The shirtless workout photo of Mississippi receiver D.K. Metcalf went viral last month. Metcalf was so big and so ripped that Field Yates of ESPN joked that Metcalf was “Mel Kiper Jr.'s top-ranked wide receiver, linebacker, defensive end, strong safety and tight end prospect in this year’s draft.”
“I didn’t think it was going to explode like that,” Metcalf said of the photo.
Metcalf measured 6-3 3/8, weighed 228 pounds and set an unofficial NFL Scouting Combine record for receivers with a 82 7/8-inch wingspan.
NFL personnel like what they have seen so far.
“Everybody gets enamored with the coverage ability, the length, the speed, all that stuff, but you’ve got to be able to tackle these guys in one-on-one situations,” Raiders coach Jon Gruden said. “We had a guy walk in our room last night, a receiver out of Ole Miss. His name is Metcalf, and he looked like Jim Brown. I mean he’s the biggest wide out I’ve ever seen, and you got to ask yourself, ‘Who’s tackling this guy?’ So, if you’re a 179-pound corner, and you’re tackling a 235-pound back, or a 235-pound wideout or a tight end you’ve got to ask yourself, ‘Is this what I want to do?’ You’ve got to find guys that can tackle big time, and sometimes I think that’s overlooked.”
Metcalf, who played only seven games last season because of a neck injury, caught 67 passes for 1,228 yards and 14 touchdowns in 21 college games.
Metcalf always has lifted weights, but his diet has improved since he left school. It’s why he looks like he looks now.
Giving up strawberry milk was the biggest sacrifice Metcalf made.
“At Ole Miss, we ate however we wanted to,” Metcalf said. “At EXOS [in Phoenix], they really cut down on bad foods for you with high sugar, high carbs. They really honed in on protein and vegetables and things like that.”
