Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Ex-Hurricanes Mallory, Stevenson accept combine invites
Two former Hurricanes will have an opportunity to showcase their talents to prospective NFL teams before this year’s draft.
Miami tight end Will Mallory and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson accepted invitations to the NFL Scouting Combine on Monday.
The two Miami standouts were among the 319 prospects who were invited to the combine, which is the NFL’s top scouting showcase prior to the April draft. The combine will run from Feb. 28-March 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Former Hurricane defensive lineman Nesta Jade Silvera also earned an invitation.
Mallory spent five seasons with Miami, playing 58 games and starting 37. He racked up 1,154 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns on 115 catches. The 6-foot5, 245-pound tight end set career highs with 42 catches and 538 receiving yards last season, leading the team in both categories. He had three touchdown catches last season.
Mallory, a Jacksonville native, earned a career-best 78 receiving grade from Pro Football Focus last season, but his blocking grades were a mixed bag. Pro Football Focus gave Mallory a 75.2 pass-blocking grade but a careerlow 36.6 run-blocking grade.
Mallory is likely a late-round selection, and ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. ranked him as the No. 10 tight end in this year’s draft.
Stevenson, a 6-foot-2, 204-pound cornerback, played two seasons at Miami after transferring from Georgia. A Miami native, Stevenson played in 22 games with the Hurricanes, starting 20. He made 68 tackles with six tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, three interceptions and 14 pass deflections in his time with UM. In his four-year college career, Stevenson had 115 tackles, six tackles for loss, three interceptions and 24 pass deflections.
Last season, Stevenson had 25 tackles, two interceptions and seven pass deflections. Pro Football Focus gave him a 76.7 defensive grade, a 79.5 coverage grade and a 46.4 tackling grade.
Stevenson already impressed some scouts at the Senior Bowl and has been projected to go as high as the late first round in the draft.