Desmond Lawerence isn’t a big name outside of North Caroina, but that may soon change. The NC A&T receiver left a big-time impression on a legendary scout with his performance at the school’s pro day last month.
The 5’9 wide receiver ran a sub 4.4 40 yard dash twice on March 24, impressing long-time NFL scout Gil Brandt.
“Wide receiver/return specialist Desmond Lawrence (5-foot-9 5/8, 190 pounds) ran the 40-yard dash in 4.35 and 4.38 seconds, which were very impressive times given that those were run on a less-than-ideal grass surface. He had a 34 1/2-inch vertical jump and a 9-foot-10 broad jump. He did the 20-yard short shuttle in 4.15 seconds and the three-cone drill in 6.93 seconds. He performed 18 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press.
Lawrence is a potential priority free-agent pickup following the conclusion of the 2015 NFL Draft; anybody who can run that well is worth a priority free-agent look.”
The former Southern Durham star began his college career on a track scholarship at East Carolina before transferring to A&T prior to the 2012 season.
His stats (79 catches, 789 yards and five touchdowns) aren’t all that impressive, but a lot of that had to do with A&T’s run-first philosophy. His speed, as well as Brandt’s assessment should help him land at someone’s camp in the fall.