For some of the 319 players that were invited to the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine last week in Indianapolis, they took advantage of the opportunity, improving their stock ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Others, not so much.
For Todd McShay, three specific players didn’t help themselves at the Combine and fell down his latest top 100 board.
Those three of players that didn’t help themselves at the Combine, whether it was from a a testing perspective, on-field drills, or skipping things entirely, happen to be players the Pittsburgh Steelers met with formally.
That’s Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy, Notre Dame receiver Malachi Fields, and Texas Tech defensive lineman Lee Hunter.
McCoy is in the discussion for the best cornerback in the class, but as he continues to recover from a torn ACL suffered in January 2025, the Tennessee product decided not to test or do on-field fields. McShay dropped him to No. 23 on his top 100.
“I’ve been told that teams are frustrated with his predraft process to this point and are putting a lot of the blame on his representation,” McShay writes. “It reminds me a bit of what we saw last year from Shemar Stewart, which carried over into his rookie season.”
It’s time for @McShay13’s first top-100 big board of draft season! He shares his biggest risers and fallers and most difficult rankings in the latest 'McShay Report': https://t.co/AZFoDJ8whi
— The Ringer (@ringer) March 5, 2026
McCoy hasn’t played since 2024, so it’s a large projection with him at this point. The Steelers held a formal meeting with him, and with a major need at cornerback opposite Joey Porter Jr., he’s a name that makes sense. Hopefully he works out at his Pro Day and alleviates some of the concerns.
The Steelers still have a significant need along the defensive line, and Hunter is a name that has drawn some eyes for the Black and Gold. He’s a true nose tackle, and has some great tape in 2025 at Texas Tech. But the athleticism and burst he showed on tape didn’t show up at the Combine.
“There were red flags all over his workout—especially the jumps—which is tough to square, because his end-of-season tape (against Oregon specifically) is awesome, and he was arguably the most dominant player at the Senior Bowl,” McShay writes of Hunter. “While the numbers are frustrating and difficult to contextualize, Hunter is still a top-50 pick in my book. But the combine workout was bad enough that teams will be rewatching the tape through a slightly different lens.”
Hunter was outstanding late in the year and looked as explosive as any interior defender in the country. But at the Combine, that never showed up. He clocked a 5.18 40-yard dash and a 1.79 10-yard split. He also had an 8’4″ broad jump and just a 21.5-inch vertical.
Those numbers are concerning. McShay has him at No. 47 on his top 100, which is still a top 50 pick. But his stock has dropped just a bit.
Same with Fields. He’s a big-bodied receiver that wins in contested-catch situations, but a 4.61 40-yard dash has man going back to the tape. McShay has him at No. 49 on his top 100, which still puts him in play for the Steelers in the second round.
The tape largely speaks for itself with the three players, but it’s hard to not be concerned — and in some cases frustrated — with developments coming out of the Combine for the trio of players McShay highlighted.
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