The quarterbacks, tight ends, and receivers kicked off the 2022 NFL Combine and definitely did not disappoint. We had an amazingly fast group of receivers, a big and athletic group of tight ends, and the quarterbacks showcased their arms on deep balls to end the evening, which wrapped up just before 10 p.m. ET.
Below you can find some notable takeaways from the night. We’ll be back with live coverage on Friday starting at 4 p.m. ET.
Receivers fly
The receivers ran the 40 yard dash in fast forward. From Tyquan Thornton’s official 4.28 to Velus Jones’ 4.31 to nine — yes, nine — other wideouts running under 4.40, it’s probably the fastest receiver group in combine history. North Dakota State’s Christian Watson ran 4.36 with a 38.5-inch vertical and 11-foot, four-inch broad jump, while Cincinnati’s Alec Pierce dazzled at 6-3 and 211 pounds with a 4.33 time in the 40 to go along with a 40.5-inch vertical and 10-foot,-9-inch broad jump. Speed and explosiveness, this receiver class has both in spades.
Big tight end group impresses
This is a large tight end class. And no, not just large compared to normal humans. Large compared to recent tight end classes. There were six tight ends at least 6-6 and only three were under 6-4.
Virginia’s 6-7 tight end Jelani Woods flew to a 4.61 time in the 40, while Maryland’s Chigoziem Okonkwo — more compact at 6-2 4/8″ and 238 pounds — led the group at 4.52.
Quarterbacks demonstrate their arm strength
I don’t take much from quarterback prospects throwing against air at the combine, but the conclusion of the evening was fun. Liberty’s Malik Willis, Nevada’s Carson Strong, Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder, and Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett all let it rip down the field and dropped a few throws into the bucket 60-plus yards down the field. The fans in attendance liked it. I did, too.
