It could a Stanford tight end at the top of the draft class for the position for the second year in a row after all. The Cardinal held their Pro Day on Thursday and all eyes were on tight end Zach Ertz, looking to rebound from numbers posted at the combine that were below his expectations.
After running the 40-yard dash in the 4.65 to 4.76 range back in Indianapolis at the NFL Combine, Ertz improved that to as good as 4.57 on Thursday in front of scouts from all 32 teams. Ertz also put up a vertical leap of 30½ inches at the combine, but improved to 35½ inches at the Stanford Pro Day.
After Stanford tight end Coby Fleener was the first tight end taken in 2012 when the Colts drafted him with the 34th overall pic, Ertz has a sold chance to become the first from his position selected this year as well, possibly going in the first round. Ertz told reporters that he "just wasn't feeling that day" in regards to the combine. The 6'6 tight end with solid hands and now a solid 40-yard dash, could be snatched up sooner than expected in April with that kind of athleticism.
Fellow tight end Levine Toilolo, one of the biggest tight ends in the draft at 6'8, ran a 40-yard dash in the low 4.7-second range with a vertical of 33½ inches and a broad jump of 9'9. Running back Stepfan Taylor ran the 40 in the 4.64 to 4.68 range, a little faster than the 4.76 he put up in Indianapolis.
With the sheer number of scouts in attendance and players on display, it's still quite a sight to see how far this Stanford football program has come.
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