Jacksonville Jaguars

Jags rookie Corey Grant making a name in OTAs

Published Jun. 5, 2015 11:40 a.m. ET

foxsports

Corey Grant is fast. That much is certain.

Through the beginning of OTAs, the Jacksonville Jaguars rookie running back has caught the attention of coaches and teammates with his blazing speed.

"You can tell how quick his first three or four steps are,” receiver Tandon Doss said, according to Gene Frenette of the Florida Times-Union. “We talk about it all the time when you see a fast-twitch guy. Speed guys aren’t always as coordinated, but [Grant] does a good job.”

As a undrafted free agent out of Auburn, Grant is trying win the Jaguars' kick returner job. His college teammate, Nick Marshall, who is competing with Grant for the returner job in Jacksonville, testified to his speed.

“His speed, everyone knows you can’t miss it because he’s the fastest I’ve ever seen on two feet,” Marshall said.

A part-time player at Auburn, Grant wasn't invited to NFL's scouting combine and was bypassed in the draft. He reportedly ran the 40-yard dash in 4.27 seconds at his Pro Day, which was enough to get the Jaguars attention. General manager Dave Caldwell sad he's cautiously optimistic the team has a find in Grant.

“The initial returns are really good. You don’t want to put anybody into the Pro Bowl this time of year, but it’s better than [Grant] not looking good,” Caldwell said. “There are players who are stopwatch fast, and it doesn’t transition [into games]. That’s where scouting comes in. Corey is a guy that clocks fast and, right now, is playing fast.”

The Jaguars signed Grant in large part because of his special teams prowess at Auburn, where he played on all four units. The rookie knows special teams will also determine his chances of making the 53-man roster.

“My real focal point is the kick return job,” Grant said. “That’s something I want to win as the starter, but I’m going to put the same time in at running back. I’ll do just about anything the coaches want.”

In the meantime, his displays of speed continue to wow his teammates.

“I saw him hit the corner the other day, then cut it down and I said, ‘Man, that’s your chance to go, to fly,’ “ running back Toby Gerhart told Frenette. “I kept waiting for him to open it up. Then he flashed that and I remember grabbing Bernard [Pierce] or Denard [Robinson] and saying, ‘Hey, man, you see him move on that play.’ He makes you shake your head.”

(h/t Florida Times-Union)

Photo credit:Phil Sears/USA TODAY Sports