The test results are in and CONGRATULATIONS: It’s a very athletic boy! The NFL Scouting Combine has wrapped and left behind a trail of breadcrumbs to help lead dynasty managers toward some rookie draft clarity.

How much did these drills, measurements and ensuing narratives move the needle? Let’s discuss.

How Did the Combine Impact Dynasty Rookie Picks?

Top of the Heap

The biggest takeaway from the Combine? Jeremiyah Love is every bit deserving of the 1.01 pick in both 1QB and Superflex formats. The dude ran the second-fastest 40-yard dash among the fastest group of running backs in Combine history. A presumed three-down back setting the stopwatch on fire will surely make the 1.01 holder in your league clutch the pick even tighter. But let’s not double-count this.

We already knew Love was fast. Maybe you were surprised at exactly how fast, but it shouldn’t move the needle more than a blip. Two blips max. In fact, the only thing that should’ve affected Love’s dynasty value is if he tripped, fell, and exploded his Achilles. Otherwise, it’s mostly business as usual. 

This is purely anecdotal, but this Reddit thread reports some truly absurd trade offers getting flung out for Love. Someone sent Luther Burden+the ‘26 1.02 pick+a ‘27 first-round pick ... and got an insta-rejection. Someone else was sent Amon-Ra St Brown+Kenneth Walker and smashed accept. Combine hype is real, folks. Supposing these offers even somewhat accurately represent the market, I’d strongly consider sending this pick away before the NFL Draft. If Love lands in a lackluster locale, his current value will take a hit.

The Upper Tier

There remains a consensus group of four players at the top of the board. Five in Superflex formats. In some order, Love, Makai Lemon, Carnell Tate and Jordyn Tyson (and Fernando Mendoza in SF) are locked into those picks.

But the Combine threw a few red flags into the mix for this cluster of players, which could present a buying opportunity for those picks from more overreactionary managers.

• Lemon supposedly floundered in his team interviews.
• Tate stumbled his way into a slow 40-yard dash time.
• Tyson’s injury history could cause a draft slide.
• Mendoza … uh … smiles too much? Okay, his flags are beige if anything. 

The point being, every year there is smoke that wafts out of the Combine, causing momentary dips in otherwise “sure things”, and this could be the time to pounce on those in your league with a fuzzy antenna for that sort of thing.

The Rest of the Best

As of now, any pick beyond the 1.05 in 1QB formats is pretty much up in the air. Sure, there’s a small tier of players that seem to be floating to the middle, but it’s not a thorough consensus. That means a couple of things for anyone holding onto mid-to-late 1st round rookie picks

1. The 1.05 (or 1.06 in SF) is worth trading away now, before the NFL Draft, to any rebuilding team in your league that wants to ensure they get “their guy” from the remaining players. Some deranged dork like me would pay exorbitant sums to ensure my place in line to scoop up Kenyon Sadiq, especially in Tight End Premium formats.
2. Picks beyond that are most likely going to hit their peak value either right after the NFL Draft or while you’re quite literally on the clock in your rookie drafts. It’s unlikely anyone pays a premium for that 1.12 pick right now, but if one of their favorites “falls” to that spot on draft day? Buddy, you’ve got yourself some negotiating power.

Players Who Just Launched Up Dynasty Draft Boards

Speaking of which, the Combine gave us some risers in dynasty that suddenly make this previously discarded draft class a whole lot more enticing. Landing spots will mean a lot with these guys, but they’ve all got a bigger spotlight now:

Kenyon Sadiq, TE: As I said, I’m more than happy to take a risk on Sadiq, who just beat Vernon Davis’ longstanding record to become the fastest tight end in the history of the 40-yard dash. In fact, he’s got a slight edge over Tyson for me due to positional scarcity. The words “faster Kyle Pitts with legitimate blocking ability” rattle around in my brain, and then I can’t stand up for a few minutes.

Eli Stowers, TE: Another tight end that left Indianapolis with a little more juice. Stowers probably doesn’t have the same vaulted ceiling as Sadiq, but sometimes it’s just nice to have a roof that doesn’t leak. Think Cole Kmet to Sadiq’s Colston Loveland. That alone could get him into the back of the 1st round in Tight End Premium leagues.

Mike Washington Jr., RB: Do you like your running backs big? Do you like them fast? Obviously, you do! (“No, I like them small and slow”, you say sarcastically, dreaming of the day you meet me in person so you can yank my underpants over my head.) Washington not only crushed the 40, but he also put up one of the best all-around Combine performances a running back has ever mustered. You’ll find me drafting him as high as the 1.08 because, once again, this is a strange draft class. And in that range, we need to look for size+speed outliers.

Ja’Kobi Lane, WR: Lane showed there might be more depth to this receiver class than many believed. He satisfied testing nerds with a top 3% all-time RAS score while also putting a pause-worthy catch adjustment on film during drills.

Ted Hurst, WR: If you liked Tory Horton last offseason, you’re going to love Ted Hurst. If he secures Day 2 draft capital and a less-crowded depth chart, I have a feeling you won’t be able to grab him in the 3rd round of your rookie draft.

THE KEY TAKEAWAY: A lot of incoming rookies who were just vague outlines of football players got shaded in with some important detailing. And while not every rookie pick increased in value, plenty of them did. It’s an important reminder that no matter how weak a draft class looks a year in advance, it’s usually beneficial to trade your picks as close to your actual rookie draft as possible.

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