Defenders post impressive numbers at Pro Day

AUBURN | Tray Matthews and Tre’ Williams came into Auburn’s Pro Day Friday with something to prove.

Both players were passed up by the NFL Combine and this was their opportunity to perform in front of a bevy of scouts representing all 32 NFL teams. Both got it done in the testing portion of the day and position drills.

“It was very important to me. I came in here with a chip on my shoulder, of course, and I wanted to show everyone how versatile I was,” Matthews said. “A lot of the teams were coming up to me saying, ‘You’re a big joker. You look like a dang linebacker,’ but a lot of them were saying I move like a DB. I’m taking that as a compliment.

“They just said I look fluent. I dropped one ball out of all the balls that were thrown so I showed my hands. Showed range out here as well. I had a lot to prove and I think I did today.”

Matthews, who measured 6-foot-0.5 and 213 pounds, had a 35.5-inch vertical leap, a 10-foot, 1-inch broad jump, 22 reps on the bench press at 225 pounds and ran 4.58 and 4.54 40-yard dashes.

Williams was equally as impressive. He had a 34.5-inch vertical, 9-foot, 10-inch broad jump, 21 reps on the bench and ran successive 4.75 40’s at 6-foot-2 and 236 pounds.

“I was kind of worried when I didn’t get invited to the combine,” Williams said. “But a lot of my family was behind me and they just told me to stay focused. Today was a big opportunity and I took full advantage of it.”

A total of 16 former Auburn players participated in Pro Day. Darius James had the most reps on the bench press with 30 and Carlton Davis ran the best 40 at 4.47. Matthews had the best vertical and broad jump.

The players also ran 20- and 60-yard shuttles.

Most of the seven players that took part in the NFL Combine stuck with those numbers including Davis, Jeff Holland, Daniel Carlson, Kerryon Johnson, Kamryn Pettway, Stephen Roberts and Braden Smith.

Johnson did run the 40, posting times of 4.58 and 4.54.

“It couldn’t be anything above that. That was my goal. That’s what I’ve been working on for three months and just had to come out here and prove it today,” Johnson said.

The 2018 NFL Draft will be held April 26-28 in Arlington, Texas. Auburn coach Gus Malzahn is hoping the Tigers will have five or more players selected this year, which would be a school record since the draft went to seven rounds in 1994.

“It’s important and I think it says a lot about our program and the foundation that we built the last five years,” Malzahn said. “A lot of very talented young men out here that’s going to be very successful at the next level and represent Auburn the right way and represent their families the right way.”