The NFL Combine included a total of 321 draft prospects who attempted to boost their stocks in the upcoming draft.
Six players from Texas Christian University were invited to participate in the combine, but only a select few players were able to significantly increase their draft stock in the process.
Each of the three TCU Horned Frogs players who increased their draft stock excelled in multiple categories at the NFL Draft, with two of them posting historic numbers for their relative athletic scores (RAS).
These scores rank players’ outcomes in multiple categories tested at the NFL Combine and compare them to their peers in the same position, which gives teams and fans an idea about how athletic the players are historically.
Brandon Coleman - Offensive Line
6-foot-6 and 320 pounds - 9.98 Overall RAS
Coleman had an incredibly impressive combine and finished with an overall RAS of 9.98, which is the fourth-highest score posted by any recorded offensive guard. The pool of his peers included a total of 1,421 players who have tested since 1987.
The only two categories of testing that Coleman did not thrive in were height and weight.
Outside of these, Coleman finished near the top of almost every athletic test, including multiple tests where he finished within the top six of any offensive lineman.
Coleman was tied for the sixth-longest broad jump of all offensive linemen who tested at the combine with a distance of 9'6", which was tied with Wyoming’s Frank Crum and Notre Dame’s Blake Fisher.
Additionally, Coleman posted the sixth-highest vertical jump with a height of 34” and the fifth-fastest 40-yard dash of any offensive lineman with a time of 4.99 seconds.
While Coleman entered the combine with an expectation to be drafted in the mid-sixth to early-seventh round, his performance may have boosted his overall stock much higher.
NFL teams are always searching for athletic offensive linemen who can reach the second level of the defense with ease, which is something Coleman could thrive at as a professional due to his ability to quickly reach top speed.
Coleman’s performance at the combine will likely help him be drafted somewhere in the fifth round to help a team searching for depth, or even a starter, at either guard spot.
Millard Bradford - Defensive Back
5-foot-11 and 190 pounds - 7.93 Overall RAS
While Bradford did not come out of the combine with the most impressive overall RAS, his two biggest downfalls came from his height and weight. Despite testing poorly in these categories, Bradford excelled in multiple other tests that go into these ratings.
Bradford had the second-fastest 40-yard dash of any safety in the 2024 draft with a time of 4.42 seconds, finishing just 0.01 seconds behind Texas Tech’s Dadrion Taylor-Demerson.
Additionally, Bradford posted the seventh-highest vertical jump of any safety with an official attempt of 38.50”, along with tying for the seventh-longest broad jump of any safety with a distance of 10'4".
Bradford demonstrated an ability to quickly turn his hips and change direction during drills, which are two skills that will immediately translate to an ability to play deep in the secondary.
Bradford’s exceptional speed combined with his jumping ability will make him a prime candidate to immediately make an impact on a team searching for a free safety. He will easily be able to cover both sides of the field on the back end of defenses and can compete with wide receivers on jump balls due to his vertical.
Entering the combine, Bradford was expected to be either a late-seventh-round pick or sign with a team as an undrafted free agent; however, his performance at the combine and athletic profile may convince a team to take a shot on him in the late sixth to early seventh-round.
Jared Wiley - Tight End
6-feet-7 and 260 pounds - 9.76 Overall RAS
Similarly to each of his Horned Frog teammates, Wiley tested as one of the top athletes in his position in nearly every category except for weight.
Wiley posted the third-highest vertical jump of any tight end at the combine with a height of 37”, trailing behind just Kansas State’s Ben Sinnott and Penn State’s Theo Johnson.
Additionally, he had the fifth-fastest 40-yard dash of any tight end with a time of 4.62 seconds, which is an incredibly impressive time for any player of Wiley’s height.
While Wiley posted just the seventh-longest broad jump with a distance of 9’10”, it is unlikely to play a major role in his draft stock due to his success in other categories.
Wiley received an overall RAS of 9.76, which ranks as the 27th-best score out of 1,105 tight-end prospects since 1987. This high ranking will almost surely raise Wiley’s draft stock by the start of the draft in April.
After initial projections had Wiley landing somewhere in the mid-to-late-fifth round, his athletic testing could result in him being drafted somewhere in the late-fourth to early-fifth round. Multiple teams could be searching for a possession-tight end who can work as a scheme receiver in the red zone due to his large frame.
TCU Horned Frogs - Boosted Draft status
Coleman, Wiley, and Bradford each performed incredibly well during the NFL Combine and were able to raise their projected draft range by roughly a full round. All three players will also have the potential to continue rising up teams’ draft boards as they continue the interview process moving forward. Although just three of the six players invited from TCU significantly boosted their draft stock during this year’s combine, all six players invited to the combine are still likely to be drafted at some point.
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