Starting with the son of Hall of Famer Jason Taylor, the LSU product only did position drills at the combine but was the best in a show, running the gauntlet drill at a top speed of 18.77 MPH (third among TEs). Taylor’s smooth movements were impressive, as was his natural catching ability. At only 20 years old, there’s tons of developmental upside for Taylor, who followed up a strong Senior Bowl with a great on-field workout at the combine.
Ferguson is also having a good pre-draft process with an impressive week in Mobile and Indy. Ferguson logged a 9.57 RAS with a 4.63s 40-yard dash at 6-5, 247 pounds. Ferguson is more of a seam-running receiving tight end who utilizes his size at the catch point, but he can grow into his frame to develop into a better blocker, where he currently struggles.
As for the fallers, Texas TE Gunnar Helm was a projected top-100 pick before the combine. However, Helm’s 2.23 RAS with a 4.84s 40-yard dash at 6-5, 241 pounds was a letdown. Helm will need to improve those numbers at his Pro Day to remain a top-100 lock. It was also just a fine workout for Bowling Green’s Harold Fannin Jr., who set the FBS single-season record for a tight end with 1,555 yards in 2024. Fannin has below-average size (6-3, 241 lbs) and modest speed (4.71s), with a 6.23 RAS.
Ferguson and Taylor helped their stocks, while it’ll be interesting to see how far Fannin and Helm slip now that the testing numbers are in.
3. Standout Day-Two Cornerback Prospects Following Combine Workouts
The Patriots don’t have a significant need at cornerback with CB Christian Gonzalez blossoming into an All-Pro in his second season, but they could bolster their depth behind Gonzalez.
In particular, the Pats might need to add an outside corner to play the perimeter spot opposite Gonzo, while veteran CB Jonathan Jones is a pending free agent. Besides drafting Hunter to play corner, it’s hard to envision a scenario where New England selects a cornerback in the first round. Still, it was worth monitoring the workouts for days two and three.
With that in mind, the two standouts from Friday’s workouts that fit the Patriots mold were Kentucky CB Maxwell Hairston and Iowa State CB Darien Porter. Hairston recorded the fastest 40-yard dash among the corners at 4.28 seconds with elite speed and explosiveness to register a 9.71 out of 10 relative athletic score. Hairston was projected to be selected in the second round but might’ve tested into the first-round conversation. On film, he has great physicality in press coverage, recovery speed, and transition quickness to stay attached downfield.
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