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Looking at Kamren Kinchens, Theo Johnson, and Other Names to Watch for Day Two of the NFL Combine

Keep your eyes on these five Tight Ends and DBs before Day Two of the NFL Combine

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Feb 29
Feb 29

By Lowen Holthaus

As we head into day two of the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, the defensive backs and tight ends will be showing off their strength, speed, and physicality. You should keep your eyes on these guys below in Indy.

Kamren Kinchens 

The 6-foot, 205-pound safety from the University of Miami has the skillset to meld perfectly into a defensive scheme in his rookie season. Kamren Kinchens has experience climbing the rankings quickly, as he started for Miami by the end of his freshman season. He’s explosive, aggressive, and can play man coverage at a high level, which is never a given at the safety position. 

Kinchens is a playmaker, and it shows as he led the ACC in interceptions this past year with five. His ability to play either safety position as well as down in the box will be enticing to defensive-minded coaches, and a positive combined experience to pair that with might be enough to get into the first-round pick conversations.

Theo Johnson

Boasting a stature of 6’6 and 264 pounds, Theo Johnson is a reliable target who was productive in the red zone with seven touchdowns for the Nittany Lions in 2023. He is good at using his body to gain extra yards and go up to secure the ball. 

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However, what you might not expect is Johnson is graceful and uses the space he’s given well to smoothly leak upfield into open spots. This is a good trait to have and an important one in the NFL. A little agility and a good 40 time will go a long way for this tight end looking to be a top-three tight end drafted.

Jaylin Simpson

The 6’1″ safety from Auburn is one of the most concentrated players in this year’s safety class. He’s shown glimpses of high-tier play and although he may not be the flashiest player, his discipline and fundamental characteristics make his ceiling extremely high. He is a secure tackler, and his 29 solo tackles from the 2023 season represent that well. In short pass coverage, he runs downhill extremely well and doesn’t allow any extra yardage from elusive ball carriers. 

Another overlooked trait is Simpson’s break on the ball in coverage. This ball-hawk can be developed into a starting-level safety in the NFL. Putting on a show at the combine will show teams that the former Tiger is more than his fundamentals.

Jared Wiley 

The TE was an important part of TCU’s offense for the past two years, totaling 71 receptions for 765 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. His grit and elusiveness make him hard to tackle, and his reach at 6’7″, 260 is impressive. He extends his body to ensure he’s gaining the most yards possible without risking losing the football. 

Wiley’s run-blocking ability is solid, although still has room to develop. He has a knack for high-pointing the football using his athleticism and it complements his reliable hands. The former Horned Frog could put teams on notice with his combine performance.

Evan Williams

Evan Williams is like a torpedo, following his man around the field with grit. His run-stopping ability is elite, and the toughness he shows complements his sure tackling. His 82 total tackles in 2023 don’t even give perspective to the consistent job he did keeping ball carriers behind the 1st down marker. The reason he is not at the top of the safety draft rankings is not because of his on-field performance. 

Some of the concerns that teams have about the former Duck are why we have the NFL combine in the first place. Teams worry that Williams will not have the speed or athleticism to keep up with guys in the NFL. The combine will be the perfect place to alleviate their worries and feel comfortable drafting him. 

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