NFL Draft: Canadian born Pitt WR Jared Wayne posts elite numbers at Pro Day
The NHL Combine usually debuts each year in early June. Hockey’s finest draft-eligible prospects undergo a wide range of individual tests of strength and agility in hopes of achieving an opportunity to play in the National Hockey League.
Coincidentally, while the NHL is working through its draft process, the National Football League is underway in its Organized Team Activities or better known as OTAs.
“I thought I was going to be a hockey player growing up,” Peterborough, Ontario native Jared Wayne said. “I started to kind of take football seriously in high school.”
Equipped with a passport and athleticism, Wayne began hitting football camps in the U.S. to attract attention from high school coaches. Wayne had to put himself out there rather than coaches knowing who he was already. The first validation of his pursuit of playing professionally in the NFL came when he attended Clearwater Academy International in Clearwater, Florida.
If that opportunity doesn’t come to fruition for Wayne, he might be trying to perfect his slap shot. Without a change of heart from hockey to football, it’s possible Wayne would have been preparing for the dreaded Wingate drill in June at the NHL Combine. Instead, Wayne is looking back fondly on his exceptional Pro Day performance at Pitt.
Another positive step towards playing in the NFL, the 22-year Canadian-born wideout quietly put together a top-notch Pro Day performance in front of all 32 NFL teams. He measured 6-foot-2 with a 79 5/8" wingspan and weighed in at 209 pounds.
Possessing a chiseled-up long frame, Wayne was on a level with the elite numbers posted at his position during the NFL Combine. His 41.5 vertical jump topped all receivers invited to Indianapolis. Wayne’s 3-cone time of 6.85 and 4.06 20-yard shuttle ranked second to only Ohio State receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
“I’m only scratching the surface,” Wayne said.
Wayne emerged as the Panthers' No. 1 receiving threat after Biletnikoff Award winner Jordan Addison transferred to USC after a stellar two-year career at Pittsburgh. Addison’s departure left Wayne with the opportunity to work his way into the consciousness of NFL teams. He caught 60 passes for 1,063 yards and five touchdowns over 12 games last season for Pitt. Wayne earned second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors.
“I think it was finding a routine,” Wayne said, was one of the reasons he had such success in 2022. “Finding a routine throughout the whole year. In the off-season especially. Keeping my body healthy and ready to play was huge. Your best ability is availability.”
Suiting up for Pitt in 41 games over four seasons with the Panthers, he totaled 146 receptions for 2,308 yards and 13 touchdowns over the course of his Panthers career. Unassumingly, carving out a career that landed him a Hula Bowl invite earlier this year.
Only 26 other receivers in the nation had a better average than his 17.7 yards per catch. Yet, Wayne remains a relatively unknown commodity in a somewhat limited draft class at the receiver position. The way he performed at his Pro Day will make NFL evaluators rewatch his tape and regauge his value amongst the 2023 receiver class. Working their NFL Draft calculations of game film, combine numbers and character to arrive as a consensus on his draft value in late April.
The knock-on Wayne is his speed. Per reports from the Panthers Pro Day, he got clocked as high as 4.53 to as low as 4.71. If he were running sub-4.5s, he would be considered a day-two prospect with all the other intangibles in his toolbox. A coach’s dream, Wayne is known for being one of the hardest workers during his time at Pitt.
“I take pride in being consistent and dependable,” Wayne said.
Wayne’s Pro Day has undoubtedly helped his draft stock, especially in front of all 32 teams in attendance. He was able to dial in some solid on-the-field reps during positional drills. It’s the little things that add to something big. Since the beginning of the 2022 college season, Wayne has done nothing short of maximizing his draft stock.
“I feel like I really haven’t scratched the surface yet with my ability,” Wayne said. “I’m looking forward to what the future holds.”
