Damarri Mathis’s run with the Senior Bowl, 2022 NFL Combine and Pitt’s Pro Day may have opened NFL scouts’ eyes enough to rise into the second day of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Mathis’s draft stock has risen, especially on the heels of a strong 40-yard dash time (4.39 seconds) at the Combine and freakish measurements at the Pro Day (43.5-inch vertical leap and 11-foot-1 broad jump). And NFL Network’s Charles Davis has added Mathis to his list of “13 prospects Charles Davis would pound the table for,” an article about the 2022 NFL Draft prospects he’s most passionate about.
In praising Mathis’s measurements and test scores, he also pointed to Pitt’s system producing NFL-caliber defensive backs:
“We know Mathis is an amazing tester. He posted a 43.5-inch vertical and 11-foot-1 broad jump at his pro day (the best vertical at this year’s combine was 42 inches),” Davis said in the article. “He was well coached by Pat Narduzzi in Pitt’s press-quarters defense, too. We’ve seen the program produce defensive backs like Damar Hamlin, Dane Jackson, Avonte Maddox, Jason Pinnock and Jordan Whitehead in recent years. Mathis is next in line. He missed the 2020 season with a shoulder injury but bounced back in 2021, posting a career high in tackles (44). I think his best football is ahead of him.”
Mathis recorded 44 tackles (32 solo), two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown against New Hampshire) and five passes defended in 2021 — returning to his role as Pitt’s top boundary cornerback.
In Mathis’s Pitt career, he recorded 86 tackles (66 solo), 4.5 tackles for loss, five interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) and 18 passes defended.
He will be a pro bowler within 2-3 seasons!
Amazing DB.
He will be a really good NFL player