It's that time of year. NFL Combine season kicks off officially next week on Tuesday, and I have to admit – I'm excited. Every year, if you're like me, you fall in love with prospects who test off the charts, and come draft day – you're begging your team to draft them.
While that may not be a healthy way of evaluating prospects because production over athleticism is better at the end of the day, we have seen outliers.
But, sometimes, a prospect has both, which makes them more exciting.
So with that in mind, check out three prospects you should watch during the combine. Additionally, these three guys could be players the Dallas Cowboys have on their draft boards.
1. Georgia CB Keele Ringo
If someone asked me what the Cowboys' biggest draft need was, the cornerback position would be 1A-1B with wide receiver.
After starting the season as a solid unit, injuries and subpar performances hindered the cornerback room – and when CBs Trevon Diggs and Da'Ron Bland weren't performing well, their pass defense became a liability.
With Cornerback Anthony Brown possibly departing to another team in free agency and Cornerback Jourdan Lewis recovering from a foot injury, the front office has to know that the cornerback position needs to be prioritized.
This is where Georgia CB Keelee Ringo comes in. Ringo, a lengthy, speedy cornerback, has been trending down mock draft boards lately. But if he performs well at the combine, we could hear his name arise in the first round.
So why should you watch him?
Speed. Speed. Speed. It's simple as that. If I were a betting man, I would be that Ringo will likely run the 40-yard dash in the 4.3-4.4 range. While Ringo has some technical things to clean up, you can't teach speed.
The secondary needs youth, length, and speed to pair with Diggs and Bland.
2. Georgia TE Darnell Washington
For the fans who are avid NBA 2K gamers, you know when you create a player with boosted physical traits, and you get some freak athlete that dominates everyone (after their overall rating went up).
Well, think of one of those guys, and make it a reality. Because if you want a prospect who looks like he was made in the lab – you have Georgia TE Darnell Washington.
Measured at 6'7 and weighing 270 pounds, Washington is an absolute man-child. His physical attributes have been noticed. And one NFL Draft analyst went as far as comparing his physical traits to Los Angeles Lakers small forward LeBron James, adding that “Washington might be the answer to ‘What if LeBron had played football?'.”
At 6'7" and 265 pounds, Darnell Washington might be the answer to the "What if Lebron had played football?" questions that always come up.
Watch Washington get into an NFL scheme and he's an ultimate mismatch with his size, power, agility and open-field speed.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) February 17, 2023
The one knock on Washington is his blocking abilities. But if he shows improvements to scouts during the combine, he could get first-round buzz.
3. Tulane RB Tyjae Spears
One of the notable topics this offseason has been who the Cowboys will start at running back next season. Currently, RB Ezekiel Elliott is the starter if the season were to start today. But with rumors of him being a cut candidate, the only running back guaranteed to return next season and possibly start is Malik Davis.
Now fans can point to the team re-signing RB Tony Pollard, which would arguably solve your running back dilemma. But, there is no guarantee the front office elects to pay Pollard in free agency, as they have been known to be frugal in paying their players.
Enter Tulane RB Tyjae Spears.
Spears is one of the most elusive backs in this draft, and he brings the big-play ability to any team's offense. After performing exceptionally at the Senior Bowl, he could boost his stock more with a good combine.
Tyjae Spears had a viral moment at the Senior Bowl when showcased a nasty move in 1v1s to break free from coverage in the first clip.
He has used this same move before as a runner to avoid a tackle, see it in the second clip. pic.twitter.com/7uWCFjay7a— BOLTS Draft Talk (@BoltsDraftTalk) February 21, 2023
If they got Spears, the team could get younger and divert their money elsewhere. Plus, we just saw both teams in the Super Bowl play with running backs with low contracts, so why can't the Boys follow the trend?
And I get the fascination of diverting from Spears and focusing on arguably the top-rated running back, Bijan Robinson, instead. But if you don't want to repeat your mistake of drafting a running back in the first-round – then target Spears.
