Bell: Three NFL Combine Storylines to Keep an Eye on

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Bell: Three NFL Combine Storylines to Keep an Eye on

Derrick Bell · Steelers Now

Mon, Feb 23, 2026 ·

5 min read

Round One Wild Card

For my money, the position player with the widest range of outcomes on draft weekend is Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy . His 2024 tape showcased a robust skill set as someone that can stay sticky in press man assignments and play with vision and drive on throws from off-coverage while holding his own as a run defender. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL in January of 2025 and wasn't able to make it back for the regular season. He's not a fully finished product; his technique at the line of scrimmage could be cleaner, and there are times when he doesn't get his eyes back to the ball on sideline shots.

But this kid has some real athletic traits at his disposal and was one of the best coverage specialists in the country at 19 years old. That's rare stuff. What's currently clouding his evaluation is that we haven't seen him do literally anything in over a calendar year. In an ideal world, we would get some testing numbers to verify that his athleticism is all the way back to form, although going through individual drills might be enough to ease the minds of evaluators looking for peace of mind. Pittsburgh hasn't been scared away from players with medical red flags in recent years (think: Darnell Washington & Troy Fautanu ), and they could be the beneficiaries again in this scenario.

Finalizing the Receiver Tiers

Wide receiver is rightfully considered one of the strengths of the class, with a pair of the consensus top prospects having some major questions to answer in Indianapolis . Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson has battled injuries (ACL/collarbone/hamstring) throughout his collegiate career, so medicals are likely going to play a massive role in his evaluation. Makai Lemon has been dominant in back-to-back seasons at USC, but his less than ideal measurables are a natural talking point. He's not a burner; I thought he looked a smidge more explosive in 2024, which makes me curious about his 40-yard dash time. Ohio State's Carnell Tate was one of the most improved prospects in the country and enters the week with the fewest amount of glaring red flags.

The top playmakers are all vastly different stylistically, but the NFL Combine should help provide some clarity on the specific tiers. That extends beyond the big three. It's a relatively weak class near the top, and I'm guessing most teams will end the process with around 15 or fewer first-round grades. Because of that, it will naturally prop up the likes of Texas A&M's KC Conception , Washington's Denzel Boston, and Omar Cooper of Indiana because this is a premium position in the league. As for the Steelers, they desperately need to rework the receiver room in order for Mike McCarthy 's offense to succeed, whether in the form of a first-round target and/or double dipping later in the process.

A Second Quarterback Worth Getting Excited About?

We know that Indiana's Fernando Mendoza is locked into the number one overall pick, so the question shifts to when the next couple of signal callers come off the board. I'm curious about Alabama's Ty Simpson's official weigh-in because his frame looks pretty slight, and that's notable after his body couldn't hold up through his lone starting season in the SEC. Having said that, he's still the QB2 favorite as of today. A lot of NFL teams like to put these guys on the whiteboard to test their recall and football IQ, and that's somewhere that LSU QB Garrett Nuessmeier should shine as he looks to rebuild his stock following a disappointing senior season.

Cole Payton from North Dakota State seems to be the new flavor of the month and has been gaining some steam on Twitter lately. Both he and Arkansas dual threat Taylen Green are day three developmental prospects that should test extraordinarily well for this position. Last April, we saw three passers come off the board in the first 40 picks despite it being a much-maligned class in real time. After next week's buzz, we should have a better understanding of how the league views these guys. With or without Aaron Rodgers back in town, they'll be open to adding another arm to the equation, but figuring out which player in what range will be the hard part.

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