The most interesting prospects of the NFL combine and MLB spring training

The Pulse Newsletter 📣 | This is The Athletic’s daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox.

Good morning! I think you’re a great prospect.

Prospects, on the Gridiron: Let’s watch some guys work out

Swaths of large, athletic humans are descending on Indianapolis this week, and as a fairly tall person, I can still say I have felt small walking around this lovely Midwestern town thus far. These are players auditioning for their NFL futures, whether that be moving up from a top-20 pick to a top-five pick, or getting drafted at all. 

Yesterday, we talked about mysteries surrounding current NFL veterans. Today, fueled by Dane Brugler’s official NFL Scouting Combine preview, let’s talk about the most interesting prospects here this week. A few I find fascinating: 

1. LSU OT Will Campbell
Campbell is maybe the fastest riser among NFL draftniks over the last few weeks, seen as a surefire Day 1 starter for any team selecting him. Yet as Dane detailed — bolstered by a few others — Campbell still has things to prove this week. Can he play inside? Most consider him a tackle, but he could shift to guard, too. Dane has Campbell No. 6 overall on his Big Board. 

2. Michigan CB Will Johnson
I’m also including Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith here, as both players’ 40-yard dash times could heavily influence their draft status. For Johnson, as Dane noted, speed is the only question mark on his resume. For Smith, he could leave Indianapolis with the top 40 time, which is a reliable metric for draft risers. Run fast, a top 10 draft slot is in play.

3. William & Mary OT Charles Grant
I love these stories. Grant played at a smaller school but could attract eyes this week with his combine performance. He may have been a bigger name already if not for a late-season injury this year. Write his name down. 

See Dane’s full list here. We also have a sprawling list of the top 150 NFL free agents that came out yesterday, with a certain Bengals wide receiver atop the mountain. 

More from Indy tomorrow. Let’s keep going:

News to Know

Lakers, Dončić prepping for Mavs matchup
Luka Dončić is set to play against the Dallas Mavericks tonight for the first time since they traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers, and everyone seems to be preparing for an emotional — perhaps tense, even — backdrop. “I think he’ll be fine,” coach JJ Redick said yesterday. “Every day that he’s been with us it’s becoming a little more normal.” L.A. forward Dorian Finney-Smith, once Dončić’s teammate in Dallas, added: “Everybody in the locker room is excited. We got his back.” Hm.

More news

• Richard Jefferson will join Mike Breen and Doris Burke on ESPN’s top broadcasting team for the NBA Finals, The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand reports.
  
• The Packers officially moved to ban the “tush push.” Haters? Truthtellers?
  
• The AP men’s college hoops Top 25 is out and Kansas isn’t there for the first time in years. See the full rankings.
  
• Broncos OLB coach Michael Wilhoite was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer. More details here.