There is a reason why Clemson calls itself Wide Receiver U.
DeAndre Hopkins, a.k.a. Nuk, is one of the NFL’s best wide receivers for the Houston Texans and earned his first Pro Bowl invite in 2015. Sammy Watkins is becoming more of a factor in Buffalo’s offense, averaging 100 yards per game in the last nine games of the season. Then there is Martavis Bryant, who might be the most explosive player in the league for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Then of course there is Jaron Brown, a possession receiver for the Arizona Cardinals the last two years, and Adam Humphries of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both earned their way onto their teams by way of the free agent route, and both have been very productive.
As NFL Network analyst Steve Mariucci recently said, “If a Clemson receiver is coming out in the draft, I’m drafting him.”
That receiver this year is Charone Peake, who measured earlier this week at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis at 6-foot-2, weighing 209 pounds with 34-inch arms and nine 1/4-inch hands.
Peake, who finished his senior year at Clemson with 50 receptions for 716 yards and five touchdowns, says he has taken a little bit of everything from each of the five former Tigers who are now wide receivers in the NFL.
“I learned a little bit from each of them by just being around them,” he said to The Charlotte Observer on Friday. “We have five receivers (in the NFL) so I have probably taken something from each one of them.
“That’s how you have to do it. You have to use your resources. Those guys are great talent. They are playing in the NFL right now and are very successful. So why not use their ability to try and help myself?”
Peake can help himself with a good workout on Saturday as he participates in the on-field drills as well as position drills with the other 42 wide receivers at the NFL Scouting Combine. At Clemson, Peake was said to have been the fastest guy on the team, with a reported 40-yard dash time below 4.3.
On Friday, the former Clemson receiver tied for 22nd among wideouts in the bench press as he did 12 reps on the 225-pound bar.
Good start for Dodd. Some are thinking former Clemson defensive end Kevin Dodd could go in front of teammate and fellow defensive end Shaq Lawson in this year’s draft. Both are considered to be potential first-round picks heading into the scouting combine, but recently the chatter has all been about Dodd, who finished the year with seven tackles, five tackles for loss and three sacks in the National Championship game against Alabama.
Those feeling did not change after Friday’s measurements. Dodd was measured at 6-foot-5 and 277 pounds. He had 34-inch arms and 10-inch hands. Lawson came in at 6-foot-3, 266 pounds, as he dropped six pounds from his playing weight in 2015.
Lawson had a 32 ¾-inch arm length to go along with his 10 inch hands.
Other Clemson players of note. Former Clemson defensive tackle D.J. Reader, along with linebacker B.J. Goodson also weighed in at the scouting combine on Friday. Reader checked in at 6-foot-3, 327 pounds, while Goodson was 6-foot-1, 242 pounds.
Reader has a 33 5/8-inch arm length, with 9 ½ inch hands. Goodson measured with 33 ¼-inch arms and 10-inch hands.
Reader, Goodson, Dodd and Lawson will all participate in the bench press on Saturday and will begin their field exercises on Sunday.
Photo Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
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