What is OSU football star Tyler Lacy's goal at NFL Combine? 'Show people my explosiveness'
Perhaps the most important thing Tyler Lacy needed to do this offseason, he’s already done.
The Oklahoma State defensive end had to shut down his senior season early after suffering a lower leg injury in the Nov. 5 loss at Kansas, so to set the foundation for building his NFL Draft profile, he first needed to prove he was healthy.
Lacy did that with a strong week at the Senior Bowl last month, and this week presents the next step in his pursuit of a professional football future.
Lacy, along with teammate Jason Taylor II, will be in Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine to show off his physical skills.
He measured 6-foot-4 and 285 pounds at the Senior Bowl, though he might be a little lighter this week as he tries to showcase his speed.
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“I want to show people my explosiveness,” Lacy said from his temporary home in Frisco, Texas, where he’s working out at the Exos training facility. “And I also want to show people my power, especially with the bench press. I want them to see my agility and my hip mobility.”
Lacy did a bit of everything on the defensive line at OSU, playing on either end of the line, as well as on the interior. In 44 career games, he had 113 tackles, 30 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks while providing critical leadership on the defense’s rise under Jim Knowles then Derek Mason.
With that said, one important factor in Lacy’s draft profile is avoiding that dirty T word — ‘tweener.
Is he quick enough to be an NFL defensive end? Is he strong enough to be a defensive tackle?
Lacy wants to show scouts and executives that the answer to both is yes, and a key piece of his value is his versatility.
“Most teams see me versatile, playing on the edge and down in the middle,” Lacy said of his conversations with NFL people. “They just want to see my ability everywhere, and obviously, I’ve shown that at Oklahoma State, and they’re very fond of that.”
When projecting Lacy at the next level, he seems ideally suited for a 3-4 defense, where he can play on the edge in most situations, then move inside on passing downs, like he did this past season with the Cowboys.
Lacy will report to the Combine on Sunday and go through various interviews and exams before finally getting on the field for workouts Thursday. Taylor will arrive Monday and be on the field Friday.
Taylor also had a couple of strong showings in January, getting two all-star game invitations ahead of the Combine. For the 6-foot, 215-pound product of Carl Albert High School in Midwest City, showing off his speed and body control in the 40-yard dash and cone drills will be important to his draft future.
Coming off a senior season in which he was a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award given to college football's top defensive back, Taylor's stock is strong. He had a team-best 99 tackles and led the Big 12 with six interceptions last season. His knack for big plays isn't necessarily something that will show up at the Combine, but his game tape speaks volumes.
Taylor and Lacy are viewed as late-round prospects, but a good showing at the combine will help both to back their productive OSU careers.
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“The experience at OSU was very valuable,” Lacy said. “Just enjoying the process going through spring, summer, all the training cycles you go through, just to go out there and play 60 minutes and ball out.
“Building camaraderie with your teammates, learning new things that will enhance your game. It was all valuable.”
After the Combine, Lacy and Taylor will have one more chance to show their talent on the field at OSU Pro Day in late March. Having each other to lean on at the Combine will be beneficial as well.
Taylor was a late addition to the Senior Bowl last month, and Lacy was elated to see his teammate show up.
“I texted him as soon as I seen he was on the way,” Lacy said. “I was so excited to see him and have a familiar face around. And Jason very much deserves it.”
NFL Combine
WHEN/WHERE: March 2-5 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State's Tyler Lacy out to prove versatility at NFL Combine
