Matt Scott has added about 15 pounds since his senior season. Photo by Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Former Arizona Wildcats quarterback Matt Scott earned positive reviews during workouts Sunday at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
Scott was credited with an official 40-yard dash time of 4.69 seconds, third among the 13 quarterbacks who participated. West Virginia’s Geno Smith ran in 4.59 seconds and Florida State’s EJ Manuel was at 4.65.
An even more telling drill might be the 20-yard shuttle, which better tests short-area explosion and lateral quickness.
From a three-point stance, players run 5 yards to the right, 10 to the left, pivot, and run 5 more yards to the finish. Scott completed the drill in 3.99 seconds, the best time for a quarterback at the combine since at least 2006 (results listed on NFL.com don’t go back further).
Scott also was first in the three-cone drill, a good measure of change of direction. His time of 6.69 seconds was the second-best for a quarterback in the past eight years, trailing only Tim Tebow at 6.66 seconds.
Beyond the testing, Scott did well during the throwing portion of the workout.
Wrote Tony Pauline for at USAToday.com:
“Scott’s draft grade has been ascending since September, and he made another positive impression on scouts at the combine. He looked comfortable and confident on the field Sunday and delivered his passes with speed and accuracy. His timing was a bit off as receivers were waiting on throws, but general managers around the league are excited about Scott’s potential after his workout.”
And there was this from Rob Rang of NFLDraftScout.com/CBSSports.com:
“The ball explodes out of his hand on short and intermediate throws. Several caught receivers by surprise during the gauntlet drills with how quickly they arrived.
“It wasn’t all good for Scott, however, as his accuracy tailed off on deeper throws. Also, while Scott demonstrates plenty of arm talent, his footwork can be a bit inconsistent. He didn’t consistently step into his throws Sunday.
“As one of the few quarterbacks in the 2013 class with dual-threat capabilities, Scott could spark interest early in day three of the draft or perhaps even earlier if he impresses teams on the white board.”
Rounds four through seven are held on the third day of the draft.
NFLDraftScout.com projects Scott as a fifth-rounder for now. NFL.com analyst Gil Brandt told Pros2Preps.com regarding Scott this week: “I know there are a lot of people that really like him. I think he’ll be taken down in that fourth-round area or a little past that.”
In other testing Sunday, Scott tied for second in the broad jump (9 feet, 10 inches) and was fourth in the vertical jump (31.0 inches). Scott, who was listed at 198 pounds at Arizona as a senior, checked in at the combine at 213 pounds — a needed addition to his lean 6-2 frame.
Related link: Scott: I’ll have the strongest arm at the NFL Combine