NFL.com breakdowns for the eight USC Trojans at the 2024 NFL Combine
Eight USC Trojans will be in Indianapolis this week to take part in the 2024 NFL Combine. All eyes will be on quarterback Caleb Williams as the presumptive No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft, though he is not expected to take part in any throwing or testing for scouts at the combine. But every other USC player will have an opportunity to improve their draft stock at the combine or the Trojans’ pro day in March. Last season, USC offensive lineman Andrew Vorhees became one of the major stories at the combine when he tore his ACL and the next day posted the most bench press reps among any player there. Hopefully all the news is positive regarding the Trojans this season and several can turn in standout showings during drills, testing and interviews.
Ahead of the combine, NFL.com and analyst Lance Zierlein put together profiles on all of the players expected there. Here’s a look at how things broke down for the eight Trojans.
Caleb Williams
Prospect Grade (out of 8.0) – 6.76 – Year 1 Starter
Production Score – 98 (1st among quarterbacks at the 2024 NFL Combine)
Estimated Athleticism Score – 89 (1st among quarterbacks)
Total Score – 96 (1st among quarterbacks)
NFL Comparison – Kyler Murray
NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein:
“Williams’ play is highlighted by rare escapability paired with the talent to exploit defenses once the play breaks down. He’s not tall, but he is well-built, with an arm to challenge defenses across the field. He can be a high-impact playmaker on the go or an effective pocket passer when he allows himself to trust his eyes on second and third reads. He can improve his accuracy and placement on intermediate and deep throws, but he’s unlikely to be known for pinpoint accuracy. It is admirable that he looks to keep his eyes up and make throws outside the pocket, but he’ll make things easier on himself early in his pro career by becoming a more decisive scrambler to move the sticks and carry on to the next set of downs. Williams is tremendously talented but often bites off too much responsibility and plays off-schedule. He has a good chance to hit new heights with a surrounding cast he trusts, but greater self-discipline and a well-structured offense might be needed to help him become a quarterback who can elevate a franchise to championship contention.”
MarShawn Lloyd
Prospect grade – 6.18 – Good backup with the potential to develop into starter
Production Score – 72 (7th among running backs at the 2024 NFL Combine)
Estimated Athleticism Score – 73 (11th among running backs)
Total Score – 9th (1st among running backs)
NFL Comparison – Jarick McKinnon
NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein:
Lloyd’s flashes on tape could lead a team to envision a more expansive role for him in its offense, but based on his play, he feels more like a good complementary option with big-play potential. Frankly, some of his South Carolina tape from 2022 felt more exciting than his 2023 USC film, despite the higher yardage-per-carry mark in 2023. While he ran with improved patience and set up blockers more diligently in ’23, he ran with a greater sense of urgency the year prior and proved he could create explosive plays without as much help from his offensive line. Lloyd runs with slightly below-average vision but has the juice to play the role of “chunk-play slasher” and dangerous open-field pass catcher. Lloyd is a low-mileage prospect, and the scope of his role will obviously depend on scheme fit.
Brenden Rice
Prospect Grade – 6.10 – Good backup with the potential to develop into starter
Production Score – 71 (19th among wide receivers at the 2024 NFL Combine)
Estimated Athleticism Score – 71 (24th among wide receivers)
Total Score – 71 (27th among wide receivers)
NFL Comparison – Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein:
“The bloodlines don’t get much better than Jerry Rice, so Brenden Rice might have a head start on the rest of the field. He’s big and plays a physical brand of football when cornerbacks want to fight over space. He lacks sudden feet, so beating press cleanly and separating on short routes could be challenging as a pro. Rice possesses good build-up speed to create deep-ball opportunities once his ball skills are added to the equation. Rice catches with quick, strong hands and good extension to help with frequent contested catches. There are some limitations at play, but he has enough checkmarks to project as an early backup with some upward mobility.”
Tahj Washington
Prospect Grade – 5.91 – Average backup or special-teamer
Production Score – 73 (15th among wide receivers at the 2024 NFL Combine)
Estimated Athleticism Score – 83 (5th among wide receivers)
Total Score – 77 (9th among wide receivers)
NFL Comparison – None given
NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein:
“Washington’s measurables could work against him during the evaluation process, but his competitiveness and consistency should balance that out somewhat. He is a slot-only prospect with ordinary burst but above-average route acumen. He rarely creates big separation windows but makes up for it with an impressive win rate on contested catches. He’s fearless into the middle of the field and is a willing run blocker out of three-wide receiver sets. Washington is a talented return man and has some real dog in him on coverage teams. He should go on Day 3 and will fight for a roster spot as a WR5 with special teams value.”
Jarrett Kingston
Prospect Grade – 5.69 (Candidate for bottom of roster or practice squad)
Production Score – 57 (14th among offensive guards at 2024 NFL Combine)
Estimated Athleticism Score – 65 (22nd among offensive guards)
Total Score – 62 (23rd among offensive guards)
NFL Comparison – None given
NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein:
“Offensive lineman who has the grit, play strength and know-how to play guard, but his size and length could prevent it. Kingston has been well-trained in pass protection, with a steady posture and quick hand strikes, but he could have issues when he’s on an island and forced to defend both gaps against an athletic rusher. He’s capable of making zone-scheme blocks and does an admirable job of sustaining run blocks for as long as possible. While he never played the position in a collegiate game, Kingston’s future in the NFL might rest on his ability to prove he can snap and move to center.”
Solomon Byrd
Prospect Grade – 5.64 (Candidate for bottom of roster or practice squad)
Production Score – 63 (17th among edge prospects at 2024 NFL Combine)
Estimated Athleticism Score – 69 (18th among edge prospects)
Total Score – 66 (19th among edge prospects)
NFL Comparison – None given
NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein:
“An edge defender with a fairly productive run at both Wyoming and USC, Byrd fails to stand out physically or athletically on tape. He plays with solid aggression and play strength but finds himself entangled with blockers more than he should. He can be creative when attacking tackles at the top of the rush, but he struggled to get much done when tasked with taking on some of the more talented opponents on the schedule. Byrd possesses certain play features that are worthy of consideration, but he might not have enough above-average qualities to make much of a mark in the league.”
Christian Roland-Wallace
Prospect Grade – 5.96 (Average backup or special-teamer)
Production Score – 65 (25th among cornerbacks at 2024 NFL Combine)
Estimated Athleticism Score – 68 (26th among cornerbacks)
Total Score – 67 (28th among cornerbacks)
NFL Comparison – None given
NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein:
“Highly experienced cornerback with good build and average speed. Roland-Wallace has the athleticism and play strength to disrupt the catch, but tight hips and average instincts limit opportunities for takeaways. He allows too much pitch and catch in front of him in off-man but is a much tougher matchup when pressing. He has the patience and footwork to match releases and is quick to get into the receiver’s face from there. Roland-Wallace is just average shadowing patterns and doesn’t have a big make-up burst in recovery. The size, strength and talent are worthy of a Day 3 selection and future backup opportunity.”
Calen Bullock
Prospect Grade – 6.13 (Good backup with the potential to develop into starter)
Production Score – 59 (20th among safeties at 2024 NFL Combine)
Estimated Athleticism Score – 68 (18th among safeties)
Total Score – 61 (20th among safeties)
NFL Comparison – None given
NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein:
“Long and athletic with a series of feast-or-famine plays all over the tape. Bullock can be scary good in coverage and scary bad as a run defender. He has the range to play single-high safety, the athleticism to line up over the slot and the ball skills to chalk up impressive on-ball production. As a run defender, Bullock’s poor recognition, missed run fits and bad angles to the football cost his team chunk plays and touchdowns. He won’t always see or process the game clearly, but the athleticism and playmaking talent are hard to overlook. He’s young and talented, and if he runs well enough, there might be a team more interested in his skill set as a cornerback than as a boom/bust safety.”
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