Pruitt defends Jauan Jennings’ NFL Combine results: ‘All I know is, throw him the ball’

Jeremy Pruitt isn’t interested in your precious combine measurables. That much was clear on Thursday during a Knoxville radio interview. Pruitt explained why those numbers shouldn’t matter much when NFL teams are evaluating a player like Jauan Jennings, who disappointed with a 4.7 in the 40 yard dash back in February.

“I don’t care what Jauan Jennings runs in the 40,” Pruitt said on 99.1 The Sports Animal. “I don’t care what he jumps on a vertical. All I know is, throw him the ball. You want the ball in the guy’s hands. Wherever he gets drafted, he’s going to play and he’s going to be an impact on the team.”

That’s pretty much how the rest of Knoxville feels. Anyone that has watched Jennings play over the last few seasons knows what he’s capable of. As a senior and finally fully healthy, there were times where Jauan carried the offense — something that’s rarely seen out of a receiver. Jennings ended his season with 59 catches for 969 yards and eight touchdowns, playing in a less than friendly offense for receivers.

The fact is, Jennings was never going to put up a big number in the 40 yard dash. That’s not his game. What he will do is beat you at the catch point and drag defenders to the endzone.

Jennings could hear his name called as early as Friday, but most projections have him sliding to Saturday. Some team out there is going to find some really nice value if that’s the case.