I was a bit surprised by JT's cone drill time compared to the other two comparison players. His 10 yard splits (being the fastest) were what I expected. Time and time again we would see JT separate quickly from players in the acceleration phase of his runs, then still have enough speed to hold them off. He is fast, but he is quicker than he is fast, if that makes sense. Accordingly, I expected better cone times than he put up. Perhaps this is merely a case of a player not practicing that particular drill enough to get his technique down. IDK. In any case, there is gobs of film that shows JT abusing players with his lateral agility and quickness. I'm pretty sure, if given more reps at the cone drill, he would fare well compared to most NFL slot guys.
In the end, he has landed in the position group that I expected, slot receiver. The key for JT will be to learn the subtleties of the position in a league predicated upon precision passing and timing. The field is, in effect, smaller and he will need to become adept at operating in tight spaces and giving his QB someplace obvious to go with the ball. As the article stated, his arms are short and his vertical/broad jumps very average, so he is going to have to create those windows with his feet and his brain.
Expecting him to make a game roster right away might be a bit of a stretch, but I think he can do it, especially considering how well he handled the cerebral challenges and quick reads that our offense presents. Pretty much every sport, at the higher levels, is more about the 6" space between the ears than anything because all the guys playing are impressive physically.
