The first of two Utah State NFL hopefuls, running back Kerwynn Williams had a quick day at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis on Sunday.
The former Aggie was among the fastest backs, finishing with an official 4.48 40-yard dash for the third-best time at his position. Williams, who could have an NFL future as a kick returner as well as a ball-carrier, also had the fifth-best time in the 20-yard shuttle (4.15 secs) and the seventh-best vertical jump (35 inches).
The full results of his workout are on NFL.com — note that the numbers are his even if the picture isn't.
His workout and drill performance caught the eyes of writers and scouts at the Combine. Tony Pauline, in a piece for USA Today, labeled Williams one of the more complete backs of the Combine:
Williams was the most complete back on the field today and excelled in all areas. He tested well, posting a 40-yard dash time of 4.48 seconds as well as 4.15 seconds in the 20-yard shuttle. Williams showed incredible lateral movement and acceleration during drills. He was able to instantaneously change direction during ball drills without losing speed. Williams also looked great catching passes. Tipping the scale at 195 pounds, he grades as one of the better third-down backs available in April's draft.
Bryan Broaddus, blogging for the Dallas Cowboys, noted Williams as a possible late-round late bloomer:
Another guy to keep your eye on in the latter part of the draft is Kerwynn Williams of Utah State. I managed to do a little film work last week and glad I did. Williams is not the tallest back at 5-8 but you do see the power with the 17 reps at 225 but you also see the quickness when he carries or catches the ball. One of his best traits on film is to catch the ball and get North and South in a hurry.
Williams is graded by mock drafts as a late-round pick, but time will tell if his strong workout helped him improve his stock.
Cornerback Will Davis is scheduled to hit the field on Tuesday with the defensive backs.
— Kyle Goon
kgoon@sltrib.com
Twitter: @kylegoon
