When people think about the NFL Scouting Combine, they usually think about how big testing numbers can drastically improve a prospect's NFL draft status. However, it is just as likely that a poor performance at the Scouting Combine will hurt a player's chance of getting drafted as high as he wants.
The NFL is filled with the biggest, fastest, strongest, and best athletes in the world, and the NFL Scouting Combine is the best time during the pre-draft process to truly find out about a prospect's athletic makeup. If a player lacks the athletic traits desired at the Scouting Combine, there is a good chance they will struggle to perform at the NFL level. While that isn't always the case, talent evaluators have learned to lean on the side of elite rather than poor athleticism.
The 2024 NFL Scouting Combine is just around the corner, so here we will look at the worst testing scores in the history of the event.
Worst 40-yard dash
Isaiah Thompson (2011): 6.06 seconds
Isaiah Thompson was 6-foot-4 and 300 pounds, so it made sense that the Houston offensive lineman wasn't going to set any records in the 40-yard dash. Still, most linemen run the event in less than five and a half seconds, if not faster. Thompson's sprint speed was an outlier with how slow it was recorded, and that clearly scared teams off, as he ended up going undrafted in 2011.
Speed isn't the most important trait for offensive linemen, but it is still a skill they need to be decent at. Linemen often have to move quickly to the second level to block for their running backs, or they have to move in the open field on screen plays. Speed is especially needed in zone blocking schemes. It was clear that Thompson didn't have the speed to contribute at the NFL level, and he never ended up playing a down in the league.
Worst bench press
Fred Smoot (2001): 1 rep
Football players are known as some of the strongest players in the sports world, and benching 225 pounds isn't all that much for most of them.
Mississippi State cornerback Fred Smoot impacted the game in ways outside of strength, though, and he is a prime example of how some players are simply gamers, even if they perform poorly at the 2001 NFL Scouting Combine.
Smoot only recorded one rep on the bench at 225 pounds, but the Washington Redskins were willing to look past this because they knew he knew how to play football. They were proven right, after they took him in the second round. Smoot went on to play nine years in the NFL, all but two of which were with Washington.
Worst vertical jump
Josue Matias (2015): 17.5 inches
Unless you are a receiver or defensive back, leaping ability isn't a super important trait in the NFL. Still, it is a good indication of athleticism.
Josue Matias was an offensive guard out of Florida State, and scouts clearly did use his NFL Scouting Combine-worst 17.5-inch vertical jump against him, as he went undrafted in 2015. Matias was given a chance by the Tennessee Titans, but he only stuck around in the league for one season before he was off to the Canadian Football League.
Worst broad jump
Stefon Wheeler (2006): 74 inches
Michigan State offensive tackle Stefon Wheeler put up one of the worst performances at the NFL Scouting Combine ever in 2006, and this was illustrated by his all-time worst broad jump number. Wheeler only jumped 74 inches, which is less than half of Byron Jones' NFL Scouting Combine and world record in the event.
Wheeler was undrafted and signed with the New Orleans Saints but never played a game. He did play in NFL Europe and the CFL. He is now the O-line coach at Yale.
Worst 20-yard shuttle
Isaiah Thompson (2011): 5.56 seconds
Speed, agility, and acceleration were clearly all not strengths for Isaiah Thompson. Not only does he have the worst 40-yard dash time ever, but he also has the slowest time in the 20-yard shuttle.
Worst Wonderlic test score
Morris Claiborne (2012): 4
The Wonderlic is not a physical test but instead a mental one. Many view the Wonderlic to be outdated and unnecessary for NFL testing, but the league tests their prospects with it nonetheless. There have been plenty of elite NFL players who thrived despite a poor score in the Wonderlic. Morris Claiborne proved that and is a prime example of why many think the Wonderlic isn't necessary.
The LSU cornerback scored a four on the test, which is tied with Darren Davis for the worst ever. A learning disability likely contributed to this, but Claiborne was an absolute baller. The Dallas Cowboys still made him the sixth overall pick in 2012, and Claiborne became one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.
Lightest player
J.J. Nelson (2015): 156 pounds
Most NFL Scouting Combine data wasn't tracked until 2006, so we give the edge to UAB wide receiver J.J. Nelson as the lightest player in the event's history. Although, it has been reported that Aaron Locket only weighed 155 pounds in 2002. The 156-pound Nelson was an extremely fast receiver, so he could outrun a lot of oncoming tacklers.
However, with such a slight frame, injuries become a major concern. The Arizona Cardinals still took Nelson in the fifth round, and he ended up with 85 receptions over his five-year career.
Heaviest player
Daniel Faalele (2022): 384 pounds
The NFL is all about size, especially in the trenches. That made Minnesota's Daniel Faalele intriguing enough as a prospect for the Baltimore Ravens (who like big offensive linemen) to take him in the fourth round. At 384 pounds, Faalele weighed 15 pounds more than the next biggest prospect in NFL Scouting Combine history.
However, there is also such a thing as too big. Faalele's size means he isn't great in other areas, like when it comes to movement skills. Additionally, Faalele is 6-foot-8, which makes it hard for the big man to get leverage.
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