These NFL Combine snubs at positions of Broncos need are worth knowing

The NFL Combine isn’t the be-all, end-all of pre-draft preparation — although it may seem like it given the build-up the league creates around it. Former Denver Broncos Pro Bowl running back and current Denver Sports/104.3 The Fan host Phillip Lindsay is just one prominent recent example of a player who passed beyond the Combine’s gaze, but still made it to the NFL and flourished.

But every year there are surprises among the omissions. And this year, there are three players at positions of Broncos need whose lack of a Combine invitation is curious, to say the least.

RB JACORY CROSKEY-MERRITT, ARIZONA

This Combine oversight can likely be chalked up to the eligibility snafu that ended Croskey-Merritt’s 2024 season after just one game with Arizona. He joined the Wildcats out of the transfer portal from New Mexico, where he had a dazzling 2023 campaign, rushing for 1,190 yards while averaging 6.3 yards per carry.

In Arizona’s season opener, Croskey-Merritt turned the tables on his former team, averaging 8.2 yards per carry as his new side dealt the Lobos a 61-39 defeat. But then came the questions. Croskey-Merritt thought that his 2019 season at Alabama State counted as a redshirt season, rather than a year of eligibility, which would have made 2024 the fifth season to which he was entitled thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. But statistical ledgers — including those posted at ESPN.com — show that he played in eight games.

It turned into what Croskey-Merritt called the biggest learning experience of his college years — albeit a painful one.

“I wish I could have redshirted,” he said last month. “It came back to bite me [in 2024]. I was looking to have a great senior year competing with the best … Redshirting my freshman year, I wish I would have known more about it.”

He didn’t play again until the East-West Shrine Bowl. And during that week, he showed no signs of rust, appearing to be the quickest and most dynamic running back on the field throughout the week.

“I’m just giving my blocks time to develop, and once I see the hole, I’m full speed from there on,” he said. “If I get a crease or anything, I’m going to take it. I’m going to run aggressive and I’m going to be hard to tackle.”

An important aspect of the practice work was to show his ability as a pass-catcher, something that was infrequent during his breakout 2023 season at New Mexico.

“It’s pretty natural for me,” he said.

His workload was reasonable — 598 touches over a college career that included parts of six seasons. There might be some concern about his age — he turns 24 in April, which will make him one of the older players in this year’s draft class. But the way he surged after stepping up in class from FCS Alabama State to the FBS level, along with his performance at Shrine Bowl practices, should nudge him into the corps of draftable running backs, which is why his Combine omission was unexpected.

TE RIVALDO FAIRWEATHER, AUBURN

Other tight ends seen at the Shrine and Senior Bowls were taller, but none had a greater wingspan than Fairweather. His 83 1/8-inch wingspan allows him to pluck passes out of the air down the seam, something he did to great effect during East-West Shrine Bowl practices last month.

That he was able to flourish down the field wasn’t a surprise given his length.

“What I do well is make plays vertically down the field. I’m not scared to go up and grab a catch across the middle. My YAC ability, I’m really good at breaking tackles and making people miss and scoring touchdowns,” he said.

But during Shrine practices, he saw some snaps at fullback as NFL teams wanted to get a look at him in other roles that involved blocking.

“What I need to work on [is] just my technique in the blocking, to work on having tight hands and finishing blocks,” he said.

Fairweather finished at Auburn after transferring from Florida International. But he knows he has a larger transition in front of him — and in order to stick, he’ll have to improve as a blocker. To his credit, he’s willing.

“The key to being a great blocker is just having better technique and better hand placement,” he said. “You’ve gotta want to do it. You’ve gotta love it. … A lot of guys don’t love it, especially receivers and stuff like that. They may not do the dirty work. But I take pride in stuff like that.”

The Combine wouldn’t have allowed him to show much as a blocker, but he could have demonstrated the willingness to handle such a role that was apparent in North Texas last month.

LB CHANDLER MARTIN, MEMPHIS

Making hits that pushed the limits of the practice format while displaying preternatural anticipation to defuse runs before they could develop, Martin was a standout of Shrine Bowl practices, looking like a mid-round prospect — which in a 329-player Combine, would seem to easily put him on the invitation list.

NFL.com’s Chad Reuter thought enough of Martin’s to include him as a Day 3 pick on his most recent mock draft, projecting him at the No. 84 overall spot — one position before the Broncos currently are slated to select in Round 3.

At 5-foot-11 1/2, Martin may lack the height and frame measurables, but he’s instinctive and packs a punch.