2024 NFL Combine insider notes: Edge rushers make their presence known

The first group of players took to the field at Lucas Oil Stadium, as defensive linemen and linebackers kicked off workouts at the 2024 NFL Combine. There were some extraordinary performances by players who surely helped their draft stocks.

Here are eight of them.

1] Payton Wilson/LB/North Carolina State

To make the claim Wilson had a spectacular combine workout would be an understatement. He began his testing timing 4.43 seconds in the 40, almost .3 faster than scouts expected. He also hit 34.5 inches in the vertical jump. Wilson then looked super athletic and smooth during position drills. The workouts were just one of the hurdles Wilson must clear at the combine. As I mentioned during my preview piece, his extensive injury history dating back to his freshman season at NCSU will ultimately determine where Wilson lands in the draft.

2] Dallas Turner/Edge/Alabama

Turner’s film the past three seasons proves he’s a great football player. His testing at the Combine today proved he’s a great athlete. Measuring 6-foot-3 and 247 pounds, Turner timed 4.46 seconds in the 40, touched 40.5 inches in the vertical jump and 10-foot-7 in the broad jump. He’s the consensus top defensive player in this year’s draft and is considered by just about all to be a top-10 pick. Today’s performance only strengthened those opinions.

3] Chop Robinson/DE/Penn State

This past Monday, I wrote that Robinson was ready to tear up the combine, and that’s exactly what he did. The junior from Penn State measured 6-foot-3, 254 pounds then timed 4.48 seconds in the 40 with an astounding 10-yard split of 1.54 seconds. Both times are terrific for a running back, never mind a defensive end. Robinson touched 34.5 inches in the vertical jump and 10-foot-8-inches in the broad jump, another pair of terrific marks. His time of 4.25 seconds in the short shuttle is something most defensive backs aspire to. He looked exceedingly athletic during position drills. Robinson was incredibly fast in hoop drills and fluid during pass coverage drills. It was a “wow” performance by Robinson and the type of workout that cements him as a top 18-pick in the draft.

4] Marshawn Kneeland/DE/Western Michigan

There’s a lot of love for Kneeland in the scouting community, and he repaid scouts for their loyalty Thursday with a great workout. Measuring 6-foot-3 and 267 pounds, Kneeland timed 4.75 seconds in the 40 with a quick 10-yard split of 1.66 seconds. His vertical of 35.5 inches was another good mark. Kneeland’s times in the three-cone and short shuttle were spectacular. His three-cone mark of 7.04 seconds is a time rarely matched -- by defensive backs! His short shuttle time of 4.18 seconds was better than any other defensive linemen by almost .1 seconds. Kneeland had been receiving consideration as a Day 2 draft pick, and today he made believers out of the doubters.

5] Braden Fiske/DL/Florida State

Fiske comes off a terrific senior season at FSU, really lighting it up in his only year with the program after transferring from Western Michigan. I spoke about his terrific Senior Bowl performance in January, and Fiske kept the momentum going with an outstanding combine workout. He tipped the scales at 292 pounds, heavier than expected, then timed 4.78 seconds in the 40 with a super-quick 10-yard split of 1.68 seconds. He translated that speed into position drills, as he was super quick as well as fast in bag drills. Fiske entered the season graded as a free-agent prospect, yet he has cemented himself in the middle rounds.

Dive into the excitement of the NFL Draft 2024 with our NFL Draft Simulator. Craft your own mock draft, make strategic picks, and experience the thrill of being in control. Shape the future of your favorite team with our immersive NFL mock draft experience.

6] Jared Verse/DE-Edge/Florida State

Verse turned in a terrific combine workout. His marks included 4.58 seconds in the 40 with a 10-yard split of 1.68 seconds. His vertical jump touched 35 inches and his broad jump 10-foot-7-inches. Verse looked good in drills, but those marks are important, as they prove he’s much more athletic than people believed. Coming into the season, scouts estimated Verse to run the 40 in the 4.73 second range. Running .15 seconds faster on top of all his great pass-rushing skills is only going to push Verse further up draft boards and into the early portion of Round 1.

7] Byron Murphy II/DT/Texas

Murphy has created a buzz around himself since stepping in front of the media at the combine, something I wrote about early Thursday. He turned that buzz into a roar with outstanding testing results. Murphy timed 4.87 seconds in the 40 with a 10-yard split of 1.69 seconds, an amazing time for a 297-pound defensive lineman. His vertical jump of 33 inches was also otherworldly. Murphy looked incredibly athletic and loose in drills. He also showed great power and upper-body punch during bag drills. Murphy affirmed himself as a top half of Round 1 draft pick.

8] Mohamed Kamara/DE-Edge/Colorado State

When you’re invited to the NFL Combine from a college football program that’s done nothing but lose the past five years, you need to make your mark, and that’s exactly what Kamara did. His testing numbers included 4.57 seconds in the 40, 34.5 inches in the vertical jump and 10-foot-3 in the broad jump. They were all personal bests and at the top end of the pass-rusher group. Kamara looked super athletic during drills, easily moving around the field with speed and quickness. He measured 6-foot-1 and 248 pounds, which is going to pose a problem for teams who will have to find Kamara a position on the field. Yet wherever that spot on the field is, Kamara proved he has the athleticism to succeed.