The NFL Scouting Combine has come and gone, which means front offices across the league are back in their war rooms reshuffling their respective draft boards.
While several college stars look primed to thrive at the next level, others might face a steeper learning curve once Sundays roll around.
Our panel of experts cut through the noise to identify which prospects might struggle early in the NFL, and which late-round picks could end up outperforming their draft position.
Which former college standout do you think might struggle initially at the NFL level, and why?
Michael Cohen: Chris Brazzell II, WR, Tennessee
Chris Brazzell II of Tennessee participates in the 40-yard dash during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images)
A former three-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class, Brazzell spent his first two collegiate seasons at Tulane before transferring to Tennessee. He made a massive leap from his first year with the Volunteers in 2024 to his second in 2025, ultimately catching 62 passes for 1,017 yards and nine touchdowns to earn first-team All-SEC honors this past fall. But wide receivers who have played for head coach Josh Heupel at Tennessee, where the “deep-choice” offense is quite different than most NFL systems, aren’t enjoying much success at the next level. The four ex-Volunteer wideouts drafted since Heupel took over in 2021 — Velus Jones Jr., Cedric Tillman, Jalin Hyatt and Dont’e Thornton — combined to make just 36 receptions for 440 yards and two touchdowns last season.
RJ Young: Davison Igbinosun, WR, Ohio State
To call Igbinosun “handsy” in coverage is to liken an EF5 tornado to a stiff summer breeze off the Atlantic Ocean. In 2024, he was the most penalized corner in coverage in the Power 4 with 16 pass interference or holding calls made against him. In 2025, he was much more fundamentally sound and, at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, a tremendous addition in run coverage for the Buckeye defense. However, at the NFL level, where a 15-yard pass interference penalty is a spot foul and where he’s not such an asset in run defense, I expect Igbinosun will have an adjustment period where he will have to truly lean into technique. He will need to improve on getting his head around, drop his hips, and run with the receiver rather than reach for him.
Name a projected late-round pick you expect to exceed expectations in the NFL?
Young: Zachariah Branch, WR, Georgia
Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch (1) cuts to the outside. (Photo by Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Branch is the best burst wide receiver available in the upcoming NFL Draft. He demonstrated elite speed, running 4.36 seconds in the 40-yard dash, and has been as explosive as a stick of dynamite with the ball in his hands. The easy comparison to make for him is Tyreek Hill. At Georgia last season, Branch was a walking first down, recording 81 catches for 811 yards and six touchdowns. He has also proven himself to be an outstanding returner. In 2023, Branch’s true freshman season, he averaged 20.5 yards per punt return. He also returned a punt and kickoff for a TD in 2023.
Certain scouts and evaluators will surely ding Clark for his age (six years in college) and lack of traditional size (6-foot-1, 188 pounds) at the safety position. However, few defensive backs in this year’s draft had a better nose for the ball than he did. Clark intercepted at least three passes in four consecutive seasons for the Horned Frogs from 2022-25, finishing his career with 15 total picks and two defensive touchdowns. He also racked up 20 pass deflections during that span and ended his time at TCU by earning back-to-back second-team All-Big 12 honors the last two years. Clark tested very well at the NFL scouting combine by running the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds (seventh among safeties) and a 38-inch vertical leap (fifth among safeties) to reinforce his dual value as a potential core special teams player.
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