Oakland Raiders: Winners and losers from the NFL Combine
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D.K. Metcalf – Wide Receiver, Ole Miss
If you watched or read anything concerning the combine than you have been notified of the name D.K. Metcalf. He measured in at 6’3 228lbs, and once he hit the field for testing, he put on an absolute show. Metcalf ran a blazing 4.33 in the 40-yard dash, hit 27 bench press reps, 40 1/2-inch vertical jump and an 11-foot-2 broad jump. So basically he is about as explosive an athlete as you will ever find. And because of that, he has probably solidified himself as a top 10-12 pick in this year’s draft.
Some concerns did sprout up when Metcalf ran the 3-cone and 20-yard shuttles that ranked in the 2nd & 3rd percentile, however, he was never going to be someone with fantastic agility. In fact, many of the big-bodied receivers in this draft class chose to not even run these drills knowing they would likely produce a low score as well.
Metcalf uses his explosiveness, physicality, and quick feet to win and this notion that if you can’t run the full route tree, you can’t produce at a high level is just not true. Guys like DeAndre Hopkins, Mike Evans, Dez Bryant, Josh Gordon did not test well in similar areas but still produced despite not running the full route tree. Metcalf cannot be pressed at the line, and if you’re playing off you have to respect his speed, and because of that, he will be able to get open in the NFL.
If you’re not convinced Brad Kelly of the Draft Network wrote a great piece talking about Metcalf and how he wins as a route runner.