The NFL Scouting Combine doesn’t have quite the same participation that it had before the COVID pandemic, which was further illustrated last week. Several position groups were impacted by the number of players opting to test athletically at their pro days, which made for historically low testing numbers for all but one position group in Indianapolis.
But for those who did test, it was an opportunity to showcase their skill set in front of NFL personnel for the latest piece of the scouting puzzle. From an Eagles perspective, there were a few potential targets whose stock was impacted.
With free agency looming, here are some of the risers and fallers leaving the combine:
Risers
Chris Johnson, DB, San Diego State
The predraft process for Johnson has helped elevate his draft stock. Johnson, a sticky coverage player in man and zone coverages who also is competitive at the catch point, showed he was an elite athlete, too, with his athletic testing.
At the combine, Johnson ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dash, jumped a 38-inch vertical, leaped 10 feet, 6 inches in the broad jump, and tied for the most bench press reps among cornerbacks with 17. He interviewed well for NFL teams meeting with him in Indianapolis.
His predraft rise is similar to that of Quinyon Mitchell, a Group of Four player who continued checking boxes at every stop. Johnson won’t go as high as Mitchell did in 2024, but he has some late first-round buzz coming out of the combine.
Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia
Freeling, though he has just 16 career starts, feels like he is slipping from the Eagles’ range in the first round. His final game at Georgia, a College Football Playoff quarterfinal loss to Ole Miss, was the most complete performance of his career and he now seems unlikely to get out of the top half of the first round.
Freeling tied for the fourth-fastest 40-yard dash among offensive linemen at the combine (4.93 seconds), third-longest broad jump (9-7) and fifth-highest vertical (33.5 inches). He slipped a few times during the on-field drills but still looked like a natural athlete with light feet.
He is going as high as No. 6 overall to the Cleveland Browns in post-combine mock drafts, which indicates just how highly he is thought of in draft circles.
Omar Cooper, WR, Indiana
Cooper was a popular Day 2 draft pick for several teams before the combine, including the Eagles, but after hearing the buzz in Indianapolis about the Indiana wide receiver, it is becoming increasingly unlikely he makes it beyond Round 1.
Cooper only ran the 40-yard dash (4.46 seconds) and participated in the vertical jump (37 inches), but he has checked several boxes for NFL teams and has the skill set and production to match his speed.
Cooper played primarily in the slot in college, but his vertical catching ability and strong hands with defenders draped over him will translate. Even if the Eagles end up addressing wide receiver early, there’s a good possibility Cooper is off the board by the time they pick in the first round.
Fallers
Jermod McCoy, DB, Tennessee
When healthy, McCoy is one of the best defensive backs in this draft class, but he missed all of 2025 with a torn ACL and elected to skip the combine. Nailing down his draft stock has been difficult because teams are not sure if he is the same player, athletically, postinjury.
He falls on this list because of the questions surrounding his long-term health, as opposed to other first-round corners including LSU’s Mansoor Delane and Clemson’s Avieon Terrell.
Stash McCoy’s name in case he doesn’t test as well as expected during his pro day on March 31. The Eagles showed last year with Jihaad Campbell that they are willing to take a swing on a player who had injury concerns before the draft.
Lee Hunter, DT, Texas Tech
After a strong Senior Bowl performance, Hunter, a disruptive, run-stopping defensive tackle, was getting late first-round buzz and even appeared in our first mock draft of the cycle. But his subpar testing numbers may hinder him from going that early in the draft.
Hunter’s 40-yard dash time (5.18 seconds) was as expected for a player who is 6-3, 318 pounds, but jumping a 21.5-inch vertical and 8-4 broad isn’t a first-round athleticism profile. Coupled with his limited pass rushing ability, Hunter feels closer to a late second-round player rather than back end of the first.
Malachi Fields, WR, Notre Dame
Like Hunter, Fields was starting to get some late first round, early second round buzz after a standout week in Mobile, Ala., to begin the draft cycle. But even for a taller receiver (6-4, 218), he didn’t run as well as many expected in the 40-yard dash (4.61 seconds), though it’s not the end-all, be-all.
He did have some nice explosive jumps (38 inch vertical, 10-4 broad) along with an excellent three-cone time (6.98 seconds). But during on-field drills, he had some tightness in his hips when he tried to sink them while changing direction.
Fields still likely will get drafted on Day 2, could start early in his NFL career, and might be a nice option to replace A.J. Brown if the Eagles trade the star receiver. But it would be surprising to hear Fields’ name called in Round 1 in April.
Other notes
- Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor, a consistent riser during this process, met with the Eagles during the combine and had a strong testing performance on Sunday. He could be one of seven tackles drafted in the first round, along with Clemson tackle Blake Miller, with whom the Eagles also met in Indianapolis. Miller also had a strong testing day.
- Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman solidified himself as a first-rounder with elite testing at the combine and seems likely to be the second safety selected after Caleb Downs. His range starts in the late teens, with the Minnesota Vikings picking 18th. College teammate Kenyon Sadiq, the draft’s top tight end prospect, also seems to be trending up as a potential top-20 selection, which could be out of the Eagles’ range.
- Utah tackle Spencer Fano, who could be an Eagles draft target, showcased his snapping ability after position drills on Sunday, which could give him the versatility to play center, guard, or tackle. Teams like the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears, who lost their centers this offseason, could be in play for Fano if he doesn’t get drafted inside the top 15.
