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I feel like I am really scraping the barrel here in terms of looking for Purdue NFL prospects, but I wanted to have one for each day this week and out of everyone, Rob Henry probably has the best chance. It is not a great chance, but Henry demonstrated an ability to do whatever it took to get on the field, and that will possibly pay off.
Rob Henry - 6'2" 205 pound athlete
40 time: 4.5 seconds
Vertical leap: 37 inches
What position could Henry play? At Purdue he lined up on special teams and as a quarterback, running back, wide receiver, safety, and punter. As a freshman in 2010 he started seven games at quarterback and showed his versatility by running for 547 yards and four touchdowns. He closed his career with over 2,00 yards passing, 650 yards rushing, 15 passing TDs, and seven rushing touchdowns.
He won't go to the NFL as a quarterback, however. As we know, he lost the starting job to Danny Etling and switched over to safety, where he played as a reserve and on special teams. He even lined up at punter three times in 2013.
Strengths
Henry is definitely a versatile player. He is still fast even after having surgery to repair a torn ACL suffered before the 2011 season. He has a good vertical leap from his Pro Day numbers at Purdue and is a physically gifted athlete. He has always run well with the football and has shown he can learn on the fly. Since he was asked to play virtually every position except offensive or defensive line in his time at Purdue he showed that he is willing to do what it takes to get on the field. Coaches appreciate guys like Rob Henry.
Weaknesses
Does Rob really have a position? He was a jack of all trades but master of none in his time at Purdue and never really stood out at any position. He was limited by injury in 2011 and a ridiculous quarterback rotation in 2012. His throwing motion never really improved and the position switch to safety was far too late in his career to judge if it was the right thing or not. Basically, he is a solid athlete without a true place.
Final Analysis:
Anybody who drafts or signs Henry would be doing so strictly on potential and his athleticism. I could see him gaining a niche as a special teamer, but I also see where it would be very hard for him to nail down a roster spot. The move to safety might have been his best spot, but is an NFL team going to take the time to develop a player that played a handful of games as a reserve at the position?
I can see a team taking a chance on Henry as an undrafted free agent strictly on his athleticism, but he would really have to stand out to gain a roster spot.