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Jalen Hurd on track to be 2019 NFL Combine workout warrior

By Brad Berreman

October 1, 2016: Jalen Hurd (1) Tennessee Volunteers running back rushes attempts to get past the tackle of Malkom Parrish (14) Georgia Bulldogs defensive back during the game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga. (Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
October 1, 2016: Jalen Hurd (1) Tennessee Volunteers running back rushes attempts to get past the tackle of Malkom Parrish (14) Georgia Bulldogs defensive back during the game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga. (Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Jalen Hurd has switched schools and positions, but is he still a legit NFL prospect or just a workout warrior?

Over two and half seasons at Tennessee, Jalen Hurd looked (6-foot-4, 240 pounds) like an NFL tailback and performed (1,285 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns in 2015) like a potential first-round pick. But after an awkward exit during the middle of the 2016 season, talk that he wanted to switch positions at a new school and a prolonged transfer decision, he landed at Baylor in April of 2017.

After sitting out last season, per NCAA rules, Hurd is eligible to play this year. Matt Rhule’s team is coming off a one-win season, in his first at the school. But Hurd’s presence is a point of interest for a program trying to put the off-field indiscretions of the Art Briles era behind it.

Matt Hayes of Bleacher Report did a long piece on Hurd’s decisions to leave Tennessee and switch from running back to wide receiver. The first interesting part lies in some comments from Rhule.

“He’s going to play a long time in the NFL — as a wide receiver … He will be an elite wide receiver.”

Hurd has gone from a 240-pound Tennessee running back to a 220-pound Baylor wide receiver. Internal reports have been positive on how well he’s making the position switch, as expected, but Hayes quoted an NFL scout who is far less certain about Hurd’s future as an NFL wide receiver.

"We see guys change from running back to wide receiver all the time. It’s rare when he becomes an elite receiver. In fact, I haven’t really seen it. I know what Jalen was as a tailback. A damn good tailback. I have no idea what he is now."

Another quote, perhaps from the same NFL scout, questioned the wisdom of Hurd’s decision to leave Tennessee.

"All he had to do was finish out that last season at Tennessee, and he gets picked in the middle of the first round, and he’s making a lot of money. Now there’s a lot of questions."

If there’s one thing that is known about Hurd, it’s his raw talent and athletic ability. When the Baylor coaching staff put him through drills, he did not disappoint.

Hurd squatted more than 500 pounds, ran the 40-yard dash consistently in the 4.4-second range, posted a 40-inch vertical jump and ran 20-yard shuttles of 3.8 and 3.9 seconds. For some context, as cited by Hayes, the best vertical jump at this year’s NFL Combine was 41.5 inches and the recent best at the combine in the 20-yard shuttle was 3.81.

Baylor assistant coach Evan Cooper lamented Hayes including the 3.8-second 20-yard shuttle in the piece, since it potentially stretches credibility even if “he absolutely did” run it that fast.

Cooper went a little further to lay props on Hurd.

“I’m telling you, we got away with highway robbery. Literally, this might be the most talented player I have ever seen.”

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Hurd cited the short shelf life of NFL running backs, and the generally longer career span for wide receivers, as the driving force for his desire to change positions. While it may be better for his long-term health and the length of a potential NFL career, Hurd has to prove to NFL scouts he can be something more than a workout warrior when the league gathers in Indianapolis for the 2019 combine.

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