AUBURN | For the most part, Auburn’s top NFL prospects all stood on their testing numbers from last weekend’s NFL Combine. That left the door open for some other NFL hopefuls to shine during Friday’s Pro Day.
And Chandler Cox took full advantage of the opportunity. He had the day’s best vertical leap at 32 inches and ran a 4.70 40-yard dash, not bad for a 6-foot and 3/4-inch, 236-pound fullback.
“I don't even know how to explain it. I was so anxious, so ready to be here and come out and perform and do well and catch all the balls. I didn't want to drop any. Just wanted to leave everything I got,” Cox said. “That's my thing, I wanted to leave everything I have on the field, and thats what I think I did today. I don't have anything left in the tank.
“I'm just excited. I'm excited for what's next. Whatever happens, it's all up to the big man upstairs, and I love Auburn and thankful for this opportunity.”
Cox also had a 9-foot-3 broad jump and did 18 reps on the 225-pound bench press.
Another standout on Friday was quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who put on a show during the position drill portion of Pro Day showing off his strong arm and movement in the pocket. Stidham didn’t go through testing Friday after participating in the combine.
“That was a very impressive workout,” Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. “I feel like he’ll be one of the top quarterbacks taken in this draft when everything’s all said and done. The more he can get around these NFL coaches and scouts and everything, I think they can see he can make all the throws, has a very high IQ, football IQ. I think he’s going to be an excellent pro.”
Other notable performers included defensive lineman Andrew Williams, who had the most bench reps with 25, just edging out Dontavius Russell’s 24. Ryan Davis had the best 40 time with a 4.61 while Darrell Williams had the best broad jump at 9-foot-6.
Darrell Williams, who was listed at 240 pounds on last fall’s roster, weighed in at 219 on Friday. He ran a 4.91 40 and had a 29.6 vertical
“My plan was to lean up, but the plan wasn’t really to lose that much weight. So I’m shocked, too, as well, but like I said, I went down actually even lower than what that is, and I’ve just been gaining weight back. I’m trying to gain it back,” Darrell said. “I’m not trying to get too much bigger than what I am now. I’ve talked to a couple of teams and they said about 5-8 pounds bigger than now, that would be good.”
Friday’s Pro Day couldn’t match the eye-popping numbers Jamel Dean and Darius Slayton put up at the combine. Dean ran the second-fastest 40 of the entire combine with a 4.29 along with a 41.0 vertical. Slayton ran a 4.39 40 and had a 40.5 vertical. Neither tested Friday but they did go through position drills in front of scouts from all 32 NFL teams.
“First of all, we have some real quality young men, high character, done a super job for Auburn, going to be very successful in life,” Malzahn said. “It was fun to see them out there doing their thing. Like I said, a lot of really good football players.”
