Winner: Justin Jefferson
Jefferson, the LSU slot receiver, had some incredible items on his resume as the Combine beckoned. Per Pro Football Focus, he posted a 92.3% contested catch rate, forced 23 missed tackles, had the most catches from the slot and had the most yards from the slot, among receivers last season.
Solid, but how would the wideout test out in Indianapolis?
As it turns out, incredibly well.
Jefferson ran a blazing 4.43 40-yard dash, a top ten time to go with what he produced on film during LSU’s run to a national championship. Not to be satisfied with a great 40-yard dash, Jefferson showed some explosiveness with a vertical of 37.5” and a broad jump of 10’6”, both very good for the wide receiver position.
While he was used primarily out of the slot by the Tigers, with his size (6’1” 202) Jefferson could be used as both a slot or a Z type receiver in the NFL. His speed, explosiveness and size make him a boundary threat on the outside, but that combination will make him a difficult assignment for many slot cornerbacks in the NFL. His resume, now complete with size, impressive testing and production, coupled with his positional versatility makes him a very attractive option for NFL offenses.
Loser: Mitchell Wilcox
When given this assignment, my editor was looking for 200-300 words on each selection.
But honestly, I’m hoping my editor lets this one slide a bit. Because folks, if you take a dome shot to the head on national television during the gauntlet, you’re leaving town in this category.
Mitchell Wilcox took one to the face 😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/dvA061wD44
— SUSPENDED AGAIN (@FTBeard1) February 27, 2020
Wilcox did just that, suffering a burst blood vessel in his eye in the process. He made it through the rest of the drills, but his testing likely fell off as a result of the injury. He’ll get a chance to rebound on his Pro Day, but… yeah.