Massive combine performance from one Florida Gator raises questions about his NFL future
The National Football League Scouting Combine becomes the center of the football world at the end of February and beginning of March. It allows the draft prospects to make a statement just weeks before the NFL Draft occurs. Saturday afternoon is the biggest day of the combine, as the quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers […]
The National Football League Scouting Combine becomes the center of the football world at the end of February and beginning of March. It allows the draft prospects to make a statement just weeks before the NFL Draft occurs.
Saturday afternoon is the biggest day of the combine, as the quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers take the field. The Florida Gators had four players (including Georgia Bulldogs transfer running back Trevor Etienne) participating on the day and they showed out with explosive testing.
Of those four players, one of them had a combine that put him on the map for a lot of people who didn't know him earlier.
Chimere Dike raises eyebrows with combine performance
The Gators have had a lot of talented weapons come out of their program in recent years, including tight end Kyle Pitts (4th overall pick) and wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (31st overall pick). They also have multiple players still in the NFL including Demarcus Robinson, who caught multiple touchdowns with the Los Angeles Rams this season, and Brandon Powell.
Their next receiver who could las a long time in the NFL is Chimere Dike. A player who was somewhat of an afterthought after transferring in from Wisconsin this past offseason, Dike was the only true constant in the Gators' wide receiver room that was littered with injuries and had his most productive season with 42 catches for 783 yards and two touchdowns. Dike also had 14 punt returns for 187 yards.
Going into the combine, the prevailing thought around Dike was he would be a core special teamer and punt returner for awhile in the league, but not someone who would compete to be a top three wide receiver. After testing at the combine, that thought might change.
Dike tested off the charts. At 6', 0.5" tall and 196 lbs, Dike ran a 4.34 40-yard dash and paired it with other good testing and position drills. Is there more with Dike than we've seen previously?
Not only did Dike thrive in terms of Relative Athletic Score, he finished very high in the A to Z Athletic Composite in the 92nd percentile, including a 90.8% speed score.
The interesting thing with Dike is if he has untapped potential. When he was with both Wisconsin and Florida, Dike hasn't been a major focus of the offense. With the Gators, he was used mainly running deep overs and short routes. There were some flashes of great play, including the game-tying touchdown from quarterback DJ Lagway against Tennesse this year.
With his size and testing, teams may see him as a player that is worth a day three selection. At the very least, you have someone with high upside on special teams. You could have a player, especially in a Sean McVay, Kevin O'Connell, or Kyle Shanahan offense, who could thrive with in-breaking routes in condensed sets.
It's quite an interesting situation with Dike, especially because athletic testing doesn't tell you the entire story. However, seeing what he can do athletically does raise the question:
Will Dike be better in the NFL than he was in college?
Florida Gators prospects stand out at NFL Scouting Combine with blazing times
Florida is once again is producing elite athletes
