Combine Day 4 recap: Howard ‘would love opportunity’ to play for Kelly again

Quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs hit the podium, defensive backs work out

INDIANAPOLIS — Day 4 of the NFL Combine was a big one for the Las Vegas Raiders as the team’s biggest need, and the most important position on the field, spoke to the media with the top quarterbacks stepping up to the podiums.

But that wasn’t the biggest quarterback news surrounding the Raiders to drop on Friday, as it was reported that Matthew Stafford will be staying with the Los Angeles Rams. The word around Indianapolis is that Las Vegas was the favorite to land Stafford as recently as Thursday night.

However, part of the reason Los Angeles allowed Stafford to seek a trade was to see how the rest of the league values him. Then, when the Rams saw what type of contracts the Raiders and New York Giants were willing to give the veteran quarterback, they decided to give him a new deal.

So, the Silver and Black will have to pivot toward another quarterback, potentially someone we’ll hear from below.

Quarterbacks

Ohio State’s Will Howard had a bumpy start to the season but has entered the QB3 conversation in the 2025 draft class, primarily due to his performance during the College Football Playoffs. When asked about his run at the end of the campaign, Howard replied: “I played my best ball when it mattered most.”

It’s hard to argue that, and the former Buckeye has connections to the Raiders with Chip Kelly taking the offensive coordinator job in Sin City. Howard talked about his relationship with Kelly while also diving into what quarterbacks he likes to study.

At the top of the position group, Miami’s Cam Ward talked about playing for the Raiders at the combine. While the team would likely have to trade up to get him, Ward had good things to say about playing in Kelly’s offense, in addition to shining some light on his leadership style.

On top of the need, part of the reason why Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders has been linked to Las Vegas is his relationship with new minority owner Tom Brady. Sanders dove into the connection with Brady at the podium.

Jaxson Dart from Ole Miss is another QB3 contender but has faced criticism about his ability to read the field and handle a more complex offense than the one he played in. However, he feels that’s a “lazy narrative.” Dart also dove into his growth over the years and mentioned that he’s talked with Jackson Powers-Johnson about playing for the Raiders.

Another quarterback to keep an eye on is Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, or UCF’s/Oklahoma’s/Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel. The well-traveled passer has six years of experience as a starter in college to give teams plenty of tape to study, which he feels will speak for itself.

Louisville’s Tyler Shough is another recent riser and well-tenured college quarterback, as Shough spent seven years in school with stints at Oregon and Texas Tech before this past season. Shough’s age is a potential concern as he’ll turn 26 in September, but teams haven’t brought that up in his meetings. He also discussed what he can bring to a team and what he learned from Justin Herbert, who Shough backed up at Oregon.

Offensive Skill Positions

Ashton Jeanty from Boise State is widely considered the top running back in the class, and the Silver and Black will be looking to improve their backfield this spring. So, Jeanty has been connected to the club and said he’d be interested in playing for Pete Carroll, given Carroll’s history running the football. Also, Jeanty was asked to compare his game to Saquon Barkley’s and what similarities he thinks they share.

Quinshon Judkins is another former Buckeye who should be on the Raiders’ radar, given the connection with Kelly. Judkins talked about his meeting with the club and reconnecting with the offensive coordinator.

Trey Henderson, also from Ohio State, has drawn plenty of headlines for his rushing ability. But an underrated portion of Henderson’s game is his blocking, and that’s something he takes pride in.

One more former Buckeye, wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, described his meeting with Las Vegas’ brass as “amazing”. The Washginton native said he grew up a Seattle Seahawks fan, so he was excited to meet Carroll. Egbuka also dove into building chemistry with quarterbacks, something he’s familiar with, having caught passes from C.J. Stroud, Kyle McCord and Howard in Columbus.

Defensive Backs

As previously mentioned, Iowa State’s Darien Porter was someone to watch during the on-field drills. Porter didn’t disappoint as he posted the second-fastest 40-yard dash time (4.30 seconds) among cornerbacks, a 36.5-inch vertical and the second-best broad jump at 10-foot-11 to earn a 92 athleticism score, per Next Gen Stats, which also ranked second at the position. Porter did show some hip tightness during the position-specific drills, but the size and athletic ability are worth diving into.

Maxwell Harriston from Kentucky doesn’t have the size to fit Carroll’s profile at cornerback. However, it’s impossible to ignore the fastest corner at the combine and the only player to clock a sub-4.3 40 at 4.28. Harriston also posted the second-highest vertical (39.5 inches) at the position and third-best broad jump (10-foot-9). Additionally, the former Wildcat looked smooth in the untimed drills.

A more under-the-radar prospect, keep tabs on Cal’s Nohl Williams. While Williams didn’t post particularly impressive testing numbers (4.5-second 40, 33.5-inch vertical, 10-foot broad), he looked smooth and was eye-catching in the position drills. The former Golden Bear had seven interceptions this past season and 14 in his five-year career to be worth taking a flier on during Day 3 of the draft.

Among the safeties, it was impossible to ignore what Nick Emmanwori did on Friday night. He’s 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds while putting up some impressive numbers in the athletic testing — 4.38-second 40, 43-inch vertical and 11-foot-6 broad jump. Those figures ranked second, first and first at the position, respectively. Emmanwori has drawn comparisons to Kam Chancellor, who had a lot of success with Carroll in Seattle.

Kitan Crawford from Nevada is another safety to keep tabs on after the combine. He ranked second behind Emmanwori with an 85 athletic score, running a 4.41-second 40-yard dash while jumping 41.5 inches in the vertical and 10’8” in the broad. Crawford also looked smooth in the position-specific drills to catch some eyes.

Oklahoma’s Billy Bowman stood out at the Senior Bowl and continued to be impressive in Indianapolis. He clocked a 4.42-second 40, recorded a 35.5-inch vertical and 10’3” broad jump while also looking smooth during the untimed drills. Bowan is small at 5-foot-10 and 192 pounds, but he has a versatile playing style that should translate well in Patrick Graham’s system.