Purdue Pro Day Notebook
Ten Purdue players are chasing an NFL dream. And today was their big day.
Scouts from every NFL team gathered at Mollenkopf Athletic Center on a chilly Thursday March morning to audition.
This was old hat for five Boilermakers who just ran through a similar gauntlet of drills at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis last week: QB Aidan O’Connell, WR Charlie Jones, TE Payne Durham, LB Jalen Graham and CB Cory Trice.
Five of their teammates also worked out today: CB Reese Taylor, DB Bryce Hampton, K Mitchell Fineran, DB Chris Jefferson and LS Nick Zecchino. LB Semisi Fakasiieiki was slated to workout but was not present.
• At the Combine, the crowd cheered when Jones was running a speedy 40-yard dash.
“I didn’t expect it at all,” said Jones, who says he feels the best he’s ever felt. “So, when I heard it, I thought I ran a little bit faster. But it is still good to have that home crowd environment.”
Jones clocked a blazing 4.43 40 in Indianapolis and thinks he could have ran faster. Jones did not run a 40 today.
“Today was a good day,” said Jones, who worked out in Phoenix leading up to the Combine. “Aidan threw really well.”
Jones will remain in West Lafayette for the time being, catching passes from O’Connell. Playing inside, outside, running back punts, Jones is ready for anything at the next level, he says.
• Trice continues to improve his stock. After he ran 4.47 40 at the Combine last weekend, Trice opted not to run one today.
“There was a lot of question about my speed,” said Trice.
He squashed those doubts in Indianapolis.
A video of Trice’s Purdue teammates celebrating his fast 40 at the Combine went viral.
“I was excited,” said Trice, who arrived at Purdue in 2018 as a safety. “They knew how bad I wanted it. I’d been telling them: I’m gonna get a 4.4.”
He clocked a 3.96 shuttle today.
Trice said he was the tallest (6-3) and heaviest (215) corner at the Combine. But, he was quick to note he was not the slowest–not even close. Trice also said his medical checked out after his 2021 season was ruined by a knee injury.
No doubt, he will get drafted. And he likely will be the first Boilermaker off the board. How high? Maybe a third- or fourth-rounder.
• Durham famously spent most of his prep career playing lacrosse. But he said today he only took up football as a senior after the coach at his Georgia high school said he’d have to play if the coach hit a halfcourt shot on a dare. The football coach hit the shot, and Durham went out for football. Now, Durham is on the precipice of an NFL career.
• O’Connell threw the ball well, estimating he threw 46-48 passes. O’Connell’s favorite throws to make: out-cuts, throwing to the sideline and back.
He was training in Frisco, Texas, and says he went out a few times with David Blough while in the area near Dallas. They went to church together and went to the Bloughs’ house.
“He has been huge (in this process),” said O’Connell. “He has been a mentor.” O’Connell calls Blough a “great friend.”
O’Connell has some visits set up in town and on the road, staying based in West Lafayette for the near future.
• Scouts took Jones outdoors to field punts. No doubt, his NFL viability likely will hinge on his ability to help as a return man.
• All 32 NFL teams were on hand. And even one offensive coordinator: The Raiders’ Mick Lombardi.
• Taylor showed a lot of explosiveness and speed. He clocked a 4.45 40, the fastest of the five players who ran one today. His 38.5″ vertical, 6.63 three-cone and 10’4″ broad jump also were the best of the day. Taylor, who began his career at Indiana, seemed to really help himself. Keep an eye on him.
MORE: Purdue players at NFL Combine | Pro Day Photo Gallery
• Ex-Boilermaker WR Jackson Anthrop was on hand to watch and helped catch Zecchino’s long snaps. Anthrop said he just wasn’t a fit for the Bob Stoops’ offense (think Iowa) with the XFL Arlington team. He is looking to his get his mortgage license. Coaching also could be in his future. Maybe a GA at Louisville?
• Four players ran 40s: Graham, Hampton, Jefferson, Taylor, Zecchino
Four broad jumped: Graham, Hampton, Jefferson, Taylor, Zecchino
Eight did the three-cone: Durham, Graham, Hampton, Jefferson, Jones, Trice, Taylor, Zecchino
Eight did the shuttle: Durham, Graham, Hampton, Jefferson, Jones, Taylor, Trice, Zecchino
Five benched: Durham, Graham, Jefferson, Taylor, Zecchino
• Best 40: Taylor (4.45)
Best vertical: Taylor 38.5″
Best broad: Taylor (10’4″)
Best shuttle: Trice (3.96)
Best bench: Graham (18)
Best three-cone: Taylor (6.63)
MORE: NFL scout dishes on Purdue NFL Combine participants
• “It was awesome.”
That’s how O’Connell described throwing passes to Jones at the Combine. “Being able to share that memory will be cool for a long time.”
• Durham “maybe didn’t run the 40” he wanted at the Combine (4.87) but says teams know what they’re getting with him: An old-school “Y” tight end (receiving): “Block, red zone, third downs,” he says. Durham didn’t run a 40 today.
Durham trained in Florida, and his body looked very trim. He knows there are different types of tight ends. Some who are blockers, and “sexy” Travis Kelce-types. Who does Durham compare himself to? Jack Doyle, a Western Kentucky product who played for the Brohms in Bowling Green.
• Who does Trice compare himself to? Jalen Ramey.
“He’s physical,” he said. “Can play press. Play off. Smart. Just go out there and have fun. Plus, he talks a lot. I like it. … You talk, you gotta back it up.”
• Linebacker? Rover? Graham is open to any spot. He says teams like the fact he can play different positions. He says he spoke to David Bell and DaMarcus Mitchell about how to navigate this process.
