• Buy or sell QB Anthony Richardson as a riser? Buy — Richardson put up historic athletic testing numbers and is a true riser in the pre-draft process.
• Buy or sell RB Bijan Robinson as a faller? Sell — Robinson didn't shatter the combine with insane numbers, but he was still every bit the top running back prospect we expect him to be.
• Buy or sell WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba as a riser? Sell — we already knew about Smith-Njigba's freaky athleticism. The only aspect of his game up for debate was his long speed, and he didn’t run the 40-yard dash.
Estimated Reading Time: 5 mins
By now you’ve likely read a handful of recap articles declaring some players as risers and fallers from their week in Indianapolis at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. Now we'll dive into whether we’re buying or selling that hype.
Here are eight 2023 NFL Draft prospects who have been labeled as big movers up and down draft boards and how we view their stock.
QB ANTHONY RICHARDSON, FLORIDA (RISER)
Buy or sell: Buy
I have to buy this. Some might say that Richardson didn’t really show anything at the combine that we didn’t already know. But, as I’ve said a few times this week, there’s a difference between showing you’re athletic and showing you’re historically athletic the way Richardson did. Even outside of his on-field performance, the vibe around Richardson after the combine week is that he’s in the conversation as a top-five pick. Some believed that before, but not as many as there are now. For that, he has to be a true riser.
RB BIJAN ROBINSON, TEXAS (FALLER)
Buy or sell: Sell
Robinson has been talked about as one of the best running back prospects we’ve seen since Saquon Barkley. So when he didn’t shatter the combine with his athletic testing, some seem disappointed. That should not be the case. His 4.46-second 40-yard dash, 37-inch vertical and 10-foot-7 broad were all totally fine for a player who is 5-foot-11 and 215 pounds. Plus, when we saw him carry the ball for the on-field drills, he reminded us how explosive yet smooth of a player he is. Don’t believe any sort of fall for Robinson.