Offensive skill position players grabbed the spotlight Saturday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
And what has been considered a loaded running back class didn't disappoint at Lucas Oil Stadium, posting an average 40-time of 4.48 seconds, the fastest recorded by that position group since the NFL Network has been broadcasting the event starting in 2003.
"This group is delivering right now. It's an impressive group," said NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah. "This has been an awesome group. It's lived up to the buildup."
Virginia Tech's Bhayshel Tuten paced the group with an official time of 4.32 seconds in the 40-yard dash. He also recorded a 40.5-inch vertical jump to go along with a 10-foot, 10-inch broad jump.
But it was the 40 times that had everyone buzzing.
"We didn't have any outliers," Jeremiah said. "Everybody was just running in the 4.4s, one after another. Usually, you'll get a 4.8 thrown in there and we didn't have that."
"The running backs stole the show."
Those times came without some of the draft's best running backs – Boise State's Ashton Jenty, Tennessee's Dylan Sampson and Cam Skattebo of Arizona State – taking part in the 40.
Jenty, considered the top running back in this draft, while Sampson and Skattebo participated in some testing and drills but did not run because of injuries. They'll do so at their respective pro days.
"As a runner, I've never seen someone who wants and seeks out contact as much as he does," Jeremiah said of Skattebo. "I know he's not as tall as (former Steelers 2017 draft pick) James Conner, but he reminds me of James Conner coming out of Pitt."
While Tuten ran his extremely fast 40 at 206 pounds, perhaps even more impressive were the efforts of Ohio State's Quinshon Judkins and Omarion Hampton of North Carolina.
Both weighed 221 pounds.
Judkins posted a 40-time of 4.48 seconds, while Hampton was slightly better at 4.46 seconds.
"Judkins is thirsty for contact. He seeks it out," Jeremiah said. "Judkins is a finisher. Penn State game, last four minutes, he put that one in the refrigerator."
Judkins also posted a 38.5-inch vertical jump and an 11-foot broad jump that was the best of any running back at this combine.
Hampton, meanwhile, was at 38 inches in the vertical jump and 10-feet, 10-inches in the broad jump.
"That's impressive at 221 pounds. He is big and he is explosive," said Jeremiah, comparing him to New York Jets running back Breece Hall. "I don't think he gets into the second round where Breece Hall went. I would be shocked if he gets into the second round."
All told, 14 running backs posted official times in the 40-yard dash under 4.5 seconds.
Straight-line speed isn't everything when it comes to running the ball. Other things such as vision and balance also factor into the equation.
But this draft looks to be loaded at the position.
"It's going to be interesting to see if there's a game of chicken that's going to be played," Jeremiah said of what will happen in the draft. "I think you're going to see starters in the fourth and fifth rounds. Day 2 is the sweet spot."
QBs step up: A number of quarterbacks did not run or throw at the combine and won't until their pro days – either because of personal choice or injury.
Among those were Cam Ward of Miami (Fla.) and Shedeur Sanders of Colorado, considered by many to be the top two quarterbacks in this draft.
Only two quarterbacks – Brady Cook of Missouri and Seth Henigan of Memphis – actually chose to run 40s in the first group. Louisville's Tanner Shough was the only QB to run in the late session.
But Mississippi's Jaxson Dart, Ohio State's Will Howard, Dillon Gabriel of Oregon, Alabama's Jalen Milroe and Shough were among those who competed in the throwing drills Saturday.
All are considered potential starters down the road in the NFL.
"I think there's a good clump of those guys," Jeremiah said. "Jaxson Dart is in that mix. Will Howard is in that mix. Tanner Shough is in that mix. And I think Dillon Gabriel could be a guy in the right system to be that guy."
Jeremiah currently has Dart as his third quarterback in this year's draft class.
"With Jaxson Dart, the comparison I had the other day that took people off guard was Jalen Hurts, just in terms of the build, how the ball comes out of their hand, guys that have just gotten better every year," Jeremiah said. "Jaxson Dart was successful running the ball in the SEC. He's very athletic."
Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner described the group as good but not great.
"I see a lot of really good quarterbacks, productive quarterbacks. But I don't know if we have the 'Wow!' players in this group," Warner said. "Which was the better thrower of this group? That's what I like about this competition. … I want to see, do they put the right pace on all of the different throws?"
Shough, at nearly 6-foot-5 and 219 pounds, showed off his athleticism, running a 4.64 40-yard dash.
"He is big and he has a strong arm," Jeremiah said of Shough. "Watch him and you'll see some strong throws. He can really, really let it rip."
No record breaker: Friday, Texas wide receiver Isaiah Bond said he would break the combine record 40-yard dash of former teammate Xavier Worthy set in 2024.
Worthy ran a 4.21-second 40-yard dash at Indianapolis last year.
"I'm going to break the record, for sure," Bond said Friday. "I anticipate running 4.20 or possibly, if I'm feeling great, I might run 4.1."
His confidence didn't match the reality, as Bond was timed at 4.39 seconds in the 40.
In fact, he wasn't even the fastest Texas receiver at the combine. Teammate Matthew Golden ran an official 4.29-second 40-yard dash T 5-11 ⅛ and 191 pounds running in the same early group of wide receivers.
Golden is considered a potential first-round prospect and Jeremiah compared him to former Steelers WR Santonio Holmes.
"He's one of my favorites to watch for a number of reasons," Jeremiah said. "He's just really crisp. He just snaps everything off."
Golden's time was the second-fastest for a wide receiver weighing at least 190 pounds since 2003.
Tennessee's Donte Thornton Jr. nearly matched him at 6-4 ½ and 205 pounds, but was officially timed at 4.30 seconds.
Overall, it was one of the fastest groups of wide receivers in combine history, as 10 players posted times of sub-4.40 seconds, the most since the NFL Network began tracking it in 2003.
Faulkner runs the drill: Steelers running backs coach Eddie Faulkner is known for incorporating a lot of drill work with his position at practices.
Saturday, he ran the running backs group through a drill named after former Steelers running back Duce Staley, getting an up-close look at this group.
The drill is a footwork drill combined with a vision approach, as runners go forward, backward and side to side stepping over pads on the field. They then explode toward three big bags held by coaches who lean the pads one way or another to simulate a block.
The runners must then read the block correctly and cut off of that.
Lean and mean: Plenty of players drop weight for the combine but Iowa running back Caleb Johnson drew raves from Jeremiah for dropping down to 224 pounds.
Johnson played as high as 240 pounds for the Hawkeyes.
He posted a 4.57-second 40-yard dash and looked smooth in the drills.
"He is lean, for somebody who is 224 pounds," Jeremiah said. "He's carried 240 pounds on that frame. Find the right fit, get somewhere where they're going to let you run outside zone, one cut and go."
Heavy hitters: Many players decide to trim down for the Combine in an effort to run faster.
For others, who might have questions about what kind of weight they can hold – or if they're too small – try to put on some weight.
Ohio State quarterback Will Howard was the largest of the players in Indianapolis at that position, carrying 236 pounds on his 6-foot-4 ¼-inch frame.
Dylan Gabriel of Oregon was the smallest QB at 5-foot-11 ⅛ and 205 pounds.
At running back, Clemson's Phil Mafeh weighed 234 pounds at 6-0 ⅝. The lightest running back was Delaware's Marcus Yarns at 5-10 ⅞ and 193 pounds.
At wide receiver, Oregon's Tez Johnson weighed in at a very light 154 pounds, making him the lightest player at the Combine at any position.
Sitting this one out: Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke would have loved to have worked out at the Combine this week to perhaps improve his draft stock after leading the Hoosiers to the College Football Playoffs this season.
But it was revealed following the season that Rourke had torn his ACL over the summer and played through it. He also suffered a broken thumb during the season, but didn't miss a start.
Nobody is questioning Rourke's toughness.
"Back in July, I kind of tweaked it a little bit. I got an MRI. It was just partially torn," Rourke said of his ACL j,hnbmhinjury. "They said I might have some nagging discomfort throughout the season until I could rest after the season. So that's kind of what I went on. I had some instability issues, but I just wanted to play through it. I just wanted to make sure I could be available for every game. And it wasn't until after the season that I realized at some point from July to the end of the season that it fully tore. And so I was just happy that I was able to play through it."
As for the thumb issue, once he determined it wouldn't affect his ability to play, there was no doubt he was going to continue to do so.
"I was healthy enough to play, and that's all that mattered to me," Rourke said. "I wanted to make sure I gave it everything I had this year, especially being my last year. And if I was feeling great, I was going to play, no matter what was going on. So thanks to the whole training staff for helping me get through all my injuries. Yeah, I'm just happy after the season."
A transfer from Ohio, Rourke completed 69.4 percent of his passes for over 3,000 yards with 29 touchdown passes and 4 interceptions while leading Indiana to an 11-2 record. He said doctors have told him he could be ready to return to the field by training camp.
But he wouldn't trade an intact ACL for what he experienced last season.
"Just being able to go through the season with a new team, a new scheme, and just go play - it was an awesome experience," Rourke said. "That's the reason I transferred. I wanted to get that opportunity to play against the best competition and show that I belonged. Being able to do that with the team that we had was really special."
• Dale Lolley is co-host of "SNR Drive" on Steelers Nation Radio. Subscribe to the podcast here: Apple Podcast | iHeart Podcast Pittonline@iheartmedia.com
Uncovering gems: Entering the Senior Bowl, North Dakota State offensive lineman Grey Zabel was considered a mid-round prospect with position flexibility.
Coming out of a strong week of practices at the Senior Bowl, Zabel's name is one that has been rising among draft prognosticators.
"I've heard that a lot throughout this process. But going down to the Senior Bowl and competing well against top talent just goes to show that football is football," Zabel told reporters Saturday. "Everyone puts on the shoulder pads the same way. Everyone bleeds red. If you're a good football player, teams are going to find you, no matter where you played."
All the numbers: If you are searching for the in-depth numbers from the NFL Combine, the NFL has you covered. Be sure to check out the NFL Combine Next Gen Stats for all the details you want and then some.
Up Next: Offensive linemen take the field on Sunday in Indianapolis.
