Photo by John Connor Coulston // Managing Editor
Middle Tennessee held its annual Pro Day Thursday morning at Tennessee State University’s Indoor Practice Facility in front of numerous NFL scouts and front office officials.
As many as 24 NFL teams were represented to watch 19 MTSU athletes try to improve their draft stock. Kevin Byard, Jordan Parker, Cavellis Luckett and Darius Johnson were among some of the Blue Raiders auditioning for NFL scouts.
Other participants include: Christian Collis, Jamarcus Howard, Jaylen Hunter, Ed Batties, Corey McCarron, Patrick McNeil, Chase Pennycuff, James Roberson, Jared Singletary, Trey Wafford, Xavier Walker, Quay Watt, William Wilson, Chris Perkins (2014) and Jeremy Kellem (2010).
MTSU linebacker T.T. Barber did not participate in any drills due to an achilles injury.
Thursday’s standouts were headlined by Byard, Parker and Luckett.
Byard came into the workout needing a good 40-yard dash time to improve his draft positioning, and he delivered with an unofficial-best 4.46 time. The MTSU career leader in interceptions (19) caught the attention of NFL scouts with his speed, agility and ball skills, notably from the Detroit Lions, Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns and Oakland Raiders.
As first reported by NFL.com and confirmed by Sidelines, Byard will fly to meet with the Browns’ coaching staff and front office officials Thursday night.
Parker also impressed during his Pro Day, due in large part to his surprising speed. Parker ran an unofficial 4.64 40-yard dash, and combined with his 6-foot-1, 220-pound frame, caught the attention of scouts, specifically from the New Orleans Saints.
Luckett showed his athleticism, running an unofficial 4.50 in his 40-yard dash, while posting a 37.5-inch vertical jump.
Byard and Collis tied for the highest vertical jump (38 inches), Johnson led the Blue Raiders with 32 bench-press reps, and Collis finished with the longest broad jump (10 feet, nine inches).
See the unofficial results from MTSU’s 2016 Pro Day below:
| NAME | 40-YD DASH | VERT (IN) | BROAD (FT-IN) | BENCH |
| Kevin Byard – S | 4.46 | 38 | 10-0 | 22 |
| Jordan Parker – RB | 4.64 | 36 | 10-5 | 20 |
| Cavellis Luckett – LB | 4.50 | 37.5 | 10-1 | 15 |
| Darius Johnson – OL | 5.06 | 30.5 | 9-2 | 32 |
| Ed Batties – WR | 4.82 | 34.5 | 9-4 | 12 |
| Christian Collis – WR | 4.78 | 38 | 10-9 | 19 |
| Jamarcus Howard – CB | 4.56 | 37 | 10-3 | 14 |
| Jaylen Hunter – OL | Hamstring (DNP) | 27 | 8-8 | 25 |
| Corey McCarron – FB | 5.21 | 25.5 | 8-2 | 14 |
| Patrick McNeil – DT | 5.41 | 24.5 | 7-9 | 31 |
| Chase Pennycuff – FB | 5.01 | 31.5 | 8-8 | 24 |
| James Roberson – S | 4.69 | 33.5 | 9-8 | 9 |
| Jared Singletary – CB | 4.65 | 35.5 | 9-11 | 13 |
| Trey Wafford – S | 4.64 | 31 | 9-4 | 12 |
| Xavier Walker – S | 4.61 | 33.5 | 10-8 | 17 |
| Quay Watt – S | 4.63 | 37.5 | 10-8 | 25 |
| William Wilson – FB | 5.07 | 26 | 8-6 | 15 |
| Chris Perkins – WR | 4.73 | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| Jeremy Kellem – S | 4.71 | DNP | DNP | DNP |
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To contact Sports Editor Connor Grott, email sports@mtsusidelines.com or follow him on Twitter at @Connor_Grott.
