Purdue Football: Cory Trice Dominates Combine

Mar 7, 2023 - 2:44 AM

“Hello, yes, Mr. Trice, the John Purdue Club is on the line, something about a possible contribution...yes...involving a signing bonus...should I tell them to hold?”

Corey Trice came into the combine as an enigma. The towering corner battled injuries throughout his career, but finally put together a full season in 2022 . Physically, he’s everything the NFL is looking for in a press man or zone corner. He’s big, strong, and isn’t afraid to hit. Speed and health were the question marks coming into Indianapolis, and one of those questions was resoundingly answer on the track.

Corey Trice Combine Results

Measurements

Height: 6’3”

Weight: 206

Arm Length: 32 3/8

Hand Size: 9 3/4

Evaluation

His height is the obvious outlier at the corner position. At 6’3” he was the tallest corner at the combine, beating out Julius Brents and Joey Porter Jr. by a ¹⁄₂ inch. His weight was interesting. Purdue listed him at 215 as a senior, but it looks like Trice traded some size for speed at the combine. Throw in his long arms and catcher mitt hands, and Trice looks like an NFL corner in shorts, of course, you don’t play football in shorts.

40 Yards Dash

Time: 4.47

10 Yard Split: 1.56

Evaluation

To quote Shaq, “ I owe you an apology. I wasn’t really familiar with your game.” I thought mid 4.5’s would be the best case scenario for Trice. I was surprised when 4.47 came up on the clock. Speed and availability were 2 of Trice’s major concerns coming into the combine. The speed question is settled. He fast. A team is going to have to take the plunge to see if he can remain healthy, and they will with 6’3”, 205 pound corner capable of running a 4.47.

His 10 yard split wasn’t great, but it was respectable and expected from a long-strider like Trice. He isn’t the fastest off the line, but if he’s in press coverage, his first job is to make sure the receiver doesn’t get off the line either.

This event moved Trice up from a roll of the dice in the 6th or 7th round to a solid middle round prospect. Someone will take a chance on his size and speed, and it will be sooner, rather than later.

Jumping

Vert: 35.5

Long: 11’00”

Evaluation

Corey is better at jumping horizontally than he is vertically. While 35.5 on the vertical jump put him towards the bottom of the corner pack, his 11 foot broad jump put him towards the top. All-in-all they cancel each other out, and don’t particularly hurt or help his cause. A little better vertical could have further solidified his standing as an athlete, but he did what he needed to do in order to not lose any ground.

Bench Press

Reps: 17

Cory must spend some time in the weight room because he was the second strongest corner at the combine (among those who lifted). Now Trice is a certified big, strong, fast corner. In theory, that strength should help him in press coverage at the line and in zone coverage when he needs to rally up and make a tackle on a receiver.

Again, Trice made some more money in this event.

Overall

Cory had one of the more impressive combines based on expectation. Maybe his friends and family expected him to run in the 4.4’s, but that’s about it. Every evaluation I’ve seen say something like “strong at the line of scrimmage, doesn’t have the speed to keep up deep.”

I’ve watched him off an on for the last 5 seasons (the only way to watch Trice until this season) and he’s got plenty of speed deep, but sometimes he doesn’t trust it and grabs when he doesn’t need to grab. That will get sorted out quick in the NFL when a P.I. turns into a spot foul.

I honestly don’t know what to think about him as a pro prospect. The physical stuff will get him drafted in the mid-rounds, but you wonder why he wasn’t more productive at Purdue (outside of the fact that he was always hurt until his 5th season). Maybe it was scheme, maybe it was ability, maybe he’s a guy that needed some time to physically mature into his lanky body?

Hard to tell, but after his performance at the combine, an NFL defensive coordinator is going to get an opportunity to try and unlock his potential.