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How Arkansas players performed at 2022 NFL Combine

Former Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks
Former Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

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Arkansas sent five players to the NFL Combined last week, but one player generated more buzz than the rest combined.

Heading into the event, all eyes were on Treylon Burks and speculation ran wild on what kind of numbers he’d put up in Indianapolis.

The potential first-round pick fell short of some projections, as his hands measured “only” 9 7/8 inches and he ran the 40-yard dash in “just” 4.55 seconds, but he still had a solid performance with favorable comparisons.

Perhaps some were disappointed with Burks’ time because they expected him to be faster, but the general consensus is that 4.55 seconds is still a solid 40 because he checked in at 6-foot-2, 225 pounds.

Eight wide receivers running sub-4.4s was the talk of the combine, but for perspective, Burks’ time is actually slightly faster than the likes of DeAndre Hopkins (4.57), Davonte Adams (4.56) and Antonio Brown (4.56) and only slightly slower than Mike Evans (4.53).

It’s also worth noting that he was clocked at 22.6 mph while racing 91 yards for a touchdown after catching a screen pass against Georgia Southern. That was faster than any play in the NFL this season.

There is still a lot of hype surrounding Burks, who is trying to become just the second Arkansas wide receiver taken in the first round of the NFL Draft since the AFL-NFL merger. The first was converted quarterback Matt Jones, who went 21st overall in 2005.

Although he told reporters that he tries to mimic his game after Deebo Samuel, the former South Carolina standout whom the 49ers use in a variety of ways, Burks has also been compared to other former SEC stars.

“Burks is either a bigger Deebo Samuel or a slightly slower Cordarrelle Patterson, depending on whom you ask,” wrote Yahoo! Sports’ Eric Edholm. “There also will be some A.J. Brown comps out there for Burks’ style of play.”

That comparison to Brown — who played at Ole Miss before becoming a Pro Bowler for the Titans — seems to be the most common one, as the NFL’s Next Gen Stats team pointed out above.

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein even described him as Brown “with more wiggle” and added that he hasn’t reached his full potential yet.

“For as talented as Burks is today, he’s likely to keep getting better,” Zierlein wrote. “He will require specific game-planning for defenses operating without a true CB1 and has the potential to star as a high-volume, three-level target who can start and produce in his rookie season.”

Among the Razorbacks’ other participants, defensive tackle John Ridgeway is likely the biggest prospect. NFL.com gave him a prospect score of 6.14, which equates to a good backup with with potential to develop into a starter.

Tre Williams worked out as a linebacker at the combine, but his 5.08-second 40-yard dash would have also been the slowest among defensive ends. His prospect score of 6.00 from NFL.com, which means he has “traits or talent to be an above-average backup.”

The only event cornerback Montaric Brown took part in, other that getting measured, was the 40-yard dash. He has a 5.95 prospect grade, which was just below the cutoff for the same range as Williams, but is considered an “average backup or special-teamer.”

Left tackle Myron Cunningham was the only other offensive player at the combine for Arkansas and tested poorly. All of his marks were among the worst at his position and the NFL’s Next Gen Stats gave him a 53 score, which is well below average. He earned a 5.53 prospect grade from NFL.com — in the “priority undrafted free agent” range.

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Razorbacks at 2022 NFL Combine
Category Burks Brown Cunningham Ridgeway Williams

Height

6-2

6-0

6-5

6-5

6-4

Weight

225

196

320

321

253

Hands

9 7/8"

9 1/2"

10 3/8"

10"

10"

Arms

33 1/2"

31 1/4"

34 1/2"

33 3/8"

33 3/4"

Wingspan

79 1/8"

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

40-yard dash

4.55 sec.

4.55 sec.

5.38 sec.

5.3 sec.

5.08 sec.

20-yard shuttle

n/a

n/a

5.16 sec.

4.73 sec.

4.24 sec.

3-cone drill

7.28 sec.

n/a

8.5 sec.

n/a

7.2 sec.

Vertical jump

33"

n/a

20"

n/a

26.5"

Broad jump

122"

n/a

98"

101"

104"

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