A pair of former Vanderbilt Commodores will get the chance to impress NFL executives and scouts at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine.
Quarterback Kyle Shurmur and defensive back Joejuan Williams were among the 338 prospects that received invitations to this year’s combine, the NFL announced on Thursday. The Combine will take place from Feb. 26 to Mar. 4 in Indianapolis, Indiana ahead of the 2019 NFL Draft here in Nashville from Apr. 25-27.
The tests the pair will face at the Combine include the 40-yard dash, bench press (225-pound repetitions), vertical jump, broad jump, 20-yard shuttle, three-cone shuttle, 60-yard shuttle, position-specific drills, physical measurements, interviews and additional evaluations.
Shurmur enters the NFL Draft after finishing his Vanderbilt career as the school’s all-time leader in passing yards, completions and touchdowns. He also threw for over 3,000 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2018.
“From a skillset standpoint that can translate to the NFL, I mean, he’s right up there with some of the best,” former Vanderbilt quarterback Jordan Rodgers said in November. “He deserves to be in the conversation of one of the better quarterbacks in this league, and he’ll get the chance to prove that as he continues his career at the next level.”
Williams was the lone Vanderbilt underclassman to declare for the NFL Draft, and for good reason. He finished atop the SEC in passes defended in 2018 with 18 and had a career-high four interceptions, tied for second in the conference.
In Todd McShay’s latest mock draft on ESPN, he projects Williams to be selected 23rd overall in the first round by the Houston Texans.
“Man, the more tape I watch, the more I like Williams,” McShay wrote. “He’s a long press corner with some strong ball skills.”
If Williams does get picked in the first round, he would be the first Vanderbilt player taken in the first 32 picks since Chris Williams in 2008, and the first Vanderbilt defensive back taken in the first round since Leonard Coleman in 1984.
Following the Combine, Vanderbilt will host a pro day on campus on Mar. 12 in which all draft-eligible Commodores will be able to get looked at by NFL scouts.
