Jabbar Muhammad helped his draft stock with a strong performance at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis on Friday. However, a bad logistical error cut his vertical by more than six inches.
He did not receive the credit he deserved and it made him look far less athletic than he is.
Muhammad, a former three-star recruit, played five years of college football— three at Oklahoma State, one at Washington and one at Oregon. He earned all-conference honors at all three stops!
#Oregon DB Jabbar Muhammad. 5’9, 182.
— Kyron Samuels (@kyronsamuels) February 28, 2025
Instincts. Instincts. Instincts. Fantastic eye discipline. Good hips. Ball magnet. 26 PBU’s in the last two seasons.
He’ll find a home somewhere. pic.twitter.com/Y5zxQTaA2j
The 5-foot-9.5, 182-pound defensive back projects as a mid-round NFL Draft pick who could develop into a valuable role player at the nickel position or as a traditional cornerback in a zone-heavy scheme.
I think my best trait is position flexibility. I think you can’t keep me off the field, that’s what I think my best trait is. Whoever is drafting me, that’s what they’re going to get […]
Not many corners in this draft can say they’ve been All-Big 12, All-Big Ten and all-Pac 12. You’re getting a guy that do it all, a technician inside and outside. A guy that knows his zone drops. A willing tackler. A guy who has done it at the highest state of college football. You’re getting one of the best guys in this draft.
— Jabbar Muhammad
While self-confidence is clearly not an issue for Jabbar Muhammad, there are some concerns about his size, speed and footwork. The NFL Combine presented him with an opportunity to disprove some of those narratives and he did exactly that during the the athletic testing portion of the afternoon.
- Short shuttle: 4.19
- Three-cone: 7.01
- Bench press: 13 reps
He also looked extremely fluid during the on-field workouts.
Ballhawk 😤@jabbar7_ x #NFLCombine #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/qyOVdKT2yk
— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) March 1, 2025
Footwork and agility did not seem to be a problem!
This is one of my favorite indy drills here @ #NFLCombine and is one of the big reasons why the DB workout is my favorite position workout here in Indy
— Fran Duffy (@FDuffyNFL) February 28, 2025
If you're even a little bit stiff, this series of drills will expose you IMO.
Good rep here from #Oregon CB Jabbar Muhammad pic.twitter.com/vgCG7jdrwd
Muhammad chose to save the 40-yard dash and broad jump for his Pro Day. However, he did partake in the vertical and that brings us to the logistical error.
The NFL listed his vertical at 29.5 inches after the day was over, which is considered to be a very bad showing for a defensive back. Even at 5-foot-9. But it was not his true result! There was a six-inch discrepancy.
Jabbar Muhammad recorded a vertical of 35.5 inches. Take a look:
Video of Oregon DB Jabbar Muhammad’s 35.5 inch vert, which was initially listed at 29.5 by the NFL — a six-inch difference following yesterday’s testing.
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) March 1, 2025
The NFL is currently working on correcting the mishap, but an unacceptable error nonetheless. pic.twitter.com/OlploYhVst
Last I heard, the National Football League was working to correct its mistake. That doesn’t excuse it from happening in the first place! Jabbar Muhammad’s performance looked much worse on paper than reality. If an NFL organization saw the incorrect number while debriefing on the day, they might’ve crossed him off of its list. That can’t happen!