The next crop of Oklahoma Sooners has descended upon Indianapolis for the most extensive interview. They’re looking to showcase themselves in front of the NFL world at the NFL scouting combine.
Oklahoma’s success on the field this season was not up to usual standards. However, the Sooners still had a handful of talented players.
One of those Sooners, Jalen Redmond, was the only defensive lineman representing Oklahoma in Indianapolis.
Redmond spent the last four years trying to live up to the four-star recruit he entered college as. Injuries always felt like his biggest enemy. He was productive and a problem for opposing offensive lines when he was healthy. On Thursday afternoon, he showcased why Oklahoma had such high hopes for him when he was healthy. His testing numbers were excellent from top to bottom.
Redmond was the second-fastest among defensive tackle prospects at 4.81 seconds. To further highlight his get-off, he had the second-fastest 10-yard split of 1.71 seconds behind Pitt’s Calijah Kancey. The 10-yard split also helps illustrate a defensive tackle’s ability to get off the ball and their ability in short-area pursuit.
.@jalen_redmond off to a strong start with a 4.85u on his first run. @OU_Football
📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork
📱: Stream on NFL+ pic.twitter.com/6RElb5ucHL— NFL (@NFL) March 2, 2023
He further showed off his explosiveness, leading the way among interior defensive linemen with the best broad jump and vertical in the group.
On Friday, Redmond flexed his strength by putting up 27 reps of 225 pounds on the bench, fourth among his position’s peers.
Next up will be the interview process. However, his tape, combined with his athletic testing numbers, highlight his best football is still in front of him. The medical check will be paramount after dealing with life-threatening blood clots that forced him to miss the 2020 season due to COVID concerns and some lingering knee issues.
Redmond was second on the team in 2022 with 10.5 tackles for loss. He finished his final season with 23 tackles which included four sacks. His other most notable year came in 2019 when he played in 13 of 14 games and made four starts. He led OU with 6.5 sacks and ranked third with 11.0 tackles for loss. Redmond’s natural athleticism was on full display for the NFL world, and it’s hard to imagine he didn’t make a bit extra money for his performance.