2022-2024 SimNFL Draft: The Most Athletic Prospects to Enter the Draft

[Jambo]

*NOTE: this article uses combine stats only. The scale is out of 10 with 10 being the maximally athletic prospect in all facets. Scores are concentrated around the mean so the distribution can get pretty wide overall, the average player will concentrate around a 5/10.

 

Quarterbacks

1. Hiram Maronde, UCLA (2024) - 9.67

T-2. Xavier Means, Texas Tech (2024) - 9.42

T-2. Luke Trahan, TCU (2022) - 9.42

4. Kyle Higbee, USF (2023) - 9.16

5. Elijah Barea, Syracuse (2024) - 8.70

3 of the top 5 in this class! And no surprise, but all of the top 5 here are scramblers. There's been a lot of chatter about Maronde and whether he will go #1 overall to whether he will go in the first round at all, but there's no doubt he's the best athletic specimen we've seen at QB so far despite his 5'11 height and lanky frame, thanks to scoring at least 94th percentile in all combine drills for the position.

 

Runningbacks

1. Clayton McGee, Florida State (2024) - 9.23

2. Bruce Dawson, Tulsa (2022) - 9.03

3. Richard Bianchi, Hawaii (2024) - 8.90

4. Lorenzo Carr, Appalachian State (2024) - 8.48

5. Nick Pounders, North Carolina (2024) - 8.30

2024 is by far the most athletic RB class so far with 4 of the top 5 (6-8 are also 2024 backs). Good time to need a RB if you want to draft one. Bruce Dawson being so far ahead of anyone from the other two classes makes sense as well. McGee ran a 4.37 40 and has the fastest 3-cone for any offensive player in combine history at 6.52, tied with another 2024 player who will come up shortly.

 

Fullbacks

1. Ryan Johnson, Texas State (2022) - 9.35

2. Michael Elias, Oklahoma State (2024) - 9.07

3. Marcell Maysonet, Kansas (2024) - 7.41

4. Craig Crosby, Buffalo (2023) - 7.13

5. Brandon Travis, Miami (OH) (2024) - 6.76

The top two are by far in a league of their own. It's not even close. Johnson is just a bit twitchier and better at jumping while Elias has more straightline speed. Any other FB taken for any other purpose besides blocking with a high pick is probably a mistake.

 

Wide Receivers

1. Paul Canha, Alabama (2024) - 9.66

2. WR Logan Njoku, Miami (2024) - 9.02

3. WR Arden Ejiofior, Louisiana Tech (2024) - 8.61

4. Jakeem Erlin, Missouri (2023) - 8.47

5. Ronald Cimber, Miami (FL) (2024) - 8.40

By far the most athletic WR in combine history is Paul Canha, who has shot up draft boards despite having under 1,000 yards last year and is potentially a candidate to go #1 overall. He set the WR records for 40-yard dash, short shuttle, and 3-cone at this edition of the combine.

 

Tight Ends

1. Don Scott, Temple (2023) - 9.87

2. Ramik Phelps, Virginia (2023) - 9.11

3. Mike Urias, South Alabama (2024) - 8.89

4. Hakeem Judd, Texas State (2024) - 8.81

5. Alex Atkins, Kansas (2024) - 8.19

A non-2024 player finally tops a position list as #2 overall pick last year Don Scott is the clear-cut top TE prospect so far from an athletic standpoint. With his only real weak point being a relatively slow 40-yard dash (only 89th percentile), Scott's imposing 6'6 238 frame along with record agility scores at TE and near record scores at jumping make him an all-around threat that has yet to be equaled.

 

Offensive Tackles

1. DaVonte Logan, Michigan (2024) - 9.24

2. Jeimer Valera, Houston (2023) - 8.97

3. Rubby Stewart, Kentucky (2023) - 8.90

4. Elijhaa Raider, Illinois (2022) - 8.60

5. Burch Ramos, California (2024) - 8.55

The most diverse list so far among draft classes, the two 2024 representatives are both relatively unheralded prospects in this year's class. Logan scores top marks amongst all tackles ever thanks to great agility scores, including the best ever 3-cone, and along with an above average frame and great jumping scores.

 

Offensive Guards

1. Justin Cooper, Troy (2024) - 9.45

2. Alex Hitchens, Arkansas (2024) - 8.81

3. John Massie, Army (2024) - 8.66

4. Jarrett Liddi, Arizona (2024) - 8.58

5. Jacob Grant, Illinois (2023) - 8.46

The offensive line seems to be home to 2024 having the most athletic guy ever be a random unheralded player, as Troy's Justin Cooper tops the list here by far. He didn't overly excel in any one stat except the 40-yard dash where he was 98th percentile, but despite his smaller frame, scoring above 90th percentile in every drill, compared to every single other OG who was 75th or below in at least one, shoots him to the top of this list.

 

Centers

1. Jorge Jacobs, Wake Forest (2024) - 9.26

2. Ruben Shazier, Alabama (2024) - 9.03

3. Noah Prater, Tennessee (2023) - 8.70

4. Edward Colon, UTSA (2024) - 8.06

5. Trayvon Wadley, Purdue (2024) - 7.27

Yet another relatively unheralded prospect, although the most heralded among the top OL listed so far, Jacobs beat the combine record for 40-yard dash among centers by 0.16 seconds. With great strength and size for the position he marks out as the top center ever.

 

Defensive Ends

T-1. Tommy Marimon, Ohio State (2022) - 9.30

T-1. Michael Dyson, Northern Illinois (2022) - 9.30

3. Ty Bogdanovic, Indiana (2024) - 8.62

4. Vince Gresham, Oregon State (2024) - 8.55

5. Alex Taijeron, Florida State (2023) - 8.49

2022 player topping the list? 2 of them?! Both of these guys came out as very well rounded overall athletes, but Marimon especially excelled at agility while Dyson was a better all-around athlete. Both also have great frames for the position, if a little bit lighter than desired. Still, nice to see a pretty balanced list with 2022 dominating for once.

 

Defensive Tackles

1. Marcus Sirles, Alabama (2023) - 9.46

2. Logan Lopez, Houston (2024) - 9.35

3. Caleb Suarez, Missouri (2023) - 9.12

4. Andres Reavis, Mississippi State (2023) - 7.80

5. Alejandro Rua, Louisville (2023) - 7.71

An absolutely stacked top 3 here with 2023 dominating the list. These combine results were prior to the discovery of the SimNFL scandal, where it was discovered that every single 2023 DT was taking a new steroid known as "5% Boost," so perhaps take some of those results with a grain of salt. Still, Houston's Logan Lopez is in great company athletically on this list.

 

Outside Linebackers

1. Jourdan Conner, Oregon State (2024) - 9.12

2. Mark Soto, UNLV (2022) - 8.88

3. Sebastian Amichia, Arizona (2024) - 8.81

4. Ja'Wuan Gray, California (2024) - 8.57

5. Michael Garrett, Syracuse (2023) - 8.37

A nice balanced list with all archetypes represented. Conner rockets to the top of the list thanks to an insane 4.32 40 yard dash but gets knocked down a bit for only being 218 pounds soaking wet and having a bit of a relative disappointment in the agility drills.

 

Inside Linebackers

1. Kenny Daniel, Wake Forest (2024) - 9.28

2. Ryan Hicks, Kansas State (2023) - 8.92

3. Ali Sandoval, Minnesota (2024) - 8.72

4. Jehu Ginn, Baylor (2022) - 8.61

5. Ola Cunningham, Western Kentucky (2023) - 8.47

Feels good to see an actual top prospect at the top of one of these lists for once. Daniel tore it up at Wake and tore it up at the combine, excelling at everything except the 3-cone drill. This is why he's a lock to be a top 10 pick in the upcoming draft despite the positional value of linebackers.

 

Cornerbacks

1. Connor Hardison, USC (2024) - 9.37

2. Patrick Hikutini, Hawaii (2022) - 9.00

3. Austin Bledsoe, Syracuse (2023) - 8.62

4. Riley Correa, Miami (FL) (2024) - 8.42

5. Amara Rodriguez, Fresno State (2022) - 8.35

I'm loving seeing all the lists balanced across classes on defense, but 2024 tops the list once again with national champion Hardison at the top of it by far. Hardison didn't set records in any one drill but he was 98th percentile in half of them and above 91st in the other two, which makes up for his relatively below average size.

 

Free Safeties

1. Zach Trawick, TCU (2023) - 9.02

T-2. Ramon Fry, SMU (2023) - 8.52

T-2. Mike Barr, Oklahoma (2024) - 8.52

4. Sergio Collins, Houston (2023) - 8.37

5. Jacob Carlin, Louisiana-Lafayette (2023) - 8.14

2023 was considered a great FS class at the time, with 4 going in the first round, and the last of those to go in that first round tops the list here by far. Trawick had only a 68th percentile bench but his top of the line agility, jumping, and height catapult him to the top of the list.

 

Strong Safeties

1. Matt Bass, Arkansas (2022) - 8.56

2. Garrett Smith, Baylor (2024) - 8.45

3. Darren Johnson, Wake Forest (2022) - 8.05

T-4. Ryan Reininger, Oklahoma State (2022) - 7.76

T-4. Justin Ramirez, LSU (2024) - 7.76

No one at strong safety stands out overly much, with Bass's 8.56 being the only sub-9 score to top any of the lists so far and his below-average 3-cone being the only below-average drill result of any player to top a list. Still, his great straight line speed, strength, and jumping put him just barely over 2024 top prospect Garrett Smith here.

 

Kicker and Punter

1. K Ike Tauchman, Florida State (2024) - 8.42

2. K Josh Nelson, Pittsburgh (2023) - 8.25

3. P Anthony Upton, Missouri (2022) - 7.33

4. K Jameill Lopez, Arizona State (2022) - 7.25

5. K Ronald Baker, Notre Dame (2024) - 6.92

I combine these two positions because literally only 5 punters have ever gotten a combine invite. Shoutout to Upton for making it on this list despite being a C- overall. Tauchman is the best special teamer to come out so far thanks to the best agility scores and a good 40-time to go with the best ever height-weight (well, tied, but still). Good to see the top 2 kickers this year both on this list.

[kgreene829]

Nice to see some Alex Taijeron love

[Rocketcan]

Where would one get this "5% boost"? Asking for a friend...