Fastest prospect: Anthony Schwartz more than ‘track guy’

Auburn wide receiver Anthony Schwartz already has built quite a collection of trophies and medals for his display case, even though he hasn’t yet been drafted into the NFL. Most of them haven’t even come from football.

Schwartz is a track star who won the U.S. Junior Championships in the 100-meter dash in 2018 before taking home silver in the Junior Worlds that same year.

Schwartz set a world youth record in the 100, clocking a time of 10.15 seconds, and recorded a wind-aided 10.07 as he was named national track and field athlete of the year by Gatorade in 2018 when he swept the Florida state meet by winning the 100 and 200 in record times. By contrast, Raiders wideout Henry Ruggs set the Alabama state high school record with a 10.58.

So it was no surprise the 6-foot, 179-pounder posted the lowest recorded official time at a pro day of any player in this year’s draft class. In a year where 40 times largely were unofficial and difficult to nail down because there was no combine with centralized organization and standardized times, it’s safe to say Schwartz belongs among the fastest players in the nation.

“My expectations were just to run a fast 40, do well on my drills and then when it came to position work, just show great footwork and stay clean in and out of my breaks,” he said after running a 4.26 at Auburn’s pro day in March. “I feel like I did all that. There’s still room to improve, but I felt like today I showed I’m more than just a deep-threat guy.

“I can do everything a receiver is supposed to do.”

In order to do that, he actually had to slow down.

Once Schwartz dedicated himself to football instead of splitting his focus with track, he realized a change from the long strides of a sprinter may benefit him on the gridiron.

The shorter steps have paid off without preventing him from getting where he needs to go faster than anyone else on the football field.

“It’s come a little more naturally to get to the top of my breaks and cut fast,” he said. “It’s something I definitely worked on a lot these last few months to try to get even better. I have a better understanding, and it’s not as taxing as it used to be.”

The blazing speed puts Schwartz in rarefied air among some of the fastest players to enter the NFL. He knows that can be a weapon for him at the next level should he be selected by an NFL team.

“I feel like what I bring to the table is, of course, my speed because I feel like I am the fastest guy in all of football, but especially coming into the draft this year,” he said. “Then also I feel like I have a great football IQ to take the plays from the classroom and translate them to the field. That’s why I can do so much of what’s asked of me.”

Perhaps surprisingly, that didn’t include many deep routes during his collegiate career. Schwartz’s deep target percentage was just 34.9 in college, though he managed many long gainers because of yards after the catch.

The projected third-round pick knows he can do more at the NFL level. He’s been watching film of a couple talented but different receivers to learn the tricks of the trade.

“I’ve been watching a lot of Tyreek Hill, especially the way he’s able to use his speed in and out of his breaks and then use his speed to run with the ball,” Schwartz said. “I also watch a lot of Stefon Diggs. He’s about my size, and he’s able to release off the ball and run such crisp routes.”

Schwartz had career-bests of 54 catches for 636 yards and three touchdowns in a COVID-shortened 10-game season for a meek Auburn passing attack in 2020. His numbers have increased each year in college. He said he’s confident that trend can continue in an NFL offense with more consistent deliveries.

“The offseason has really just been a bunch of grinding,” he said. “Four times a week of two-a-days on the field and in the weight room. And what I’ve been working on is really just what the scouts have said … making my routes crisper, getting stronger and even getting faster.”

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.