Michigan Pro Day results: Denard Robinson catches everything, Jordan Kovacs bumps draft stock

Denard Robinson was the main attraction at Michigan Pro Day on Thursday, but the performance of safety Jordan Kovacs may have impressed scouts the most.

by Louis Bien

Mar 14, 2013, 5:08 PM UTC

USA TODAY Sports

When left tackle Taylor Lewan decided to stay in school, electric quarterback-turned-running-back-turned-wideout Denard Robinson immediately became Michigan's best chance at having a player taken in the first two rounds of the 2013 NFL Draft. Though Robinson impressed once again at the Wolverines' pro day Thursday, it may have been former walk-on Jordan Kovacs who did the most to up his draft stock.

Kovacs is not known for being particularly fleet of foot and was not expected to be taken in any round of the draft. NFL teams may have to reconsider after he beat the NFL Combine average for safeties in the 40-yard dash, three-cone drill, broad jump and vertical leap. He ran a 4.58 and a 4.60 in the 40, which surpassed expectations. Kovacs did even better in the three-cone drill, posting a time of 6.62 seconds that would have put him at the top of his position group in Indianapolis. His 10’2 broad jump and 35-inch vertical also suggest that Kovacs may have more athleticism than initially believed.

As for Robinson, he did the only thing that he had to do, which is catch passes.

Denard Robinson/WR/Michigan much improved in pass catching drills.caught all passes thrown by practice QB D LeFevour- impressive considering
— Tony Pauline (@TonyPauline) March 14, 2013

Robinson was dogged by scouts during Senior Bowl practices for his inability to hold on to the ball, but issues with a nerve injury in his elbow may have played a bigger role than many knew at the time. After catching the ball well in Indianapolis, NFL teams have to be encouraged by the repeat performance. Robinson did not participate in testing beyond position drills Thursday.

Cornerback J.T. Floyd also had a nice day, posting the best vertical (36 inches) and broad jump (10'4) on the day. The fastest man was wide receiver Roy Roundtree, who clocked in at 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash. As for the strongest man, defensive tackle William Campbell put up 35 reps of 225 pounds in the bench press to beat offensive guard Elliott Mealer, who had 29 reps.