Sadarius Hutcherson impressed NFL scouts with more than just his strength
— This is the second in a series as The State chronicles Sadarius Hutcherson’s journey over the next several weeks leading up to the NFL Draft on April 29-May 1. Read Part 1 here. —
Sadarius Hutcherson’s strength was on display during South Carolina’s pro day last week.
The former Gamecocks offensive lineman did 36 reps of 225 pounds in front of NFL personnel members at USC’s training facility. But it was his 40-yard dash time that Hutcherson was proud of during the showcase.
The 6-foot-3, 321-pound Hutcherson ran a 4.95 40-yard dash. Hutcherson, who was hoping for under a 4.9, said he tweaked his hamstring or he would have made another attempt.
Still, Hutcherson’s 40-yard time is fourth fastest for NFL offensive line prospects this year. Only Texas’ Samiel Cosmi (4.84), Northwestern’s Rashawn Slater (4.88) and Northern Iowa’s Spencer Brown (4.94) have had better 40 times among offensive linemen for the 2021 NFL Draft.
“When I heard 4.9, I am not going to lie, I was pissed. I tried to get back in there but there was no use hurting myself,” Hutcherson told The State. “Teams told me they were impressed with the speed. They knew I was a very strong guy. They were more so impressed with what I could do as far as running. So I was satisfied with the scouts’ satisfaction in my performance.”
Several teams — including the Tennessee Titans, San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos and Detroit Lions — approached Hutcherson during pro day after his 40-yard attempt.
There were 61 NFL personnel members in attendance at the pro day, and 14 former Gamecocks took part. Cornerback Jaycee Horn received most of the attention with his performance. Horn registered a 41 1/2-inch vertical leap, had an 11-foot, 1-inch broad jump and ran a 4.37 in the 40-yard dash.
Hutcherson knew Horn was capable of wowing the scouts like he did.
“Jaycee always has been that guy. He is CB1 and just solidified that,” Hutcherson said. “He’s been that dude and I wasn’t surprised when he put those numbers.”
Hutcherson said it was good to catch up with his former USC teammates and the new Gamecocks coaching staff. He hopes his performance could provide some motivation and inspiration for USC’s current offensive linemen.
“It was just like old times. We picked up where we left off,” Hutcherson said. “I could tell they missed me. I set the bar for them and they have to beat me now. We are going to see what they do in the next couple years, but my numbers are going to be hard to beat. I set the tone.”
The pro day workout was a culmination of a three-month process for Hutcherson, who has been training in Texas. Now it’s a waiting game until the NFL Draft on April 29 to May 1.
Hutcherson said he will spend some time in Columbia, continue to work out and meet virtually with teams. He also has his birthday coming up April 22, a week before the draft.
“It is just work out, work out — that is pretty much it,” Hutcherson said of his plans. “I can’t just sit around, so I am ready to get back to work.”
