North Carolina's Eric Ebron, considered by most analysts to be the No. 1 tight end in the 2014 NFL Draft, has a confession he wants to make about San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis.
"I've been studying him since high school," Ebron told College Football 24/7 on Wednesday afternoon. "I watch his highlight tapes before every game."
But Ebron admitted that would have to end when he gets to the NFL because you don't watch tapes of an opposing player to get ready. "That's kind of cheesy," Ebron explained.
Ebron will head to the NFL Scouting Combine next week looking to further impress NFL scouts and front-office personnel. He impressed them on the field in each of the past two seasons, showing off his athleticism and speed. He had a combined 102 receptions for 1,598 yards (15.7 yards per reception) and seven TDs in 2012 and '13.
Ebron was listed at 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds at UNC and said that he will weigh in at 250 pounds at the combine, scoffing at reports that he has added "significant" weight.
Ebron said he is looking for a "great overall day" in the combine events, but said he is most interested in the "meeting and greeting" that goes on with NFL executives. "The physical part comes naturally," he said.
Before the season, Ebron said his size/speed mix should be "illegal" and he stands by that statement.
"It should be illegal," he said, laughing. "I'm going to continue to run around illegally."
After serving as a reserve as a true freshman in 2011, Ebron started in each of the past two seasons. While athletic, Ebron also is known as a willing blocker. That is one area in which he has greatly improved, he said.
"I definitely got better at UNC," Ebron said, noting that he was just a big-bodied pass catcher in high school in Greensboro, N.C. "I had to become a better blocker if I was going to be a complete tight end."
Ebron signed with UNC when defense-minded Butch Davis was coach and finished his career under offense-minded Larry Fedora, so he has played in two vastly distinct offensive styles. That will help him in his transition to the NFL, Ebron said, by giving him a "more detailed resume."
Ebron has been training at the EXOS facility in Gulf Breeze, Fla., alongside the likes of South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, LSU wide receiver Jarvis Landry and Penn State defensive tackle DaQuan Jones. After the combine, Ebron said he will return to Chapel Hill to prepare with UNC's training staff for the Tar Heels' March 23 pro day.
Ebron, Clowney and former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray are featured in an eight-part web series about getting ready for the combine and the draft produced by the NFL, NFL.com and NFL Films. The "Pressure Points" series is sponsored by Gillette Deodorant and is available at www.nfl.com/pressurepoints starting Wednesday night. Fans can submit combine- and draft-related questions to the players at @Gillette on Twitter, and they will answer some questions in videos that will be posted on Gillette's YouTube channel and on social media.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
