Pittsburgh tight end Dorin Dickerson is probably an unknown to those who didn’t observe the Big East closely last season.
But he easily had the most impressive Combine in Saturday’s tight end drills, resulting in comparisons to Jets 2008 first-round pick Dustin Keller.
The 6-foot-1, 226-pound former Panther ran an official 4.4-flat forty time to pace prospects at his position. Dickerson also beat the tight end field in the vertical, jumping 42 inches. His 10-foot, five-inch broad jump and 24 reps of 225 pounds were similarly impressive.
Dickerson caught 49 passes for 529 yards and a Pitt-high 10 touchdowns as a senior, so he’s got production to match. NFL Network’s Mike Mayock wouldn’t be surprised if Dickerson sneaks into the second round this April.
Other tight ends that helped themselves on the track included 6-foot-6, 260-pound former Miami Hurricanes basketball player Jimmy Graham (4.56) and Oregon’s Ed Dickson (4.67).
Consensus No. 1 tight end Jermaine Gresham timed in the 4.7s. No. 2 tight end Rob Gronkowski didn’t run as he continues to recover from a back injury. Florida’s Aaron Hernandez was also out with a bad back.