NFL scouts love for a prospect to be fast and strong, but that perfect blend of both can create explosiveness -- and that’s exactly what the vertical jump is designed to display during the NFL Combine and on-campus pro days. A good showing can help increase NFL Draft betting odds that an athlete will get taken early.
But this spring, we didn’t get to have the annual combine in Indianapolis. Thanks to the global pandemic, it was deemed too much of a logistical pain in the rear end to assemble nearly 350 athletes from all over the country. Instead, NFL teams decided the localized campus pro days would take on even more meaning than usual.
Typically, pro days give players who were not invited to the combine a shot to impress pro scouts. Also, an athlete who may have been slightly injured or ill during the combine gets another chance to impress in a more familiar, less stressful environment.
The vertical jump not only measures an athlete’s ability to leap high in the air but also raw explosiveness from a standing position.
As with the 40-yard dash and bench press, the vertical jump is more important at some positions than others -- particularly for wide receivers and defensive backs who need to get in the air to make plays.
So how did prospects perform who are atop the NFL Draft odds to be among the top athletes taken at their respective positions? We combed through the site DraftScout.com as a source for pro-day data.
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The Vertical Jump - By Offensive Position
Wide Receivers
Vertical Jump -- Measured in how many inches an athlete can jump, measuring explosiveness.
TOP COMBINE PERFORMANCE SINCE 1999 (number of inches):
45.0 -- Chris Chambers, Wisconsin (2nd round pick - 2001)
45.0 -- Chris Conley, Georgia (3rd round pick - 2015)
TOP PRO DAY PERFORMANCE BY POS. - 2021 (number of inches):
46.5 -- Josh Imatorbhebhe, Illinois (projected free agent)
TOP WR PROSPECTS (by BetMGM odds)
JaMarr Chase, LSU
ODDS OF FIRST WR PICKED: -800
PRO DAY VJ: 41.0 (tied for 5th best)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJ: 1st round (No. 7 overall)
Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
ODDS OF FIRST WR PICKED: +700
PRO DAY VJ: opted out
DRAFTSCOUT PROJ: 1st round (No. 16 overall)
Devonta Smith, Alabama
ODDS OF FIRST WR PICKED: +800
PRO DAY VJ: opted out
DRAFTSCOUT PROJ: 1st round (No. 10 overall)
Rashod Bateman, Minnesota
ODDS OF FIRST WR PICKED: +5000
PRO DAY VJ: 36.0 (tied for 9th best)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJ: 2nd round (No. 44 overall)
Kadarius Toney, Florida
ODDS OF FIRST WR PICKED: +5000
PRO DAY VJ: 39.5 (tied for 6th best)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJ: 1st to 2nd round (No. 34 overall)
Terrace Marshall Jr., LSU
ODDS OF FIRST WR PICKED: +8000
PRO DAY VJ: 39 (tied for 10th best)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJ: 2nd round (No. 48 overall)
Running Backs
Vertical Jump -- Measured in how many inches an athlete can jump, measuring explosiveness.
TOP COMBINE PERFORMANCE SINCE 1999 (number of inches):
43.5 -- Jay Hinton, Morgan State (undrafted in 1999)
43.5 -- Jerry Azumah, New Hampshire (5th round pick - 1999)
TOP PRO DAY PERFORMANCES BY POS. - 2021 (number of inches):
40.5 -- Chris Evans, Michigan (projected 7th rounder)
TOP RB PROSPECTS (by BetMGM odds)
Najee Harris, Alabama
ODDS OF FIRST RB PICKED: +140
PRO DAY VJ: opted out
DRAFTSCOUT PROJ: 1st round (No. 28 overall)
Travis Etienne, Clemson
ODDS OF FIRST RB PICKED: +165
PRO DAY VJ: 33.5 (tied for 13th best)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJ: 1st to 2nd round (No. 33rd overall)
Javonte Williams, North Carolina
ODDS OF FIRST RB PICKED: +600
PRO DAY VJ: 36 (tied for 9th best)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJ: 2nd to 3rd round (No. 66 overall)
Michael Carter, North Carolina
ODDS OF FIRST RB PICKED: +4000
PRO DAY VJ: 34.0 (tied for 12th best)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJ: 2nd to 3rd round (No. 74 overall)
Tight Ends
Vertical Jump -- Measured in how many inches an athlete can jump, measuring explosiveness.
TOP COMBINE PERFORMANCE SINCE 1999 (number of inches):
43.5 -- Dorin Dickerson, Pittsburgh (7th round pick - 2010)
TOP PRO DAY PERFORMANCES BY POS. - 2021 (number of inches):
38.0 -- Carson Williams, Western Kentucky (projected free agent)
TOP TE PROSPECTS (by BetMGM odds)
Kyle Pitts, Florida
ODDS OF FIRST TE PICKED: -10000
PRO DAY VJ: 33.5 (tied for 7th best)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJ: 1st round (No. 5 overall)
Brevin Jordan, Miami (Fla.)
ODDS OF FIRST TE PICKED: +2000
PRO DAY VJ: 34.0 (tied for 6th overall)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJ: 3rd to 4th round
Offensive Linemen
Vertical Jump -- Measured in how many inches an athlete can jump, measuring explosiveness.
TOP COMBINE PERFORMANCE SINCE 1999 (number of inches):
36 -- Eric Steinbach, Iowa (2nd round pick - 2003)
36 -- Chris Brown, Georgia Tech (undrafted free agent - 2001)
TOP PRO DAY PERFORMANCES BY POS. - 2021 (number of inches):
35.5 -- Kendrick Green, Illinois (projected 3rd round)
TOP OL PROSPECTS (by BetMGM odds)
Penei Sewell, Oregon
ODDS OF FIRST OL PICKED: -500
PRO DAY VJ: 28.0 (tied for 11th)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJ: 1st round (No. 2 overall)
Rashawn Slater, Northwestern
ODDS OF FIRST OL PICKED: +250
PRO DAY VJ: 33 (tied for 5th best)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJ: 1st round (No. 9 overall)
Christian Darrisaw, Virginia Tech
ODDS OF FIRST OL PICKED: +2500
PRO DAY VJ: opted out
DRAFTSCOUT PROJ: 1st round (No. 13 overall)
Alijah Vera-Tucker, Southern Cal
ODDS OF FIRST OL PICKED: +3500
PRO DAY VJ: 32 (tied for 7th best)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJ: 1st round (No. 21 overall)
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Brian McLaughlin is a writer for BetMGM and co-host of BMac and Herd’s FCS Podcast. He has covered the national recruiting scene in football and basketball for The Sporting News, headed up the PARADE Magazine High School All-America selections, and handled FCS college football for HERO Sports. Follow BMac on Twitter @BrianMacWriter.
