UM pro day draws crowd

March 26, 2021

UM pro day draws crowd … While much of the national draft attention was focused on BYU’s pro day where QB Zack Wilson put on a show. However, there was also a pretty good crowd at the Michigan pro day where the Wolverines had 8 players who were invited to this year’s non-combine. And they gave NFL scouts plenty to chew on during today’s workout. DE Kwity Paye, a potential top 15-20 pick who figures to be Michigan’s best prospects, for example, impressed with a solid 4.52 40 clocking; he also ripped off 36 reps in the BP and had an impressive 35.5-inch vertical. Those are all good numbers but it wasn’t quite the freakish performance some were expecting from Paye who also measured in somewhat smaller than expected. He’s listed in the UM program as 6-4, 272, but actually measured in at 6-2.5, 261 with 33-inch arms at his pro day. And that would appear to be tweener country. Scouts were also a little disappointed that Paye didn’t run the shuttles. Of course, NFL teams are also still left with the question was someone as athletic as Paye wasn’t more productive in college. Its also not clear that OT Jalen Mayfield, the Wolverines other opening round candidate this year, did much to enhance his status. Mayfield certainly looks the part at 6-5, 326, but he didn’t test all that well. He ran the 40 in 5.31, while posting times in the short shuttle (4.91) and 3-cone drills (7.86) that would have been in the lower half of the 2020 combine. Same for his 28.5-inch vertical.

Several other Michigan prospects, though, did appear to have pretty good workouts. WR Nico Collins, for example, measured in at a full-sized 6-4, 215 and ran the 40 in 4.43 seconds evoking some memories of former Notre Dame WR Chase Claypool who had such a positive impact on Pittsburgh this past season. Collins also posted a 37.5-inch vertical and blistered the 3-cne drill in 6.71 seconds, which would have been the second fastest time at the position at last year’s combine; meanwhile, his short shuttle time of 4.32 was also very good for a guy that size. RB Chris Evans also opened some eyes after measuring in at a solid 5-11, 211, Evans was clocked in 4,45 seconds in the 40 and then was even faster in the agility tests. Indeed, his time of 4.14 in the short shuttle would have been second fastest for RBs at the 2020 combine, while his 6.56 clocking in the 3-cone drills would have been a full .4 seconds faster than nay back in Indy last year. And oh yes, Evans leaps of 40.5-inches in the vertical and 10-7 in the LJ were excellent. TE Nick Eubanks (6-4, 245) also had a nice day, posting a sub-4.6 40 and good times in the agility drills. It was more of the same for unheralded CB Ambry Thomas, who measured in at 5-11, 191, had a 38-inch vertical and ran the 40 in 4.37 seconds. Even FB Ben Mason got into the athletic mode as the 6-2, 246-pounder ran the 40 in 4.72 seconds, had a 37.5-inch vertical, posted 29 reps in the BP and clocked a quick 6.97 seconds in the 3-cone.