Representatives from 22 NFL teams, including two special teams coaches, were present for UAB's pro day Tuesday.
The player the NFL personnel were on hand to see in action was wide receiver J.J. Nelson (5-foot-10 1/4, 159 pounds), who posted the fastest 40-yard dash time (4.28 seconds) at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Nelson -- who measured 5-foot-10 and 156 pounds at the combine -- looked really good catching the ball and fielding punts at UAB's pro day.
Tight end Kennard Backman (6-3 1/4, 243) ran the 40 in 4.65 and 4.66 seconds. He had a 35 1/2-inch vertical jump and 9-foot-9 broad jump. He did the 20-yard short shuttle in 4.49 seconds and the three-cone drill in 7.23 seconds. He performed 17 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press. Backman had a good enough workout that he could warrant being a priority free-agent pickup for a team following the 2015 NFL Draft.
Cornerback Jimmy Jean (6-1 7/8, 202) ran the 40 in 4.59 and 4.57 seconds. He had a 35 1/2-inch vertical jump and 9-foot-9 broad jump. He did the short shuttle in 4.31 seconds and the three-cone drill in 7.34 seconds. He performed seven strength lifts. Jean is primarily a cornerback, but could possibly play some safety, too.
Kicker Ty Long (6-0 5/8, 207) has a strong leg and was worked out by a special teams coach from the Indianapolis Colts.
Defensive end Diaheem Watkins (6-3 1/2, 260) ran the 40 in 4.87 and 4.89 seconds. He had a 31-inch vertical jump and a 9-foot-1 broad jump. He did the short shuttle in 4.63 seconds and the three-cone in 7.52 seconds. He also performed 20 reps on the bench press. Watkins is one of those guys teams bring in as a free agent and sometimes said team will find itself a good, serviceable player.
The workout was held outdoors and run on FieldTurf.
Follow Gil Brandt on Twitter _@GilBrandt_.
