INDIANAPOLIS -- Obi Melifonwu left no doubts about his athleticism on the final day of the NFL Scouting Combine.
The former UConn safety broad jumped 11 feet, 9 inches and recorded a 44-inch vertical jump on Monday, marks that were the best of the combine. In fact, the 11-9 broad jump was the second-best number the combine has seen since 2003, behind only the record 12-3 broad jump recorded by Dallas Cowboys DB Byron Jones -- also of UConn -- in 2015. The 44-inch vertical jump is just two inches short of the modern combine record of 46 inches, set by Gerald Sensabaugh in 2005.
He also ran an impressive 4.40-second 40-yard dash on Monday, and made quite an impression on another freakishly athletic prospects who worked out on Monday, Michigan's Jabrill Peppers.
NFL.com analyst Daniel Jeremiah proved to be prescient on Melifonwu's performance, predicting a standout showing for the Huskies' four-year starter. NFL Network draft expert Mike Mayock suggested at the Reese's Senior Bowl that a strong combine performance by Melifonwu could result in a "meteoric" draft rise. Melifonwu (6-foot-4, 219 pounds) led UConn with 118 tackles last year, and recorded a team-high four interceptions.
The vertical and broad jumps help NFL scouts measure the explosiveness of combine participants. They now know Melifonwu has it in spades.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
