Noah Fant
Noah Fant is the least surprising player on this list, and likely has the least to gain from a big combine performance.
He’s been getting mocked in the first round since before the 2018 Iowa football season. Despite being overshadowed by John Mackey Award winner and teammate TJ Hockenson this past season, Fant still put together a quietly superb season that did nothing to dispel the notion that he can be an elite level tight end at the next level.
He is expected to run fast, jump high, and likely have the best testing performances of any tight end in this year’s class. To be honest, anything less than that is a let down unless someone just comes out of nowhere to surpass him in a few areas.
My only concern with Fant at the NFL Combine is that much of the hype and draft buzz around him is predicated on his athleticism. If for whatever reason he doesn’t test well (which for what it’s worth is incredibly unlikely), that could actually hurt his stock.