Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant hasn’t played competitive football since Sept. 19 and sure looked like it Tuesday in a workout for NFL scouts, coaches and general managers.
Packers coach Mike McCarthy, 49ers coach Mike Singletary and Seahawks coach Pete Carroll were among the NFL personnel people who made the trip to Lufkin, Texas, for an up-close viewing of Bryant’s first public workout since being suspended by the NCAA last season.
Bryant showed flashes of greatness but certainly didn’t "wow" anyone Tuesday.
He ran sharp routes, just like he did on game film, and did a good job of catching passes in most drills. He did struggle on routes with his back to the quarterback, where he had to turn quickly and catch passes just as he made his break.
In Combine-like drills, he did show explosive athleticism. He recorded an 11-foot, 1-inch broad jump and a 38-inch vertical jump.
Bryant, however, showed only average speed. He ran the 40-yard dash with a slight breeze in the mid 4.5-second range and then against the wind in mid 4.6-second range. Scouts said the huge variance in times had more to with Bryant’s choppy and inconsistent starts than any wind.
More concerning is the fact Bryant seemed unprepared to properly run the short shuttle, long shuttle and 3-cone drills. He had to re-run several of the drills and never once ran hard to the finish, frustrating all in attendance. His hip movements looked tight, and he struggled to change directions quickly. He also quit the 225-pound bench press after 14 reps, even though he obviously could’ve done more.
Overall, Bryant’s disappointing day likely will lead to him falling on a number of team’s draft boards because personnel men now must question his work ethic. He had six months to prepare for this workout and still failed to shine.
Bryant once could’ve been the first receiver drafted. His only hope now to regain some lost draft stock is in private workouts for teams, hoping he can make that one team forget this disappointing performance.
Former NFL scout Russ Lande evaluates college players for Sporting News’ Pro Football War Room and GM Jr. Scouting LLC.
Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant hasn’t played competitive football since Sept. 19 and sure looked like it Tuesday in a workout for NFL scouts, coaches and general managers.
Packers coach Mike McCarthy, 49ers coach Mike Singletary and Seahawks coach Pete Carroll were among the NFL personnel people who made the trip to Lufkin, Texas, for an up-close viewing of Bryant’s first public workout since being suspended by the NCAA last season.
Bryant showed flashes of greatness but certainly didn’t "wow" anyone Tuesday.
He ran sharp routes, just like he did on game film, and did a good job of catching passes in most drills. He did struggle on routes with his back to the quarterback, where he had to turn quickly and catch passes just as he made his break.
In Combine-like drills, he did show explosive athleticism. He recorded an 11-foot, 1-inch broad jump and a 38-inch vertical jump.
Bryant, however, showed only average speed. He ran the 40-yard dash with a slight breeze in the mid 4.5-second range and then against the wind in mid 4.6-second range. Scouts said the huge variance in times had more to with Bryant’s choppy and inconsistent starts than any wind.
More concerning is the fact Bryant seemed unprepared to properly run the short shuttle, long shuttle and 3-cone drills. He had to re-run several of the drills and never once ran hard to the finish, frustrating all in attendance. His hip movements looked tight, and he struggled to change directions quickly. He also quit the 225-pound bench press after 14 reps, even though he obviously could’ve done more.
Overall, Bryant’s disappointing day likely will lead to him falling on a number of team’s draft boards because personnel men now must question his work ethic. He had six months to prepare for this workout and still failed to shine.
Bryant once could’ve been the first receiver drafted. His only hope now to regain some lost draft stock is in private workouts for teams, hoping he can make that one team forget this disappointing performance.
Former NFL scout Russ Lande evaluates college players for Sporting News’ Pro Football War Room and GM Jr. Scouting LLC.