Despite just 28 catches in 2015, South Carolina tight end Jerell Adams is making his way up teams' draft boards, largely due to a strong week at the Senior Bowl. Heading into the his on-field workouts at the NFL Combine on Saturday, Adams is ranked as the sixth best tight end in the draft class, but with another strong performance, he could continue to creep up the list.
Adams is a former basketball player like successful tight ends Jimmy Graham and Antonio Gates, which gives him a solid set of skills when he has the ball in his hands. One of his best assets, though, may come from his attitude towards his play.
"I feel like I’m a great teammate, a great leader, very coachable. I just play hard, give it 100 percent in everything I do," Adams said, when asked about what he can bring to an NFL team.
Adams wasn't brought up much in the discussion of potential NFL tight ends throughout his senior season, but his stock has risen significantly since playing his final down in Columbia in November. His stock made its biggest jump at the Senior Bowl, as he, along with North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz, excelled in Alabama.
"A lot of scouts said I had a great week down there," Adams said. "A lot of coaches said they didn’t think I was as tough as I was that I could hold a block as long as I could."
As is the case with teammate Pharoh Cooper, Adams' 2015 productivity was hindered by a poor offense, as the Gamecocks' trio of quarterbacks had them third from the bottom in the SEC in terms of yardage. Poor quarterback play has some scouts unsure what to make of Adams, as his body of work — catching 66 balls in four collegiate seasons — is significantly smaller than that of most other players in the class.
Adams takes a simple approach to fielding questions about South Carolina's offensive inconsistency: "I just tell them I am what I put on film," the 6-foot-5 tight end said.
Because of his relative inexperience, Adams will likely have a significant learning curve once he puts on an NFL uniform, but that shouldn't scare off teams from drafting the tight end heavily based on potential. Adams has the size and speed of a professional tight end, and he says he is hoping to run below a 4.6 in the 40 yard dash Saturday.
If Adams is able to duplicate his Senior Bowl week performance in front of scouts in Indianapolis, he could be hearing his name on the second day of the draft in April. Of all four South Carolina players taking part in drills in Lucas Oil Stadium this weekend, Adams certainly stands to gain the most, as scouts need to be sold on his athleticism and raw skills in order to see past his limited production.