Eagles draft: Four takeaways from the NFL Scouting Combine, headlined by Nolan Smith and Anthony Richardson

INDIANAPOLIS — Four days of media interviews and four days of on-field testing are behind us as the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine comes to a close with offensive linemen and running backs testing on Sunday afternoon.

With all 32 teams represented and several coaches and general managers taking to the podium to talk, including Eagles coach Nick Sirianni and general manager Howie Roseman, the 2023 draft class is officially on the forefront of the NFL offseason.

As the focus shifts to the free-agency period next week, here are four takeaways from a busy week in Indianapolis, from the depth of positions in the class to players who lit up the combine with their rare athleticism.

The most anticipated testing day was Saturday’s sessions that featured quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends. With three of the four top quarterbacks deciding to throw in front of NFL personnel, the buzz only grew following their performances.

Athletically, Florida’s Anthony Richardson nearly broke the internet when he ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash at 6-4, 244 pounds, along with jumping 40.5-inch vertical. Although a work in progress as a passer, the ball flies off his hand. He also showed why he is the best natural arm talent in the draft, dazzling fans and NFL personnel with his deep ball power. The buzz around him heightened after his performance.

Ohio State’s CJ Stroud showed he was the most accurate and poised quarterback of the ones who threw, placing the ball where he wanted nearly every throw and showing great touch on deep passes. He didn’t test physically but he proved how smooth and consistent he is as a passer, which should hold his status as a top-five pick.

Kentucky’s Will Levis’s arm talent was on display, but the timing routes throwing across his body gave him issues. He didn’t run the 40 but posted a 34-inch vertical, displaying his ability to hit routes over the middle of the field proficiently. His performance didn’t hurt his stock.

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All eyes were on how potential top pick Will Anderson from Alabama would test in the defensive line and linebackers group, but Georgia’s Nolan Smith captured all of the buzz after his dominant athletic testing. With his stock ranging from first-round buzz to late second round, Smith solidified himself as a player who should go in the top half of the first round, becoming the heaviest player at 238 pounds to run a sub 4.4-second 40 after running a 4.39 and jumping a 41.5-inch vertical.

His 1.52-second 10-yard split was also impressive, showing his elite burst and quickness after missing the final six games of his season with a torn pec muscle. After proving he was healthy and unlike any player in this draft, Smith will join Tyree Wilson, Anderson, and Myles Murphy as edge defenders who could all come off the board within the top 15 picks. NFL Next Gen Stats even likened Smith’s testing to Eagles star edge rusher Hasson Reddick.

The clear three top defensive backs heading into the week were Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez, Penn State’s Joey Porter Jr., and Illinois’ Devon Witherspoon. Due to injury, Witherspoon didn’t participate in the combine, and spoke to the media late in the day, giving way to allow Porter and Gonzalez to showcase their confidence at their respective podiums.

Both tested well, with Gonzalez running a 4.38 40 dash, Porter an impressive 4.47 at his size. There were other impressive performances, including Kansas State’s Julius Brents, who we mentioned as a standout during the early week Senior Bowl recaps last month.

» READ MORE: DBs Christian Gonzalez and Joey Porter Jr. exude confidence at the NFL combine. Will the Eagles draft one?

Brents, who measured in at 6-3, 198, with 34-inch arms, jumped a vertical of 41.5 inches with an elite 6.63 3-cone drill, along with running a 4.53 40 at his size. He was one of several players who impressed athletically, including Georgia’s Kelee Ringo, who ran a 4.36 40 and Michigan’s D.J. Turner, who ran the fastest time of all defensive backs with a 4.26 40.

With the diversity of body types and athleticism at the top, all the way into 12 or 13 names, the class in general is deep, a good sign for the Eagles if they don’t select a defensive back with their two first-round picks.

The tackle and tight end classes flew under the radar as a whole. At the top of the tackle class sit Northwestern Peter Skoronski, Ohio State’s Paris Johnson, and Georgia’s Broderick Jones, all left tackles who impressed at both the media interviews and on the field during testing.

Georgia’s Jones led the offensive line group Sunday with a 4.97 40, Skoronski had second-highest vertical of the group at 34.5 inches, and all three dazzled during their on-field drills as well. The top performer of the day, Blake Freeland of BYU, has swing tackle upside, after jumping a combine record 37-inch vertical, 4.98 40 and a 10-foot broad jump.

Ohio State’s Dawand Jones and Tennessee’s Darnell Wright, both right tackles, tested well at their respective sizes, matching what they showed on their game tape. With the Eagles potentially looking toward the future as Lane Johnson enters the final stages of his career, drafting a tackle this year may be worth the talent the class has to offer.

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Most people have Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer or Utah’s Dalton Kincaid as the top tight end in this class, but two other players stole the show with their size and athleticism.

Georgia’s Darnell Wright and Old Dominion’s Zack Kuntz posted some eye-popping testing numbers, with Kuntz running a 4.54 40 and jumping a 40-inch vertical at 6-7, 255. Washington, measuring in 6-7, 264, vines for arms (34 3/8 inches), ran a 4.64 40 and showcased his unique catch radius, finishing the day with a one-handed catch during the on-field drills.

With starter-level players who can be found on the second or third day of the draft, the Eagles have a chance to add a running mate for Dallas Goedert, that includes another player from South Dakota State, tight end Tucker Kraft, an expected midround pick in this class.

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