8 players who improved their draft stock and parlayed that into a productive NFL career

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The NFL Scouting Combine is where the greatest minds the game has to offer come together, talk shop and evaluate the next crop of NFL stars. While every player comes into the event with varied public profiles, some use the opportunity to put their name on the map. Oftentimes, a great workout can directly elevate a player’s value come draft day, but only a fraction of those names go on to have excellent NFL careers.

These are the NFL Scouting Combine legends who rose their draft stock thanks to fantastic athletic testing and parlayed that into a productive career in the league.

DI Aaron Donald 

Draft Class: 2014

Now widely considered the greatest defender of his generation, Donald wasn’t always held in such high regard coming out of Pittsburgh in 2014. Despite his proven production and numerous accolades at the college level, Donald was classified as a mid- to late-round player with a 5.90 prospect grade (per NFL.com). He was knocked and broadly written off due to his lack of imposing stature, standing at just 6-foot-1 and 285 pounds.

However, following Donald’s dominating performance at the Senior Bowl, NFL evaluators took notice. Followed up by a freakish athletic display at the Combine, where Donald ran a blistering 4.68-second 40-yard dash, a 7.11-second three-cone, and a 9-foot-8 broad jump, earning him a 94 athleticism score. 

As a result, Donald catapulted into the top-15 picks – and if hindsight tells us anything, he should have gone No. 1. Now retired, Donald’s resume showcases as the most decorated in PFF history, as Donald had never produced a single-season defensive grade below 90.5. 

T Trent Williams 

Draft Class: 2010 

Coming out of Oklahoma in 2010, Williams was knocked for lacking some of the polish associated with high-caliber tackle prospects and falling below expectations in his final collegiate season. This led some to believe he may struggle against elite edge rushers at the NFL level. While he was still largely considered a fringe first-round talent, there was a belief he may struggle on the left side.

His performance at the combine, however, far overshadowed any doubts scouts had and solidified his status as one of the top-five prospects in the class. Williams put his extraordinary athleticism on full display at the combine, running an eye-opening 4.88-second 40-yard dash and showcasing nimble footwork in drills, as he convinced many NFL decision-makers in attendance that he would develop into an elite tackle. 

Even in his 14th season as a professional, Williams still routinely showcases that exceptional athleticism and nasty demeanor that had him skyrocketing up draft boards back in 2010. Williams enters his age-37 season showing no signs of slowing down. Since joining the San Francisco 49ers in 2020, Williams has never fallen below a 92.0 overall PFF grade in a full season of work, and he even holds the PFF record for the highest run-blocking grade ever recorded (97.7).  

TE Vernon Davis 

Draft Class: 2006

While Davis was a highly-touted tight end prospect out of Maryland, his performance at the 2006 Combine had front offices fighting for the chance to draft a tight end with prolific athleticism. Davis (6-foot-3 and 255 pounds) flashed his insane speed and explosion to scouts, putting up an insane 4.38-second 40-yard dash and 42-inch vertical, both of which stood as records among all players weighing 250-plus pounds.

That workout catapulted Davis into the top-10 picks, going to the 49ers at sixth overall – at the time, tying the second-highest a tight end has ever been taken in the Super Bowl Era. While Davis struggled at the tail end of his career, the tight end notched 14 seasons as a professional. In his prime (2009-2013) Davis cemented his name among some of the NFL’s best tight ends, generating an 84.3 overall PFF grade, good for a top-10 mark at the position during that span.        

WR Xavier Worthy 

Draft Class: 2024 

The combine has continued to gain in profile each year since its inception and a huge reason for that comes down to the level of athlete showcased continuing to leave onlookers in shock and awe. That’s exactly what put Worthy’s name on the map this past offseason. The Texas receiver notoriety across the football world rose after he ran a blazing 4.21-second 40-yard dash time – the highest ever recorded in NFL history.

However, blistering speed alone isn’t enough in the modern game to tilt the scales fully, as NFL evaluators have been burned by speed many times in past iterations (see: John Ross in 2017). And while it’s still early to declare Worthy a bonafide success story, the Kansas City Chiefs receiver has gotten more and more acclimated to the NFL game working with one of the league’s great minds in Andy Reid, and he shows the potential to erupt as he continues to develop.

In his first playoff run, Worthy earned the fourth-highest PFF receiving grade (87.8) of the postseason, notching six receptions of 15 or more yards – tied for most this postseason.   

DI Jordan Davis 

Draft Class: 2022

At a gargantuan 6-foot-6 and 341 pounds, scouts already knew Davis was a massive nose tackle with the ability to dictate how opposing offenses operated running the ball between the tackles. However, nobody expected the former Georgia interior defender to run an outlandish 4.78-second 40-yard dash time in his combine workout – the fastest-ever record at the event by a player over 330 pounds. Paired with a 10-foot-3 broad jump and 32-inch vertical, Davis earned a 98 athleticism score, the highest by any defensive tackle in the 2022 class. 

Davis’ combine performance directly elevated his draft profile into the early first-round conversation and ultimately landed him in Philadelphia at No. 13 overall. Since that day, Davis has produced a solid foundation as a run defender while developing as a pocket-pushing pass-rusher. Over his first three seasons, the Eagles nose tackle has generated three consecutive seasons surpassing a 70.0 PFF defensive grade.  

EDGE Travon Walker 

Draft Class: 2022

Another Georgia defensive lineman to dominate the 2022 NFL Combine and catapult up draft boards. Walker showcased his elite athleticism, running a breakneck 4.51 40-yard dash – the fastest by any player over 270 lbs since 1999 – and a 6.89-second three-cone. He also exploded with a 35.5-inch vertical and 10-foot-3 broad jump. 

While the Georgia product was already on the radar of many scouts for his athletic profile, his record-setting combine workout garnered national attention and instantly made Walker one of the most coveted players in the class. PFF’s Trevor Sikkema spoke with Walker following his explosive performance. Not long after, Walker was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars.  

Although supremely talented, being selected first overall came as a shock to many. After some time getting acclimated to the NFL, Walker has begun to flash that athleticism on the field. Over the past two seasons, Walker has racked up 21 sacks on 114 total pressures, leaving a promising outlook for his future.       

RB Chris Johnson 

Draft Class: 2008 

Before Xavier Worthy and John Ross, Chris Johnson held the record for the fastest 40-yard dash time in NFL combine history, standing at a blinding 4.24 seconds, set back in 2008. The running back out of East Carolina wasn’t considered the top back in the class – an honor given to Darren McFadden, who was taken fourth overall – and he wasn’t mentioned much in the first-round conversation until his historic workout. In fact, three backs went before Johnson in the 2008 draft, including Jonathan Stewart and McFadden’s teammate Felix Jones. 

Johnson wasted no time proving that passing on him was a critical error. In 2009, just his second campaign in the NFL, Johnson joined the prestigious company, becoming the sixth running back to rush for over 2,000 yards in NFL history. 

RT Lane Johnson 

Draft Class: 2013

As a former high school quarterback, turned tight end… turned defensive end… turned tackle, Johnson had the immense athleticism that NFL teams covet. However, he lacked the experience generally seen from highly-rated prospects, which resulted in some trepidation from NFL decision-makers early in the pre-draft process. 

But that quickly moved by the wayside after Johnson’s impressive combine performance. The Oklahoma product performed well across the board, earning a 99 Athleticism score (per NFL.com), but he really turned heads with his phenomenal 4.72-second 40-yard dash – the second-fastest ever recorded by an offensive lineman at the combine. Johnson’s 40 time also famously outclassed that of his former quarterback a few years later – Carson Wentz’s 4.77. 

Johnson has gone on to produce one of the most decorated and productive careers the NFL has seen at the tackle position. The 12-year veteran is routinely mentioned as one of the game’s elite talents, regardless of position, being named to numerous All-Pro teams and top-100 lists, including this year’s PFF 101.  

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