NFL Free Agent HUB Report: Cheyenne 'CJ' O'Grady
CHEYENNE ‘CJ’ O’GRADY | School: Arkansas | Position: TE | Height: 6035 | Weight: 252 | Hand: 1028 | Arm: 3368 | Wingspan: 7928 | Age: 24 | Agent: Ross Jones | Status: Signed Cincinnati Bengals (5/14/21)
Evaluation:
Wore No.35 at HUB Football (April/2021). Impressive receiving TE that had some spectacular one-handed catches during the workout. He showed very good ability to track, and secure passes outside his frame to make him one of the quarterbacks favorite targets on the day. Showed above-average initial burst off the LOS at the snap. Fluid hipped in his route running, didn’t show burst out of his breaks to pull away from coverage that’s one reason he had to make so many contested one-handed catches during the workout. He showed very good concentration and ball locate coming out of his breaks to react quickly with his hands and secure the passes. Was always willing to work extra with the QBs to help out and had a smile on his face all day. If an NFL team is looking for a third or fourth TE he would make a solid addition to the roster. For CFL I see him as a body WR that the waggle would help him get separation from defenders and be a Greg Ellingson type player for the right team.
Background:
Born on Sept. 20, 1996. Son of Jessika O’Grady and the late Larry Marks, who was a three-year letterman in men’s basketball at Arkansas from 1988-90. Recreation and sport management major. O'Grady was a four-star prospect, the No. 191 player nationally, the No. 6 tight end in the nation, and the No. 1 overall prospect in the state of Arkansas according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite rankings. Played for the Arkansas Razorbacks from 2015-2018. Freshman year: O'Grady was arrested on suspicion of DWI and being a minor in possession of alcohol. -- redshirted the following season. Junior Season: Totaled 352 snaps; 30 receptions / 400 receiving yards / 6 TDs; Earned two Pro Football Focus SEC Team of the Week honors in back-to-back games. Career: In 33 games for the Razorbacks, O'Grady caught 87 receptions / 967 receiving yards / 12 TDs. His 12 touchdown receptions rank as the most by a tight end in program history. Dismissed from Razorbacks team on 11/4/2019; sources say the dismissal was because he missed two meetings the week prior and gave excuses: "I was actually dismissed from the team. I decided to, very immature part of mine. After the Alabama game kind of told the coaches, 'I don't really want to come. My body's sore.' Just lame excuses. Immature. I like to call it the old CJ. I moved past that." His response: "Man, maturity is what got me. I was just the kid that always wanted to resist authority. I hate to say it now, looking back it sucks to say it, but I just didn't want to listen. I wasn't accountable. I didn't show up all the time." Cont.: “It was probably one of the hardest, lowest of lows I’ve ever been. But at the same time, it was one of my highest points. Because I grew so much from it, maturity-wise, and I’ve learned so much.” O'Grady started coaching kids on the side + hypes up his former teammates on socials. Held a workout with the Dallas Cowboys but it didn't end in a signing.
