Allen Lazard has no regrets on his wild ride at Iowa State. Tommy Birch/The Register
Allen Lazard used his strength and size to overpower defenders and overwhelm everyone watching the former Iowa State star throughout the week.
The ex-Cyclones star put his big frame and huge hands on display during practices and during Saturday’s Senior Bowl.
Lazard checked in at 6-foot-4, 227 pounds and owned the biggest hands of any wide receiver at the event, at 9 7/8 inches.
During practices, Lazard showed that he could put his big body to good use. Here is a breakdown of what folks were saying about Lazard who played for the North team in a 45-16 loss to the South:
Allen Lazard
Height, weight: 6-foot-4, 227 pounds
During practices: Lazard struggled with drops early on during the first day but started to pick up momentum toward the end of the workout, and it carried over into the second day. Lazard showcased his big fame and was pretty much unstoppable in jump ball situations. The biggest moment may have come when he connected with quarterback Baker Mayfield for a highlight-reel grab in the end zone on Day 2. Mayfield tossed a fade to the corner and Lazard was able to overpower 5-foot-10 North Carolina cornerback M.J. Stewart with his body and rip the ball away from him as he fell to the ground. On Day 3, he had a similar grab when he leaped above 5-9, 182-pound Southern cornerback Danny Johnson for a catch in the end zone. Despite the slow start, former NFL player Bucky Brooks wrote for NFL.com that he liked he saw from Lazard on the first day, in terms of athletic ability: "Iowa State WR Allen Lazard caught my eye," Brooks wrote. "I like the way he snatched the ball in traffic. He has a great combination of height, weight and speed, which could make him a very intriguing prospect for NFL teams looking to add another weapon to the passing game.
During the game: The practices turned out to be Lazard's time to shine. He started Saturday's game but played a small role in the loss for the North, with the offense spreading the ball out to 11 different targets who saw catches. He grabbed two passes for seven yards and was targeted only three times. The only target that didn’t result in a catch was on a bad throw by quarterback Josh Allen.
The big takeaway: ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said before the Senior Bowl that Lazard could go early-to-mid Day 3 of the draft. The second and third rounds of the draft are on Day 3. The biggest knocks on Lazard are his speed and his drops, and those two things could stop him from moving past where Kiper had him projected. Lazard showed he does have some speed to him when he flew by cornerback Michael Joseph and chased down an easy catch on his way to the end zone during practice. But it just hasn't been consistent enough. The first day also showed that drops still creep up at times on Lazard, but he also showed the rest of the week that they wouldn’t shake him when he started making grabs throughout the middle of the field and the end zone. He also proved that he always finds a way to come up with catches in the end zone. CBS Sports writer Chris Trapasso wrote that Lazard was the "best jump-ball wideout in practice." The NFL Scouting Combine and Iowa State's Pro Day will be the true tests to see where Lazard's speed is at.
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