Tue Mar 3rd 2026

Post-Combine Rookie-Rankings Risers

• Sadiq has moved up from 11th to 6th in my rookie rankings.
• Tight end is one of the positions where athletic testing matters most, and Sadiq dominated the field at the Combine. He ran the fastest 40 (4.39), had the second-highest vertical jump (43.5”), the second-longest broad jump (11’ 1”), and the second-most bench presses (26). He tested as the top tight end in the class and one of the top in the history of the Combine. He was already sure to get drafted in the first round, but his Combine performance makes him more likely to get drafted in the first ten to 15 picks of the first round. He’ll start for his NFL team immediately and join the ranks of the recent rookie tight ends to make immediate impacts on dynasty rosters. In a class with a lot of question marks, even in the first round of rookie drafts, Sadiq is a can’t-fail prospect.

KC Concepcion

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• Concepcion has moved up from 13th to 7th in my rookie rankings.
• Concepcion did not test at the Combine, but he’s steadily moved up my rankings as I have studied him more and as his projected draft capital has increased. I was pleased to see him measure in at 6’0” and 196 lbs. I expected him to be smaller than that. What has changed my mind most in recent weeks is his route-running and separation. I first saw him as more of a gadget guy, but now I realize he’s a more complete receiver. I expect an NFL team to use him as an every-down receiver. He’s predicted to get drafted at the back of the first round, and his draft capital demands that I move him up my rankings since draft capital is such a significant predictor of success for receivers in dynasty leagues.  

Omar Cooper

• Cooper has moved up from 30th to 13th in my rookie rankings.
• I moved Cooper up my rankings significantly since he, too, is receiving first-round buzz in recent weeks. Daniel Jeremiah has moved him into his top 50 prospects. He’s the 19th-ranked player in the class. Jeremiah is much smarter than I am, and he’s well-connected with NFL GMs and teams. I can’t argue with that. I’m still unwilling to draft him in the first round of rookie drafts, though I am sure he will be drafted in the first round if he is a late first-round or early second-round pick in the NFL draft.  His three-star recruiting profile, late-career breakout, and limited passing tree raise too many questions for me, though he is an excellent runner after the catch. I could see him becoming a good NFL player, but never an excellent player worthy of starting in dynasty lineups. I’ve moved him up my rankings in line with his rising draft capital, but I won’t draft him as high as other dynasty managers will.

Max Klare

• Klare has moved up from 23rd to 15th in my rookie rankings.
• Klare was one of my favorite tight ends to watch on film. When I first ranked him, I only watched his Ohio State tape. Some of the scouts I read and listen to recommend watching his Purdue tape from 2024, when he was the team's leading receiver. That stat and tape made me love him even more. He was already my second-ranked tight end in the class, but over the last month, he’s moved up even more in my rankings as other scouts and analysts I trust have also spoken highly of him. It’s always encouraging to have your opinions confirmed by the professionals who earn their living grading players. Klare did not test at the Combine, but he’s still my second-ranked tight end, even though other tight ends performed well at the Combine. Klare is a complete tight end who can block well, compared to the next riser on my list, who crushed it at the Combine but can only play as a move tight end.

Eli Stowers

• Stowers has moved up from 25th to 19th in my rookie rankings.
• If Sadiq stole the show at the Combine, Stowers was right behind him. In fact, he was ahead of Sadiq in the vertical jump (2 inches higher) and broad jump (two inches longer). He was second behind Sadiq in the 40 with a time of 4.51. Even so, my concerns about Stowers remain, as he has not played tight end long and does not block well. His role will be limited to the passing game, which means he will not see the field as often. I even heard one scout this week say an NFL team was trying to move him to wide receiver. Those concerns mean someone in my dynasty leagues will draft him ahead of me, even though I moved him up my ranking after the Combine. He’s predicted to get drafted as the second tight end after Sadiq and just ahead of Klare, but I would prefer to have Klare on my dynasty roster even if his draft capital is a little lower than Stowers.

Mike Washington

• Washington has moved up from 27th to 22nd in my rookie rankings.
• Washington has slowly moved up my rookie rankings, as NFL scouts I follow have consistently talked about him as a riser.  His incredible Combine was the icing on the cake, making Washington a certain day-two pick in the NFL draft now. Washington was the top running back in athletic scoring with a 4.33 40-yard dash (1st), 39” vertical jump (2nd), and 10’8” broad jump (2nd). Still, Washington’s five-year collegiate career at Buffalo, New Mexico State, and Arkansas is a red flag for me, though his most productive year was his last at Arkansas. I moved him up after hearing more scouts who like him and after his amazing Combine, but I believe other dynasty managers will still like him more than I do. Draft capital and landing spot could change my opinion on him, though, before rookie drafts two months from now.

Bryce Lance

• Lance has moved up from 49th to 26th in my rookie rankings.
• Okay. I concede. After writing recently about how I rank Lance far lower than others, I have changed my mind. After a top-ranked Combine, I am willing to take a chance on a prospect who played for North Dakota State. Lance had the 5th fastest 40 time (4.34), 4th highest vertical (41.5), 3rd longest broad (11’1”), 2nd fastest shuttle (4.15), and 5th fastest 3-cone (7.0). He came to the Combine to prove himself, and he did just that, testing as the most athletic receiver in the class. What a showing! He’ll have a lot to prove in the NFL as the competition improves drastically, but he competed well with the big boys at the Combine. He still won’t get drafted until day three of the NFL draft, but an NFL team will be glad to take a chance on him, as will dynasty managers.

Deion Burks

• Burks has moved up from 54th to 33rd in my rookie rankings.
• The drumbeat for Burks has been growing in recent weeks, as several draft analysts and scouts I follow see him as a sleeper and riser in this class. Their confidence in Burks caused me to study him more and move him up my rankings. His second-highest athletic score among receivers at the Combine made me move him up even more. He had the 3rd fastest 40 (4.30), highest vertical (42.5), and 5th longest broad (10’11”). While his testing was fantastic and moved him up my rankings, I still suspect that others will rank him higher than I will. He played for five years in college, three at Purdue and two at Oklahoma, and his best season was when he had just 629 yards receiving. He also weighed in at just 180 lbs. He deserves to rise in rookie rankings, but not as far as others will move him  

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