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NFL scouts work hard all year long to evaluate players across the country both on the field, whether it’s at practices or a game, and off-the-field, talking to coaches and teammates. But even after all that work, sometimes nine months of it, a player truly surprises and greatly exceeds expectations based on his athletic ability.
Below are players at each position that, if not for a fantastic workout during the pro day circuit, may have been out of the draft pick conversation and even some barely in the NFL conversation at all.
But the NFL is always searching for elite athletes, and these 10 players certainly forced NFL scouts to go back and rewatch these prospects after the numbers they put up.
John Rhys Plumlee, QB, UCF
Well known as one of the better athletes in the quarterback class, John Rhys Plumlee was a dual-sport standout at Ole Miss and UCF, playing baseball at a high level, too. But Plumlee’s 4.51-second 40-yard dash time, 36.5-inch vertical, 10-foot-4 broad jump and 4.27-second short shuttle all put him in elite historical company at quarterback.
And for a player who teams value as a still developing quarterback, but also as receiver/situational athlete, Plumlee testing well was a crucial part of his draft process. Per Relative Athletic Score, if he was considered a receiver, he’d still be in the 73rd percentile as a receiver athlete.
Blake Watson, RB, Memphis
Talking to NFL area scouts during the year, Blake Watson, who’s been highly productive as a runner and pass catcher, had one main lingering question: is he a good enough athlete as a sub-5-foot-10, sub 200-pound running back?
Watson, who’s since added weight to be at 200 pounds, tested at an elite level at his pro day, answering that last final question for scouts. He ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dash, jumped 41.5 inches, and posted a 11-foot-3 broad jump — all good for the 96th or better percentile at the position….
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/2024-nfl-draft-workout-warriors-10-prospects-who-made-scouts-go-back-to-the-film-after-elite-athletic-testing/
Author : Eric Galko
Publish date : 2024-04-12 18:07:38
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