2024 NFL Combine Risers: Braden Fiske Electrifies, While Dallas Turner Confirms Potential

Day 1 of the NFL’s annual testing event in Indianapolis is in the books, with defensive linemen and linebackers taking to the field inside Lucas Oil Stadium. Who were some NFL Combine risers after the early action in what is billed as an “intense, four-day job interview” for prospects in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft?

Day 1 Risers at the 2024 NFL Combine

Percentile data is derived from Kent Lee Platte’s (@MathBomb on X — formerly Twitter) Relative Athletic Score, or RAS, system.

Braden Fiske, DT, Florida State

There was not a single defensive lineman who performed better than Braden Fiske at the NFL Combine. Not only did Fiske test as one of the most athletic DT prospects, but he also looked phenomenal in positional drills, exuding fast feet, efficient torquing capacity, and relentless energy.

At 6’4″, 292 pounds, Fiske ran a blazing 4.78 40-yard dash with a 1.69 10-yard split near the 93rd percentile, and he also logged a 33.5″ vertical and a 9’9″ broad jump — both position-best figures at DT. Additionally, his 4.37 short-shuttle time was two-hundredths of a second better than Aaron Donald’s.

Fiske is an unhinged ball of energy, and his combined athleticism and motor could win over NFL scouts — and potentially earn him a selection inside the top 50 of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama

We didn’t need any more confirmation that Dallas Turner was a freak athlete at the NFL Combine, but we got it anyway.

Turner measured in at 6’2 3/4″ and 247 pounds, with 34 3/8″ arms and near-10″ clubs for hands. And at that size, he jumped 40.5″ in the vertical, 10’7″ in the broad jump, and ran a 4.47 40-yard dash.

He’s a special talent. Don’t overthink it.

Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State

As expected, Chop Robinson tore up the Combine with his testing. His first step routinely obliterates blocking angles on tape, and at the NFL Combine, Robinson verified that instant explosiveness and speed with a 4.48 40-yard dash and a 10’8″ broad jump.

MORE: Top EDGEs in the 2024 NFL Draft

But testing was never going to be an issue for Robinson. The bigger story might be that he achieved these numbers while also weighing in at 254 pounds and measuring with passable 32 1/2″ arms.

Ruke Orhorhoro, DT, Clemson

Ruke Orhorhoro impressed in interviews upon arriving at the NFL Combine. And on Thursday, he sustained his impressive showing with a stellar performance in athletic testing and position drills.

At 6’4″, 294 pounds with 34″ arms, Orhorhoro’s size profile is very unique, but his elite athleticism — quantified by a 4.9 40-yard dash, a 32″ vertical, and a 9’8″ broad jump — helps facilitate his all-encompassing alignment versatility.

Cedric Johnson, EDGE, Ole Miss

Athleticism has always been the primary selling point for the profile of Ole Miss EDGE Cedric Gray. On Day 1 of NFL Combine testing, he reaffirmed that notion with very strong Combine metrics.

At a dense 6’3″, 260 pounds, Johnson ran a 4.64 40-yard dash with a 1.61 10-yard split and also logged a 38″ vertical, which led all defensive ends.

Beyond that, Johnson also cornered very well in the hoop drill, showing off the ankle flexion to sustain his speed on transitions.

Jalyx Hunt, EDGE, Houston Christian

At both the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine, all Jalyx Hunt needed to do was pique the interest of NFL teams. He did that in Mobile with his power rushes, and he compounded the momentum in Indianapolis.

At around 6’4″, 252 pounds, Hunt logged a 4.64 40-yard dash, a 37.5″ vertical, and a 10’8″ broad jump — the last of which rests above the 98th percentile. Hunt had the look of a superlative athlete against his FCS counterparts, and his numbers confirm that.

Edefuan Ulofoshio, LB, Washington

Even after playing six seasons at the collegiate level, Edefuan Ulofoshio entered the NFL Combine as a relative unknown across the media landscape. That’s now due to change after Ulofsohio put up eye-catching numbers across his testing.

At 6’0 1/2″ and 235 pounds, with near-33″ arms, Ulofoshio ran a 4.56 40-yard dash and showcased elite explosive capacity with a 39.5″ vertical. Medical concerns plagued Ulofoshio at times in college, but his experience and athletic gifts could serve him well.

Mekhi Wingo, DT, LSU

Wingo was one of the smallest defensive tackles present at the 2024 NFL Combine at 6’0″, 284 pounds, but he made up for it with his testing. Wingo ran a blazing 4.86 40-yard dash with a 1.67 10-yard split and also jumped 31.5″ on the vertical jump.

Wingo isn’t nearly as clean or as consistent as Calijah Kancey was as a prospect in the 2023 cycle, but looking purely at the physical foundation, Wingo brings the same kind of initial quickness and natural leverage. In the right scheme, he could thrive.

Myles Cole, EDGE, Texas Tech

A year after Texas Tech product Tyree Wilson caused NFL evaluators to swoon with his power profile, Myles Cole is having the same effect.

Cole is a simply overwhelming specimen, who measured in at 6’6″, 278 pounds. Not only did he log a 4.69 40-yard dash, a 35″ vertical, and a 10′ broad jump at that size, but his near-37″ arms would give him one of the longest reaches ever recorded by an NFL player.

Cole is still very raw from a technical standpoint, and he’s not nearly as flexible as Wilson was in the 2023 cycle. Nevertheless, Wilson’s vertical athleticism and displacement potential will earn him fans.

Eric Watts, EDGE, UConn

Similarly to Cole, Eric Watts also impressed at the NFL Combine with his composite power profile. Measuring near 6’6″, 274 pounds, with near-36″ arms, Watts ran a 4.68 40-yard dash and jumped 36.5″, logging one of the best vertical jump figures of the day.

Watts’ power was visible in glimpses at the Senior Bowl, and his numbers confirm the potential he possesses as that driving force.

Mohamed Kamara, EDGE, Colorado State

Weighing under 250 pounds, with arms just over 32″ long, may work against Mohamed Kamara and prevent him from breaking into the top 100. But for an undersized rusher, Kamara tested about as well as you’d want.

At his size, Kamara managed to record a 4.58 40-yard dash with a 1.58 10-yard split, and he also put up a 10’3″ broad jump in the 92nd percentile. Kamara, who accrued 13 sacks and 17 tackles for loss in 2023, profiles well as a brutal speed rusher with precise hands.

Brennan Jackson, EDGE, Washington State

The EDGE group as a whole tested very well at the 2024 NFL Combine, but a quiet winner was Washington State’s Brennan Jackson. Measuring in at 6’4″, 264 pounds, Jackson kept the same weight he carried in college, and he still managed to run a strong 4.7 40-yard dash, with a 1.62 10-yard split near the 90th percentile.

Jackson accumulated 14.5 sacks and 24.5 tackles for loss in his final two collegiate seasons. He’s a workmanlike pass rusher who now has the verified athleticism to buoy a respectable floor.

Kalen DeLoach, LB/S, Florida State

Kalen DeLoach’s size will naturally cause some uncertainty with his projection. At 5’11 1/2″, 210 pounds, he’s noticeably undersized for a linebacker and could function better as a hybrid big-nickel defender in the NFL. The good news is he has the athleticism to fill that hybrid role.

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On Thursday, DeLoach ran a 4.47 40-yard dash — tied for second place among all LBs — and looked incredibly smooth in the four-bag agility drill, with fast feet and no wasted movements.

All the 2024 NFL Draft resources you need — the draft order, the top QBs, the Top 100 prospects, and the full 2024 Big Board — right at your fingertips at Pro Football Network!