TCU Pro Day: Johnston and Palmer Praise Duggan’s Performance

Max Duggan shows off his skills in front of representatives from all 32 NFL teams

Former TCU quarterback Max Duggan gave NFL coaches and scouts another chance to watch him put on a display on Thursday, March 30, at the Sam Baugh Indoor Practice Facility. A month after completing the NFL Combine, the 6-foot-1 signal caller performed in front of representatives from all 32 NFL teams and several from the Canadian Football League.

Duggan’s Combine results included a 4.52 second 40-yard dash, a 30.5” vertical jump, a 9 '8 broad jump, and a 4.45 second 20-yard shuttle. Instead of completing the full Pro Day, Duggan opted to do a throwing session with his former college receivers, including Quentin Johnston.

Johnston spoke about going through the process with his old quarterback and gave some words on behalf of the signal caller.

“Initially, the workload is a lot, but then I just got settled in with going back and forth from interviews, to meetings, to performing. Now I'm versed in everything.”

“Max, that’s my dog, that’s the dude I came in with. His competitiveness, to me, is unmatched. He’s what gets the team going most of the time, he’s always that leader and heart of the team. When we’re down, we always see him fighting. I’ve seen him out of breath, and he just continues to go.”

With the help of former NFL quarterback Jordan Palmer, Duggan went through a 15-minute passing session. They started with short underneath and crossing routes before starting to work to the outside, and then further downfield.

With New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick watching from one knee, Duggan started to look more confident with each of his passes and completed two deep passes without making his receivers break stride. After getting criticism for making his receivers break stride on long balls, the two deep completions got the attention of the scouts and the media.

Then after throwing routes in a red zone situation, Duggan’s day was done. Many scouts stayed around to watch the rest of pro day, but some went to talk to Duggan, and Palmer spoke of his admiration for the young quarterback.

“He’s handled this process really well,” Palmer said. “He’s put what he has put on tape, which is big moments, bright lights, and great football. “I think in Indianapolis, his pro day today, a lot of the interviews, what people are seeing is really authentic and really genuine. He’s also shown how athletic he is and how good he is throwing the ball the way he did today.”

Palmer is currently the Director of Quarterback Development for the XFL. He spent his professional career bouncing around the NFL without making an official start. Since his last appearance in 2014, Palmer has worked with several NFL quarterbacks, including Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Sam Darnold, and Joe Burrow, before taking Duggan under his wing.

“I met him during the Elite11 process coming out of high school,” Palmer remembered. “He’s a great dude and a hard worker, and I think guys that are really athletic can be more dangerous to a defense. So it’s fun to work with guys who can move around and make plays, and he’s done that for so long.”

Duggan now awaits the NFL Draft, starting at 7 p.m. CDT on Thursday, April 27.

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