Wisconsin's Vinny Anthony Shined in NFL Combine Drills That Other Receivers Wouldn't Run

Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Vinny Anthony didn't stand out in the 40-yard dash or jumps, but he dominated in the other drills at the NFL Scouting Combine that showed off his quickness.

Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Vinny Anthony II (8) catches a pass during the first quarter against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at Camp Randall Stadium. | Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — On the surface, Vinny Anthony's performance at the NFL Scouting Combine didn't stand out.

But the Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver chose to run some of the drills that many other receivers didn't, and that's where he really stood out.

Especially for receivers, the combine drill that gets the most attention is the 40-yard dash. It tries to measure who the fastest players are, and speed is one of the most valuable traits for the position.

Anthony was one of the slower receivers who ran the drill this year, running it in 4.54 seconds. Only five participating receivers had longer times out of the 34 who ran it.

a 4.54 official and getting faster all the time 📈@VinnyAnthony1 x #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/BWLDxYrSZf

— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) February 28, 2026

He ranked in the exact same spot on the veritcal jump, another valuable drill for receivers who want to show off their ability to leap for high passes.

His 34.5-inch vertical was tied for sixth-lowest.

Those aren't numbers that are going to boost his NFL Draft stock, but Anthony did help himself in some of the other drills that aren't as common or well-known.

Related: Vinny Anthony Looking to Prove NFL Teams Wrong About Perceived Weakness In His Game

Each year, fewer and fewer players choose to participate in the short-shuttle and three-cone drills.

Both are back-and-forth running that help measure a player's fluidity and ability to change direction quickly without losing much speed.

Those are areas of Anthony's game that stood out on his game tape, and his combine performance reflected that.

He ran the short shuttle in 4.07 seconds, the fastest time of any wide receiver at the combine.

Only seven receivers chose to run the drill this year, but his time was the same as Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore and faster than Washington Commanders receiver Deebo Samuel, for comparison.

Related: Badgers WR Vinny Anthony Shares Why He Never Transferred Away From Wisconsin, Despite Team Struggles

In the three-cone drill, Anthony ran the second-fastest time among wide receivers at 6.86 seconds. Similarly, only seven receivers chose to run it this year as well.

WR 3-cone:

6.71 - Germie Bernard (!!!)
6.86 - Vinny Anthony II
6.98 - Malachi Fields
7.25 - Chris Hilton Jr.

WR short shuttle:

4.07 - Vinny Anthony II
4.28 - Denzel Boston
4.31 - Germie Bernard
4.35 - Malachi Fields
4.41 - Chris Hilton Jr.

— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) February 28, 2026

It's not a historically great number, but it's a faster three-cone time than Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown or Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze.

Overall, Anthony is still likely to end up as an undrafted rookie free agent, but he will have another opportunity to improve his athletic testing at the Wisconsin Pro Day on Friday.

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