Tyler Vaughns feels his production, tape outweigh 40-yard dash time

The answer came well before the result. USC wide receiver Tyler Vaughns was speaking to reporters over Zoom on Monday, looking ahead to the Trojans' Wednesday pro day in front of NFL scouts, when he was asked how important he felt that showcase would be for his future.

"I don't feel like pro day is something that's really going to showcase anything that hasn't been shown on film. Like I said, I'm a football player," Vaughns said then. "I feel like pro day is just for times and everything like that so they have a gist of how fast and quick you are off of times. But I feel like my game play is very fast and better than what is shown on a 40 or anything like that."

Vaughns had said he was hoping to run in the 4.4s but he clocked in a 4.62 in the 40-yard dash Wednesday.

USC's six draft hopefuls who worked out at pro day -- with representatives from all 32 teams in attendance -- weren't available for further interviews afterward, but back on Monday Vaughns had talked about his upside while emphasizing his strengths as a route runner and making tough catches on the sideline.

"I feel like I just bring a different aspect to the game, to the table," he said. "... Competing against the guys that's in the draft right now, I feel like I'm going to do better than anybody really."

He knew there were questions about his speed, though, and those will remain after the 40 time -- for reference, 39 wide receivers ran faster than a 4.62 40-yard dash at the NFL combine last year in Indianapolis. So Vaughns will indeed have to hope that NFL scouts take the time to study his body of work at USC, where he ranks third in program history with 222 catches while totaling 2,801 yards and 20 touchdowns over four seasons as a steady and dependable contributor.

He was only 30 receptions away from tying Robert Woods' USC career record, but Vaughns decided against returning for a sixth year in the program to chase that mark -- one he likely would have gotten had USC played a full schedule in 2020 rather than just six games.

"Yeah, I weighed that, but I feel like if we had a longer season I would have broke it as well. So I didn't think too hard of it, but I am glad I'm a part of that [top list]," he said.

Ultimately, he said, he felt at his age, after five years at USC, it was time to make the move and try to find a home in the NFL.

He added that he felt he showed more of his downfield playmaking abilities this season and that playing in coordinator Graham Harrell's Air Raid offense was a benefit to him overall.

"I feel like it's going to help me greatly because the offense we were in, Graham Harrell had us really changing our thought process about how we run routes, just the timing of it and how we can bend in certain areas -- we really have to think on the fly. So I think that's going to be a great attribute," he said.

While Vaughns didn't answer the questions about his raw speed Wednesday, he nonetheless has a trove of highlights showing his ability making tough catches in big moments. That's what USC head coach Clay Helton highlighted when speaking to his potential at the next level.

As Helton would point out, the Trojans probably don't beat rival UCLA this year without two pivotal Vaughns receptions.

"One thing you get in Tyler is experience. A lot of guys may only be on campus for five semesters. Here's a guy that's played the game for four years and has been productive each and every year -- consistent production. And then what I thought really shined this year, that stood out to me, was his ability to make the tough plays in critical moments," Helton said.

"I think about two plays in the UCLA game for sure that if you look at the double move he has where he has to lay full-out on a touchdown catch that we had to have during that time period of being down, I thought was critical. Then the last drive going over top of a corner and a safety to make that catch in a critical moment [to set up the game-winning TD on the next play], that's where I think he's really developed as a player is his overall strength. He's always been known for his route-running ability, sure handedness, but I saw this year his strength really come to play."