Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward: Top 10 storylines at the NFL Scouting Combine

The combine takes center stage this week with 330 draft prospects, scouts, coaches and front office folks arriving in Indianapolis. While the focus will be on draft interviews and 40-yard times, just as much business will be conducted in meeting rooms and hallways in and around the city considering that NFL free agency is set to begin in two weeks.

With that in mind, we take a closer look at the top 10 storylines heading into this week's NFL Scouting Combine.

10. How high can Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty climb in the draft?

Last year, no running back was selected in the first round for the second time in three years. However, in 2023, two went off the board in the first half of the first round: Bijan Robinson to the Atlanta Falcons at No. 8 and Jahmyr Gibbs to the Detroit Lions at No. 12. Both runners have been productive players in their first two seasons in the league.

Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry and Josh Jacobs had big seasons for their respective teams after signing decent deals in free agency last offseason, potentially increasing the value for running back prospects in this year's draft. However, teams can still find good value on Day 2 or Day 3 of this year's draft, which is deep at running back.

As for Jeanty, the Heisman Trophy runner-up could crack the top 10 but more likely will fall somewhere between 10 and 25, with the Dallas Cowboys at 12, the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 17, the Denver Broncos at No. 20, the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 21 and the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 22 all possibilities.

FOX Sports NFL Draft Analyst Rob Rang has Jeanty going No. 12 to the Cowboys in his latest mock draft.

9. Which player will shine the brightest during media availability?

The ever-increasing popularity of the combine has led to packed media scrums, and players such as Tim Tebow, Johnny Manziel, Manti Te'o and, last year, Caleb Williams have gone viral.

This year, the favorites to make waves are Colorado draft prospects Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter. Sanders, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, has the gift of gab like his father. Hunter should attract a big crowd as he attempts to become a two-way player in the NFL.

8. How will the QB carousel shake out in Indianapolis?

With several teams in need of quarterback help, the potential landing spots for such veterans as Sam Darnold, Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields will be discussed by teams and agents in an effort to prepare for the start of the league's negotiation period on March 10.

Darnold is the top free-agent quarterback available on the market. But his struggles in the final game of the regular season and in the playoffs may have cooled how teams feel about him.

Meanwhile, the Jets have moved on from Rodgers and the Rams are allowing Stafford to talk to other teams to establish his value. Wilson and Fields are pending free agents who could still return to the Steelers.

Quarterback-needy teams must figure out how much these veteran signal-callers have left in the tank, how they fit their offensive scheme and what the price will be to secure them.

Would the Rams be crazy to trade QB Matthew Stafford?

7. Where do Deebo Samuel, Myles Garrett and Cooper Kupp land via trade?

Veteran non-QBs potentially available for trade include receivers Samuel and Kupp, along with edge rusher Garrett, who wants out of Cleveland.

The combine provides a venue for agents to gauge which teams are interested in their players, what a potential contract would look like and, for the teams moving them, what type of draft compensation will be needed to secure them.

6. Which defensive lineman will emerge from the stacked draft class?

FOX Sports NFL Draft Analyst Rob Rang has 12 defensive linemen going in the first round and four in the first 10 picks. Last year, a defensive lineman wasn't taken until No. 15, when the Indianapolis Colts selected edge rusher Laiatu Latu.

Penn State's dynamic edge rusher Abdul Carter could go No. 1. And look for players like Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham and Georgia defensive end Mykel Williams to crack the top 10. How those players and others from a deep defensive line group test this week will go a long way to determining how teams rank them heading into the draft.

5. Which quarterback is projected to go first overall: Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward?

Not surprisingly, Sanders will follow the trend of top signal-callers and not throw at the combine. Instead, he'll focus on team interviews and throw at his Colorado Pro Day.

Sanders and Ward are considered the top two quarterback prospects in this year's draft. Rang has Ward going No. 3 to the New York Giants and Sanders at No. 6 to the Las Vegas Raiders in his latest mock draft. There's a growing sense around the league that Ward could be the better prospect because of his stronger arm and athleticism.

The combine is another opportunity for scouts to see both in person and continue the evaluation process to determine which quarterback is the best fit for their team.

Joel Klatt breaks down Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward

4. What other QBs are in the first-round conversation?

After Ward and Sanders, the two names that have emerged as possibilities to go late in the first round are Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss and Alabama's Jalen Milroe.

In 41 career starts, Dart threw for nearly 12,000 yards and 81 touchdowns for offensive guru Lane Kiffin with the Rebels. Milroe is a raw prospect who needs to develop as a thrower but could turn into an effective dual-threat quarterback at the next level. Both could sneak into the first round.

3. Can Travis Hunter show he can be a two-way player in the NFL?

Hunter will work out as a defensive back at the combine, but he still has aspirations to play on both sides of the ball in the NFL. He showed he could be a high-impact player while doing that in college.

Hunter is the first player to win the Chuck Bednarik Award (given to the nation's best defensive player), the Fred Biletnikoff Award (given to the nation's best wide receiver) and the Heisman Trophy in the same season.

The combine will give NFL teams another opportunity to get better acquainted with Hunter and begin to formulate a plan for how to best use his unique talent.

2. Can anyone top Xavier Worthy's 40-yard combine record?

Worthy ran a 4.21 40-yard dash last season, breaking the combine record set by Washington product John Ross in 2017 (4.22). Worthy was a first-round selection for the Kansas City Chiefs and had a solid rookie season.

Georgia receiver Arian Smith has run a 10.18 in the 100 meters and could challenge Worthy's record. Another one to watch is cat-quick Baylor receiver Monaray Baldwin.

1. What will the Tennessee Titans do with the No. 1 overall pick?

Developmental quarterback Will Levis took a step back last season, so quarterback could be the play for the Titans with the No. 1 overall pick.

However, new GM Mike Borgonzi could opt for a generational talent like Penn State edge rusher Carter or Colorado dual-threat Hunter. Or the Titans, who need help all over the field, could use the No. 1 overall pick to acquire draft capital to speed the rebuilding process.

The last time Tennessee had a selection among the top three picks, the Titans took QB Marcus Mariota at No. 2 in the 2015 draft. This week is important to help the Titans get it right this time.

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.

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