Texas A&M tight end Jalen Wydermyer, a finalist for the John Mackey Award last season, reflected on an NFL Draft process that included a difficult pro day audition and visits to multiple NFL teams’ training facilities.
Wydermyer, 21, visited the Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, Tennessee Titans, and Washington Commanders, worked out privately for the Indianapolis Colts, and met individually with the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints at his school.
“It’s everything in one,” Wydermyer said in a telephone interview. “It’s nerve-wracking. It’s also very exciting, going to visit teams, seeing their facilities, meeting players. The nerve-wracking part is kind of hard because you don’t choose the team like it was during the recruiting process. You have no control.
“It’s really cool meeting with the teams. It’s kind of breathtaking because you grow up watching these teams since I was a little kid. Meeting the owner, the general manager, the coaches, it’s an amazing process. It’s a job interview, so you dress nice. You talk to them about football man-to-man and about life. That’s what I really enjoyed about my visits.”
Productive college career
Wydermyer caught 40 passes for 515 yards and 4 touchdowns last season. In 2020, he caught 46 passes for 6 touchdowns.
A three-time All-SEC second-team selection, Wydermyer caught 42 passes for 875 yards and 10 touchdowns as a high school senior. The talented tight end chose the Aggies over Miami on the recruiting trail. In his first year in College Station, he caught 42 passes for 447 yards and 6 touchdowns. Additionally, Wydermyer earned a selection on the SEC All-Freshman team.
Wydermyer declared early after setting school records for tight ends for career receptions, receiving yards, and touchdown catches. A three-year starter, he finished with 118 receptions for 1,468 yards and 16 touchdowns.
“I like to point out my versatility,” said Wydermyer, who’s represented by Jumaane Ford of Vanguard Sports Group. “I can block, and I’m a really good pass catcher. They can count on me. I feel like they get a four-down guy with me because I can play special teams. I come from a pro-style offense, and it shouldn’t take me a long time to learn the playbook.
“They get a hard-working young man who will come in mature enough on the business side that can play football at a high level. I’m a really caring person who would get along well with my teammates. I have no off-field issues. I come from a good, respectable family.”
Disappointed by pro day
Wydermyer, a record-setting tight end for the Aggies who had been ranked as high as a second-round draft target, ran the 40-yard dash in 5.03 seconds in College Station. He had previously run the 40-yard dash in 4.8 seconds. He posted a 35 1/2″ vertical leap.
The Aggies’ Pro Day was attended by Houston Texans coach Lovie Smith, Texans general manager Nick Caserio, Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier, and Tennessee Titans general manager Jon Robinson.
The game film and production for Wydermyer were much better than his testing numbers.
What happened?
“I just didn’t feel good at all,” Wydermyer said. “I had trained hard two days before the pro day and my back was tight and my legs were heavy. After the broad jump, I felt my back lock up, and I didn’t feel good when I ran the 40 and my vertical felt tight.
“I got ready for the routes and stretched, and I felt like I did really well in the route running. I didn’t do what I wanted to do in the tests, but I wanted to do something well that day. It’s about football. It’s not about being a track guy.”
‘I want to win a Super Bowl’
Wydermyer, a native of Dickinson, Texas, has been mentored by fellow Dickinson graduate and former NFL quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware.
“He has helped me a lot these past three years in the whole college process,” Wydermyer said.
Wydermyer has set simple goals for his rookie season.
“Honestly, it’s to come in and be the best me I can be and all the accolades and achievements will come later on as I show my worth,” he said. “I want to win a Super Bowl. That’s an every-year goal. That’s not going to change.”