2023 NFL Combine 'Freaks' List
Who impressed the most at the 2023 NFL Combine with their feats of athleticism?
Adetomiwa Adebawore
Defensive End - TCU
Height - 6’2”
Weight - 282 lbs
Forty - 4.49 sec (5th)
Split - 1.61 sec (8th)
Vertical - 37.50” (3rd)
Broad - 10’5” (8th)
Bench - 27 reps (5th)
Arguably the individual highlight of the weekend with his forty-yard dash, Adebawore quickly took over social media after his sub-4.5 forty at 282 pounds. Partnered with a top-three vertical & 27 reps on the bench, the conventional defensive end lacking elite length became one of the most versatile defensive linemen of the 2023 NFL Draft. Even at his size, Adebawore’s frame carries his mass effectively and retains some ability to bend while applying his twitch from the edge as a conventional 4-3 pass-rusher.
Deonte Banks
Cornerback - Maryland
Height - 6’0”
Weight - 197 lbs
Forty - 4.35 (3rd)
Split - 1.49 sec (T-7th)
Vertical - 42.00“ (1st)
Broad - 11’4” (2nd)
Showing out with some of the best measurements of explosiveness among his position group at a suitable six-feet tall, Banks showed the fluidity in drills to develop into a traditional man-island corner with the physical attributes to take a variety of matchups throughout the season. Pairing this with apparent ball skills from his game film would suggest the added benefit of a ‘ballhawk’ defensive back with high turnover potential.
Nolan Smith
EDGE - Georgia
Height - 6’3”
Weight - 236 lbs
Forty - 4.39 sec (1st)
Split - 1.52 sec (1st)
Vertical - 41.50“ (1st)
Broad - 10’8” (3rd)
Unquestionably the name with the most notoriety following the 2023 NFL Combine, Smith continues to support the notion at Georgia Bulldog football players are not recruited, but instead grown in a lab. Initially upset with himself over an unofficial 4.44 second forty-time, Smith brought a fiery competitiveness to the combine and ended the event as a certified “workout warrior.”
Jon Gaines II
Offensive Guard - UCLA
Height - 6’4”
Weight - 303 lbs
Forty - 5.01 sec (6th)
Split - 1.73 sec (3rd)
Vertical - 32.50” (3rd)
Broad - 9’6” (3rd)
3 Cone - 7.31 sec (1st)
Shuttle - 4.45 sec (1st)
With the best agility measurements of the position group and top-three in his explosiveness across multiple categories, Gaines is one of the rare 300-pounders who can excel in a zone-run offense. Showing a violent drive around the corner in the ‘deep pull’ drill, this is an offensive line prospect who will enter the league with the immediate label as a “pulling monster.”
Anthony Richardson
Quarterback - Florida
Height - 6’4”
Weight - 244 lbs
Forty - 4.43 sec (1st)
Split - 1.53 sec (3rd)
Vertical - 40.50” (1st)
Broad - 10’9” (1st)
Richardson has asserted himself as the quarterback of the 2023 NFL Draft with the highest athletic ceiling. Working from a ‘developmental pathway’ along the lines of Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts, Richardson possesses measurables comparable to Cam Newton with a leaner physique & more tangible explosiveness. This lean build keeps throwing mechanics tight & enables the elusiveness outside of the pocket to challenge defensive backs in space.
Jalen Redmond
Defensive Tackle - Oklahoma
Height - 6’3”
Weight - 298 lbs
Forty - 4.81 sec (2nd)
Split - 1.71 sec (3rd)
Vertical - 34.50“ (1st)
Broad - 9’8” (T-1st)
3 Cone - 7.30 sec (1st)
Shuttle - 4.51 sec (1st)
Bench - 27 reps (4th)
Dominating the top of the charts for interior defensive lineman at the 2023 NFL Combine, Redmond could become one of the first choices for organization’s seeking an interior defender with the athletic flexibility to defend laterally against modern offenses. Growing in importance since the emergence of Aaron Donald, NFL defenses are now required to have a dynamic interior threat along the defensive line who can disrupt the structure of the pocket.
Owen Pappoe
Inside Linebacker - Auburn
Height - 6’1”
Weight - 225 lbs
Forty - 4.39 sec (1st)
Split - 1.52 sec (1st)
Vertical - 35.50“ (5th)
Broad - 10’6” (4th)
Bench - 29 reps (1st)
With the irrefutable combination of the fastest forty time and most reps on bench press (at his own body weight), Pappoe is without argument the most attractive athlete within the 2023 NFL Draft’s grouping of inside linebackers. A ball-hunting predator roaming from hash-to-hash at Auburn, Pappoe has immense athletic potential to build on his physicality at the professional level.