makai Lemon didn’t run at the combine, so the top of the wide receiver class should gain more clarity as players take part in their pro days.

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