Chris Rainey isn’t concerned about his NFL Draft stock; he doesn’t “want to hear all of that bullcrap.”
The former Florida do-everything back just cares about proving to NFL teams that he belongs in the league. He did his best to convince them Tuesday morning during UF’s Pro Day in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Rainey didn’t run the 4.1-second 40-yard dash he boasted about before the NFL Combine, but the 5-foot-9, 180-pound speedster clocked times of 4.3 and 4.33 Tuesday.
“I did great, man, way better than the combine, I know that,” Rainey said. “That 40 time, I’ve been thinking about that for the longest, and I had to come out here and redeem myself.”
Not only did Rainey redeem himself in the 40, but he also showed off his route-running ability and his hands during drills. Coaches, scouts and former players in attendance compared Rainey to former teammate and current Minnesota Vikings receiver Percy Harvin, who was in attendance Tuesday.
“[Rainey’s] multitalented,” Jacksonville Jaguars coach Mike Mularkey said. “He can do a lot of things with the ball. You just have to get him the ball and let him do his thing. Probably a little bit like Percy — guys from the same school, same speed, same qualities that can hurt you in many ways.”
Although Rainey said the 5-foot-11, 184-pound Harvin is the “perfect comparison” despite the difference in size, Rainey said he wants to be like the New England Patriots’ Wes Welker.
There are similarities to Welker in both size and versatility, but Rainey stands to fare better on draft day than Welker did in 2004, when the former Texas Tech receiver went undrafted.
Rainey’s agent, Joel Segal, said he believes Rainey improved where he stands on a lot of teams’ draft boards. Maurkice Pouncey, an All-Pro center for the Pittsburgh Steelers and longtime friend, said he’s hearing Rainey could go anywhere from the second round to the fourth round of April’s draft.
Rainey already has workouts scheduled with the Philadelphia Eagles on April 2 and the Cincinnati Bengals after that.
While Rainey has focused on proving himself on the field, he said the toughest question he has been asked by NFL teams is regarding his infamous 2010 arrest off the field.
Segal and both Pouncey twins said they don’t believe that incident will hurt Rainey’s draft stock, though.
“[Teams] just want to hear it from the horse’s mouth, that’s all,” Rainey said. “Once I tell them that was the first time I was in love, they just cut [the line of questioning] off right there.”
Brantley improving footwork: Quarterback John Brantley was one of 17 other Gators who also participated Tuesday. He ran a 4.8 40 and threw passes to Rainey and Deonte Thompson, who ran a 4.27.
The biggest thing Brantley has worked on since January is his footwork, which in turn has quickened his delivery.
“You don’t have to run a 4.5 40, but your feet have to be really, really mobile,” said former NFL quarterback Charlie Frye, who has been working with Brantley. “It’s like a boxer in that pocket, being able to avoid people and move out of the way and still be able to deliver the ball. Those are the things we’ve been working on.”
Frye said scouts have been impressed with Brantley’s improved footwork and some have him pegged him as a late-round draft choice.
Contact Tom Green at tgreen@alligator.org.
Former Florida running back Chris Rainey said potential suitors in April’s NFL Draft have been asking him about his 2010 arrest.
