Most people can’t carry more than 300 pounds on their frame and still move smoothly.
Jordan Morgan can.
“He’s one of the more athletic big men I’ve ever worked with,” said Nic Hill, a trainer at the elite sports performance center Exos in Phoenix. “He reminds me of Richie Incognito, who played 15-whatever years in the league. Very athletic. Knows how to move his body really well for the size that he is. He’s built to be that size.”
Morgan recently put a cap on a stellar career at the University of Arizona, and is currently training at Exos in preparation for the NFL Scouting Combine.
The 22-year-old offensive tackle sees all the mock drafts, many of which have him as a first-round pick.
A good performance in Indianapolis would go a long way in cementing that possibility, and it would be a dream come true for Morgan.
“That would mean a lot,” he said. “I’ve been working so hard. You hear talk about it and that’s something I really want to do, and show everybody I can do.”
Can’t help but like Jordan Morgan (77). He’s a fringe first-round tackle prospect out of Arizona. But he’s got all the traits. Talked to him yesterday and said he’s out to show consistency this week. Wouldn’t be surprised to see him climb up draft boards. #SeniorBowl pic.twitter.com/mOJy0s4twB
— Jeff Nowak (@Jeff_Nowak) February 1, 2024
The path to this point had a major hurdle in 2022, when Morgan tore his ACL on Nov. 12 against UCLA.
It was his first major injury and had Morgan questioning a lot of things.
“For a couple months after the injury, it was really hard,” Morgan said. “Going through that and not knowing what my next step was going to be, it was a brain fog for a couple months.”
Once Morgan started to run again, the fog lifted, and he made his way back onto the field in 2023 without incident.
Morgan was named a first-team All-Pac-12 performer but says he wasn’t all the way back from the injury.
“I feel like there is a lot more potential,” Morgan said. “The year prior to that, I was at my peak at the UCLA game, and that’s when I tore my ACL. If that didn’t happen, I would have been really, really good.”
Hill said the continued strengthening of the knee is a process that often takes around 18 months, which will put Morgan in a good spot as he enters his rookie campaign.
“They can get back in nine months, 10 months now, from a recovery standpoint, but it really takes a year-and-a-half for guys to really be feeling good with it again,” Hill said.
Morgan is expected to be taken in the 20s or 30s if he lands in the first round.
He said the Cowboys (No. 24 overall pick), Packers (25), Cardinals (27) and Titans (38) have all shown a particular interest in him.
I spoke with Arizona LT Jordan Morgan, a projected first-round pick, and he said these teams have shown a particular interest early in the draft process:
* Cardinals
* Cowboys
* Packers
* Titans— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) February 16, 2024
Morgan is from Marana, Arizona, just outside of Tucson and said he’s often tagged by Cardinals fans on social media who want to see him remain in Arizona.
The Cardinals have a need at offensive tackle, and Morgan said his experience blocking for the elusive Noah Fifita at UA would make it a natural transition if he’s called upon to protect Kyler Murray.
“At Arizona we had a quarterback just like him,” Morgan said. “Small, quick, fast, could get out of the pocket. Transitioning to that wouldn’t be a problem for me. It would just be how Arizona was.”
Morgan was ecstatic to wrap his career at Arizona on a high note. He could have gone to a powerhouse like USC for college but instead stayed home.
“When I first got there in 2019, it was an alright season, but it went downhill from there,” Morgan said. “It was so embarrassing, to the point where I couldn’t even wear UA gear anywhere.”
In 2023, the Wildcats finished 10-3, won the Alamo Bowl and finished ranked No. 11 in the country.
“Everybody recognized that Arizona was on the map, which felt really good,” Morgan said.
Wildcats coach Jedd Fisch left for Washington after the season, but Morgan doesn’t hold any ill will about that decision.
“Arizona would have been really, really special, but things happen,” Morgan said. “It’s a business. I hope everyone understands.”
Morgan is in business-mode himself now, spending countless hours working on his body and performance ahead of the combine.
“I’m getting stronger and I’m getting leaner,” he said.
The medical portion of the combine will be important as NFL doctors examine the ACL, but Morgan is confident in his health.
“I don’t think it’s going to be a problem at all,” he said. “I played in the Senior Bowl and looked really good in the Senior Bowl on that knee. It’s not anything that will bother me or them.”
Solid athletic testing numbers at the combine would be big for Morgan, and he’s ready to attack it next week.
“I’m excited to do everything,” Morgan said. “I feel like I can have really good numbers in everything I do.”
