Heisman Finalists Show Out At NFL Combine

The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young has about 12 to 36 months before he’ll perform under the spotlight that is the NFL combine. He’s busy now just getting ready for Alabama’s set of 15 2022 spring football dates, which start March 11.

The 2022 NFL Combine finished today with two of the four 2021 Heisman Trophy finalists putting down tape, Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett and Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson.

Pickett performed well but the biggest news from his combine efforts was the measurement of his hands — 8.5 inches — below average for NFL signal-callers. 

That of course reminded some of 2019 Heisman winner Joe Burrow, whose hands were measured at nine inches in 2020. 

Burrow deftly replied with humor to the consternation about his hand size, tweeting: “Considering retirement after I was informed the football will be slipping out of my tiny hands. Please keep me in your thoughts.”

Of course, Burrow overcome that setback, and a torn ACL later in 2020, to lead the Cincinnati Bengals to within a few plays of a 2021 Super Bowl title. 

Hopefully things work out just as well for Pickett. He was definitely turning heads with his throws despite the hand measurements.

As for Hutchinson, the 2021 Heisman runner-up’s athleticism was on full display. Per The Athletics’s Bruce Feldman:  “Aidan Hutchinson’s shuttle times are why he’s such a Freak. His 6.73 3-cone time is 3rd best at the Combine (behind a pair of WRs) and his 20-yd shuttle of 4.15 is 2nd fastest, and the guy who beat it is almost a foot shorter and weighs 90 lbs. less.”

And here’s his impressive 40.

2015 Heisman winner Derrick Henry put down some monster numbers during his 2016 NFL combine showing, which you can watch here. Somehow, he still slid to No. 45 overall, to the delight of Tennessee Titan fans.

2011 Heisman winner Robert Griffin III showed his athleticism at the 2012 combine, running a pair of 40s in 4.41 and a 4.38, among the fastest ever by a QB.

When 2016 Heisman winner Lamar Jackson worked out, some NFL teams still weren’t certain if he projected as a quarterback. Suffice it to say he’s put that question to rest. Here’s how he looked at the combine: