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Provo • Running back Jamaal Williams, linebacker Harvey Langi, safety Kai Nacua, cornerback Michael Davis, defensive end Sae Tautu, receiver Colby Pearson and interior offensive lineman Andrew Eide were all happy with their performances at BYU's Pro Day on Friday.
So who turned the most heads, made the biggest splash in front of representatives from all 32 National Football League teams at the Indoor Practice Facility?
That would be quarterback Taysom Hill, naturally.
Not invited to February's NFL Scouting Combine and seemingly forgotten after suffering the fourth season-ending injury of his career last November, an elbow injury that kept him out of the Poinsettia Bowl, the 26-year-old Hill hasn't given up on his dream of playing professional football.
It showed. His time of 4.44 seconds in the 40-yard dash was considerably faster than the best time recorded by a QB at the NFL Combine (Trevor Knight's 4.54) and his 38.5-inch vertical jump would have tied for 12th among all players.
"I love the game," said Hill, who sported a full beard along with most of his former teammates. "I know the time frame to play at this level is short, so I am going to take advantage of it."
But at what position? Hill isn't saying, twice declining to give specifics.
"Again, I am just talking about playing, so I don't know what that means," said Hill, who did all the drills except the bench press and the 60-yard shuttle, after planning until a few weeks ago to just run the 40. He also threw for the scouts and did some running back-specific drills at their request.
Hill's Salt Lake City-based agent, Mark Flores of Pillar Sports Management, said later Friday that he didn't talk to a single NFL team "that doesn't see Taysom playing quarterback" at the next level.
"They also can see that he brings other qualities … he could possibly be an H-back, a running back or a safety," Flores said. "He showed today that he adds value in a lot of places. … You look at the numbers he put up today, and how well he threw the ball, that might convince a team it ought to take a shot with him."
Said Hill: "I wanted to run in the low 4.4s, and I came in and did that. My rehab went a little faster than what I planned and expected, so I went ahead and did the other stuff on short preparation [time]. Again, I was happy with what happened today."
Most NFL mock drafts have Williams as the first, and perhaps only, Cougar who will be taken in April. The all-time leading rusher in school history and Langi, who played multiple positions at BYU, were the only BYU players invited to the NFL Combine.
Williams improved the 4.59 he posted in the combine with a 4.53 in the 40 on Friday.
"Overall I felt like I had a great Pro Day," Williams said. "I am happy with my results."
Williams said he doesn't have any expectation regarding which round he will go in, but believes it will be fairly early in the draft.
"So my only expectation is to come out and watch the first few days and know that my name is going to be called," he said. "But really, the important of it is to get on a team and show what you got so you can make sure you make the team, first of all, and then contribute to the team."
Davis, a high school track star in Los Angeles who began his college career at receiver before moving to cornerback, posted a 4.34 in the 40, maybe the fastest time ever at a BYU Pro Day. It would have been the fourth-fastest time at the combine.
Tautu's 4.55 time would have been the fourth-best at the combine among defensive linemen and linebackers, and Nacua's 39-inch vertical jump, the day's best, would have been 10th among all players at the combine.
Eide, the transfer from SUU, did 33 repetitions on the 225-pound bench press to lead all Cougars in that category. That would have ranked Eide fifth among OLs at the combine and his 30.5-inch vertical would have tied for third.
His agent, Evan Brennan, said he will play guard or center at the next level, and a lot of NFL teams are intrigued by Eide's ability to snap the football although he didn't play center in college.
Twitter: @drewjay —
BYU's Pro Day participants
RB Algnernon Brown, DB Michael Davis, OL Parker Dawe, OL Andrew Eide, QB Taysom Hill, WR Garrett Juergens, WR Mitchell Juergens, WR Nick Kurtz, LB Harvey Langi, DB Kai Nacua, WR Colby Pearson, DL Logan Taele, DB Eric Takenaka, DL Sae Tautu, DL Travis Tuiloma, OL Brad Wilcox, RB Jamaal Williams, DL Graham Rowley.
Of note • Taele and Tuiloma had recent ACL surgery and were measured for height and weight, but did not participate in any drills; Rowley last played in 2015.