INDIANAPOLIS – Virginia Tech tight end Dalton Keene put on an impressive display of his athleticism at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, registering the best broad jump of any tight end with a leap of 10 feet, 5 inches on Thursday. The Littleton, Colorado native ran an official 4.71 in the 40-yard dash, which ranked fifth among tight ends, while his 21 reps on the bench press also ranked fifth at his position group. After doing on-field work with the tight ends at Lucas Oil Stadium on Thursday, several NFL teams requested that he workout with the running backs on Friday.
#NFLCombine @DaltonKeene18 talking about his time at Tech this am in Indy!
— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) February 25, 2020
📽 @FBallGameplan #Hokies 🦃pic.twitter.com/lApRoTXu0V
Dalton Keene – NFL Combine Results
40-Yard Dash 4.71 seconds
Bench Press 21 reps (225 lbs.)
Vertical Jump 34.0 inches
Broad Jump 125.0 inches
3-Cone Drill 7.07 seconds
20-Yard Shuttle 4.19 seconds
Keene played in 36 career games for Tech, hauling in 59 passes for 748 yards (12.7 avg.) with eight touchdowns. The versatile performer tied for fourth on Tech in 2019 with 21 receptions and was second on the squad with five receiving touchdowns. In addition to 240 receiving yards, he also carried the ball 11 times for 33 yards during his junior campaign. He was also selected to the 2019 ACC All-Academic Team.
Start Jumping ⚡️@DaltonKeene18 busted off a broad jump of 10 feet, 5 inches - the longest any TE at the #NFLCombine
— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) February 28, 2020
More 🎥 today on @NFLNetwork#HardHatMentality 👷 | #Hokies 🦃 pic.twitter.com/2hiO4kyKgq
Keene made numerous memorable plays during his tenure at Tech. The longest play of his collegiate career came on a short pass in a 31-14 win at Duke (9/29/18) that resulted in a 67-yard TD catch that included several broken tackles and stiff arms. His one-yard TD catch provided the winning margin in a dramatic 22-19 comeback win at North Carolina (10/13/18), as the Hokies' orchestrated a dramatic 18-play, 98-yard drive to get the win.
Time To Shine 💡
— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) February 27, 2020
Tune into @NFLNetwork beginning at 4 pm ET today as @DaltonKeene18 participates in on-field workouts in Indy! #HardHatMentality 👷🏽 #NFLCombine pic.twitter.com/GHWRIOkgl8
Keene also played a pivotal role in a 34-31 OT win vs. Virginia (11/23/18). With Tech trailing 31-24 and only 2:29 remaining in regulation, he hauled in a 45-yard heave from QB Ryan Willis on third-and-10 from Tech's own 25 to propel the Hokies on the game-tying drive.