Texas prospects wrap up strong NFL combine
After former Texas receivers Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell shook up the football world with their jaw-dropping performances at the NFL combine on Saturday, fellow Longhorns receiving product Jordan Whittington summed up the weekend with one succinct post on X:
“Moral of the story. … Play at Texas,” Whittington posted.
The Texas football program seemed to carry its momentum from the 2023 season into the NFL combine, the first of several workouts for NFL prospects prepping for April’s draft. The Longhorns went 12-2 and reached their first College Football Playoff last fall, the best season for Texas football since 2009. This past weekend, a school-record 11 former Longhorns participated in the combine.
Texas’ prospects will have two other opportunities to impress the scouts: at Texas’ pro day on March 20 in Austin and the Big 12 pro day March 27 at The Star in Frisco.
How all 11 Longhorns performed before the NFL coaches and scouts in Indianapolis:
WR Xavier Worthy: Set record in 40-yard dash
Officially listed at 5-foot-11 and 165 pounds, Worthy set a combine record with his 40-yard dash time of 4.21 seconds Saturday. He also had a broad jump of 10 feet, 11 inches and a vertical leap of 41 inches. He didn’t participate in several drills, though, including the 3cone drill and the bench press. He’s projected as a second-round pick, although some draft prognosticators think his speed may slip him into the late first round.
WR Adonai Mitchell: Inching closer to first-round status
A big target at an official 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, Mitchell clocked an impressive time of 4.34 in the 40. He had a 39.5-inch vertical with a broad jump of 11-4. Like Worthy, he did not participate in several drills, including the bench press. Mitchell has been climbing up draft boards in recent weeks, and his blazing 40 time likely solidified him as a first-round pick.
WR Jordan Whittington: Skipped drills, but interviewed
A physical 6-1, 205-pounder projected as a slot receiver, Whittington didn’t participate in any drills aside from the bench press, where he amassed 18 reps at 225 pounds and ranked fifth among the 12 receivers in the drill. He’s seen as a late-round pick and likely didn’t help himself because of his scarcity of drills, but the rounds of interviews with NFL personnel could strengthen his draft case.
TE Ja’Tavion Sanders: Ideal size helps hide limitations
Sanders checked in with ideal size for a receiving threat at his position at 6foot-4, 245 pounds and recorded a 4.69 in the 40, a solid time though not in the top half of his position. He didn’t participate in the bench press or jumps, and he remains a likely second- or thirdround pick.
RB Jonathon Brooks: Could go before mid-rounds following injury
The 6-foot, 216-pound Brooks is still recovering from knee surgery in November for a torn ligament, so he didn’t compete in any drills, but he did participate in interviews. However, he remains the top-rated running back on most teams’ boards and revealed that he should be ready for the start of the NFL season. Expect him to get drafted in the third or fourth round.
RB Keilan Robinson: Trying to find his spot in the draft
The 5-foot-8, 191-pound Robinson did what he could to bolster his hopes of getting selected in the late rounds by running a 4.42 and recording marks of 33 inches and 10-5 feet in the vertical and broad jumps, respectively. He did not participate in the bench press and several other drills, though.
OL Christian Jones: Strong showing after solid Senior Bowl
A svelte 6-foot-5 and 305 pounds, Jones clocked an impressive time of 5.05 in the 40 and looked good in other agility drills. He did bypass the bench press, which is usually a focus for linemen. He remains a mid- to late-round prospect who could move up after a strong showing at the Senior Bowl a month ago.
DT T’Vondre Sweat: A good weekend in Indy
The 6-41⁄2, 366-pound Sweat checked in at his listed playing weight at Texas, which likely provided relief to some scouts concerned about his heft. He also showed off some athleticism with a 40 time of 5.27 and marks of 26 inches in the vertical and 8-2 in the broad jumps. He did not participate in the bench press. Sweat likely strengthened his draft stock as a second- or third-round prospect.
DT Byron Murphy II: Headed for the first round?
The 6-01⁄2, 297-pound Murphy continued to draw some comparisons to perennial all-pro Aaron Donald after running a 4.87 and recording a vertical of 33 inches and a broad jump of 9-3. He also ranked fifth among all defensive tackles with 28 reps on the bench press while solidifying his status as a first-round pick.
LB Jaylan Ford: Playing it safe at the combine
After checking in at 6-foot-2, 240 pounds, the inside linebacker passed on all the drills in Indianapolis except for the vertical (33.5 inches) and broad jump (10-1). He’s likely a mid- to lateround prospect and played it safe at the combine.
DB Ryan Watts: A hit-and-miss weekend
The 6-foot-3, 208-pound Watts participated as one of the biggest corner prospects although he may also play safety in the NFL. He ran a 4.53 in the 40 and expressed regret on social media that he didn’t crack into the 4.4s, but he did record some of the better marks in the vertical (40.5) and broad jump (10-5). Watts participated in every drill except for the bench while trying to improve his stock as either a late-round pick or a priority free agent.