With the NFL Scouting Combine just a week away, this is a key time in the NFL Draft evaluation process. Over the next couple of weeks, NFL Draft prospects will undergo interviews, medical testing, on-field drills and, of course, athletic testing.

For NFL Draft analysts, such as myself, the athletic testing portion is the most valuable to the evaluation process. The wide receiver position is known for having some of the fastest and most explosive athletes on the field, making their athletic testing a must-watch event.

Having already evaluated most of the wide receivers who will be attending the Scouting Combine, I have an idea about their strengths as athletes. Based on that scouting and added research into some prospects’ previous athletic testing, I’ve predicted the top wide receivers for each athletic testing event. 

40-Yard Dash

1. Henry Ruggs III
2. Jalen Reagor
3. KJ Hamler

Honorable mentions: Tyrie Cleveland, Jeff Thomas, Devin Duvernay

Between Ruggs III, Reagor and Hamler, this draft class has three candidates to break the 4.29 barrier. All six of these prospects should run in the 4.3 range or faster.

KJ Hamler has rare explosiveness out of route breaks. Give him an inch and he’ll take a mile #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/V37bbsRXWv

— Brad Kelly (@CoachBKelly) February 6, 2020

Bench Press

1. Chase Claypool
2. Antonio Gandy-Golden
3. Michael Pittman Jr.

Honorable mentions: Devin Duvernay, Jauan Jennings, Kendrick Rogers

While this class doesn’t have many bigger-bodied wide receivers, the guys at the top have the potential to put up serious reps on the bench press. Claypool, at 229 pounds, could be the strongest at the position.

Three-Cone Drill

1. Lynn Bowden Jr.
2. Quartney Davis
3. KJ Hill

Honorable mention: Malcolm Perry, Aaron Fuller, Henry Ruggs III

Short-area quickness and flexibility will be the key to the three-cone, and Lynn Bowden’s natural cuts leads me to believe he’ll fly through his reps.

Ohio State WR K.J. Hill, recent @seniorbowl commit and the Buckeyes all-time leader in receptions, is predictably a polished and fluid route runner with soft hands. I love his route pacing and how naturally he can drop his hips to get out of breaks coming downhill. #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/SWyrqdo2us

— Brad Kelly (@CoachBKelly) December 30, 2019

20-Yard Shuttle

1. Jalen Reagor
2. KJ Hamler
3. Jerry Jeudy

Honorable mention: Malcolm Perry, Henry Ruggs III, Antonio Gibson

The “short shuttle” can be one of the more difficult events to predict, but the quicker receivers in the class typically are the ones who have explosiveness while being a bit shorter. This is where Jeudy could shine.

Vertical Jump

1. Henry Ruggs III
2. Jalen Reagor
3. Donovan Peoples-Jones

Honorable mention: Laviska Shenault, Denzel Mims, Isaiah Hodgins

I saw a clip of Ruggs III dunking a basketball that leads me to believe he might be able to touch the ceiling of Lucas Oil Stadium. I’ve seen a similar video of Peoples-Jones, and Reagor can allegedly power clean a house. This event could be the most competitive.

Henry Ruggs III playing basketball https://t.co/0E4CFISfSL

— NFL Clips (@NFLDraftVideos) February 18, 2020

Broad Jump

1. Collin Johnson
2. Tee Higgins
3. CeeDee Lamb

Honorable mention: Bryan Edwards, Lawrence Cager, Laviska Shenault Jr.

Height and being “high-cut” gives a prospect a natural advantage in this event, as well as being explosive enough to get necessary bounce out of the leap. This should be where Johnson makes his presence felt.