Mel Kiper Jr. raises Will Mallory to Round 4 or 5 after NFL Combine
Following a big performance at the NFL Combine, former Miami tight end Will Mallory is starting to see his draft stock rise. Mallory ran the fastest 40-yard dash among tight ends with a time of 4.54 seconds and third with a 36.5-inch vertical.
That led to some praise from ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper, who has Mallory rising up his draft board and declared him a potential fourth or fifth-round pick.
“Mallory came in a little light — 239 pounds — but he ran the fastest 40-yard dash of any of the tight ends in Indianapolis and also surprised some scouts with a 36.5-inch vertical,” Kiper wrote in a recent article for ESPN. “Those are outstanding numbers for the veteran, who played in 59 games for the Hurricanes. He improved every season at Miami, even with erratic quarterback play, catching 42 passes for 538 yards last season.
“In a great tight end class, Mallory had been a little lost in the shuffle; he was No. 11 in my updated rankings last week. Now, he’s moving up a bit, and I could see him going in Round 4 or 5.”
Mallory recorded 115 catches for 1,544 yards and 14 touchdowns across his five-year career with the Hurricanes. Now, with his impressive combine performance, he’ll hope to make a similar impact in the pros.
The 2023 NFL Draft is set to take place from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri.
WATCH: Will Mallory runs 4.54 40-yard dash at NFL Combine
Skill position players have been on display at the NFL Combine and on Saturday night, it was time for the tight ends to shine. Everyone’s favorite event — the 40-yard dash — was on full display once again. One of the top projected tight ends, Miami‘s Will Mallory put on a show, having one of the position’s best times.
Mallory was able to put up an impressive 4.54 and raise a few eyebrows. Even Rich Eisen and Daniel Jeremiah were impressed from the commentary booth, talking about how quickly the tight end was moving.
Mallory got off to a nice start before looking consistent for all 40 yards. He was seemingly gliding out there, especially for somebody coming in at 6-4.5 and 239 pounds. Not many tight ends can move like him, sharing similar times to some wide receivers at the Combine.
To add to how impressive Mallory’s time is, the 4.54 unofficial was his second attempt. He was able to shed 0.03 seconds compared to his first attempts, putting him up there as one of the top tight ends. Some serious speed is being shown by the Miami product.
On3’s Griffin McVeigh contributed to this report.