UM tight end, NFL draft prospect Will Mallory wants to prove he’s size-speed combo at combine
Miami Hurricanes tight end and NFL draft prospect Will Mallory has proven he can use his 6-foot-5, 245-pound frame to consistently improve as a pass catcher over five college seasons.
Going into next week’s NFL scouting combine, he wants to display to pro teams that it’s not just his size to go up and catch a ball over a smaller defender. He has wheels, too.
“The big thing I wanted to show teams is my speed,” Mallory said last week, training for the combine at Bommarito Performance Systems. “I think people probably don’t think that I’m as fast as I am.”
Feeling underestimated in that regard, Mallory, who posted career highs of 42 receptions and 538 yards with UM in 2022, believes he’s going to shock scouts if he hits the 40-yard dash times he’s aiming for at the combine, which runs from Feb. 28 to March 6 in Indianapolis.
What he’s learned since his final season with the Hurricanes ended and he began combine prep with trainer Pete Bommarito is that the key for him is getting the fast start in the first 20 yards of the sprint as he possesses the speed once he opens up his stride.
Mallory also wants to show he can contribute as a blocker at the next level, something he feels he took a positive step with at the Senior Bowl weeks ago.
“You don’t ever want to be labeled as just a pass-catching tight end,” he said. “You want to be able to do it all.
“Something that I’ve wanted to improve is in the run game, and obviously being a threat in the pass game. I’m not there yet, but I want to keep improving and show teams that I can contribute to the run and pass game.”
Mallory was in communication with the Miami Dolphins at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, and he could see himself staying in the region he chose as a four-star recruit in the Hurricanes’ 2018 class.
“Whatever team wants me, I’ll give my all,” Mallory said. “If it’s the Dolphins, that’s awesome. I’d love to stay down in South Florida. I love it down here.
“Close to home, so I feel like they probably had a good look at me the past five years. I felt the interview went really well with them. They had good energy, excited obviously for next season and just trying to build something special.”
But the reason why the Dolphins could be looking for a big, pass-catching tight end like Mallory late in the draft might be the same thing Mallory needs to improve in his game: blocking. If Miami lets Mike Gesicki, who didn’t fit well in coach Mike McDaniel’s offense due to his blocking, walk in free agency and the team doesn’t address the position with another free agent, that’s what opens up the possibility of seeking a tight end in the draft.
Mallory can also adapt to a variety of offensive schemes. He was in four different offenses in his time at UM.
“Makes you able to learn quickly and pick up new things, so I think that’s the benefit of it,” Mallory said. “I didn’t want all the change, but I guess that’s one of the positives of it. I definitely think that’s helped me be able to learn a lot of different things from a lot of different people.”
He said overall of his time with the Hurricanes: “Wish I could’ve done more. I came in wanting to win championships. Unfortunately, I didn’t get that done, but I wouldn’t change at all. I love UM through and through — the school, coaches, everyone there. I love UM, and it’s got a special place in my heart. If I had to go back and do it again, I’d pick UM 10 times out of 10.”
Mallory started courses toward a Master’s degree, but he has seven classes left. He plans to go back to finish school when he gets the chance.
Under a microscope like all draft prospects are heading into the combine, he goes in with a simple mindset.
“You just come in with confidence. You come in with a great opportunity to show people and shock some people, show people what you’re made of.
“I’m just trying to move up on the boards and let people know that I’m a playmaker.”
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