Eastern Washington receiver Kendrick Bourne to join Cooper Kupp at NFL Combine
Quick, which school west of the Mississippi has the most wide receivers invited to this year’s NFL Combine?
Eastern Washington fans know the answer, because they’ve been following Cooper Kupp and Kendrick Bourne since they were 18-year-olds.
On March 1-4 in Indianapolis, they’ll be trying to impress NFL scout with an eye toward hearing their names called during the NFL draft two months later.
Apparently Bourne is already making an impression.
Kupp was no surprise to make the list, which was formally announced on Wednesday; the four-time All-American has been on the list since it was drawn up two months ago.
Kupp has been consistently rated among the top eight receivers and is projected to be drafted in the second or third round on April 28.
However, the addition of Bourne is a mild surprise. A solid deep threat, the 6-foot-3, 190-pounder from Portland was consistently able to get separation from defensive backs en route to 79 catches for 1,201 yards and seven touchdowns.
“Extremely blessed! Thanks to everyone who’s helped me along the way,” Bourne Tweeted when he got the news recently.
Bourne is projected to be a late-round pick or undrafted free agent.
Kupp and Bourne were among 58 receivers invited to the combine. The only school with more is North Carolina with three. USC also has two wideouts invited.
They are also the only players from the Big Sky Conference to get an invite. Out of 330 players at all positions, only 19 hail from FCS schools.
Kupp, who like Bourne has been training since the end of the 2016 season, said he embraces the challenge.
“The combine is its own animal,” Kupp recently told the Associated Press. “What that whole phase is about, the testing and those four or five days that you’re down there, it’s a lot of making you uncomfortable in terms of you’re dealing with interviews here or there, you’re not getting a whole lot of sleep, there’s a lot going on.”
“But I think I’m prepared for that because that’s how I approach this game of football. It’s not just about competing against the guy across from you, it’s about making sure that I’m the best me that I can be.”
Kupp and Bourne are among 11 players chosen from Washington schools. The University of Washington has seven, including wide receiver John Ross III, and Washington State has two.