Former wide receiver quiets critics of his measurables
When wide receiver Alshon Jeffery was on the field for South Carolina, there were few questions about his play and ability.
Jeffery chose to forgo his senior season and enter the NFL Draft as the school’s all-time leader in receiving yards. He also has a school record-tying 23 touchdowns and a school record 12 100-yard receiving games.
But early in the draft process, Jeffery was scrutinized for his supposed weight gain. He put those rumors to bed at the NFL Combine when he weighed in at 216 pounds, but was scrutinized again for not participating in any of the events, such as position drills and the 40-yard dash.
Jeffery said he decided not to do the drills when he got to the combine in Indianapolis and spoke with his agent, saying he felt more comfortable saving all of the drills for South Carolina’s Pro Timing Day, as he had fun joking around with his teammates.
On Wednesday, Jeffery once again silenced the scrutiny, as he ran his much-anticipated 40-yard dash and was unofficially timed in the high 4.4s to the mid 4.5s by analysts and observers on the field. There is no official time because scouts take their own times, which vary from scout to scout.
And while questions were answered for teams looking to draft a wide receiver in the top three rounds, questions still remained for Jeffery, who didn’t know the time he ran. Jeffery didn’t even know the time he ran in training for the Pro Day, as no one told him the times then either.
“It’s pretty big,” Jeffery said. “But I just thought of it like there’s no pressure and to just go out there and have fun.”
Jeffery said he felt faster than defensive end Melvin Ingram, partly because of his weight loss. During the season, Jeffery was listed at 229 pounds. On Wednesday, he measured a 36 ½-inch vertical leap.
When teams put on film, Jeffery said they’ll see an athlete that competes, makes plays and does whatever it takes for his team to win. On whether there’s enough emphasis on that through the process, Jeffery said “that’s for them to judge.”
“I wasn’t worried about everything that people were saying about me,” Jeffery said. “I was just going out running. I mean, people are going to say what they’re going to say about you. I just went out and wanted to prove everyone wrong and show that I’m in great shape and that I’m looking good.”
With the same carefree attitude that Jeffery has had throughout the process, trusting that his play and ability would speak for itself, Jeffery doesn’t worry about his future destination. He said that he just wants to “let the chips fall where they may” on draft day. He knows that whatever team gets him will be getting an asset.
Pro Day was an important one for Jeffery because he didn’t participate in anything at the combine, so it was a chance to silence his critics. Jeffery didn’t tune everything out, even as people were calling him and telling him that he was looking great or that they were hearing speculations over his weight. But Jeffery said he didn’t worry about it, as was evidenced by him not knowing the time that meant so much to everyone else.
Though Jeffery may not worry, he still pays attention.
“I felt great,” Jeffery said. “Everybody told me I did great, so I’ll see. I’ll read about what y’all will say.”