Former Pitt corner Avonte Maddox has seen draft stock rise

The performance was impressive enough to make Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders take notice.

While doing television commentary at the NFL Combine, Sanders perked up when he saw a 5-foot-9 cornerback going through drills.

“I don't know who that kid is,” Sanders said, “but when he puts that foot in the dirt, he gets out there.”

Sanders was discovering what Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi long has believed: Avonte Maddox is one of the hidden gems in this year's NFL Draft class.

Word quickly got back to Maddox about Sanders' praise.

“Prime Time,” Maddox said, smiling. “I never thought it would come from him. When I heard it, I kept replaying it. ... It was a great compliment coming from him.”

Maddox was one of the stars of the annual testing session in Indianapolis. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds, the seventh-fastest time among cornerbacks. He also had the top time in the 60-yard shuttle and was second in the three-cone drill, while finishing in the top 10 in three other tests.

The showing might have boosted Maddox's draft rating. Before the combine, NFL.com listed him as a candidate to be taken in the fourth or fifth rounds. Narduzzi wouldn't be surprised if Maddox goes higher.

“I won't mention any NFL teams, but his stock has continued to go up because of his work ethic,” Narduzzi said last month at Pitt's pro day. “NFL guys ask me about Avonte, and I say he's one of the best I've been around, and I don't just say that.”

Narduzzi compares Maddox to Darquez Dennard and Trae Waynes, a pair of corners he coached when he was defensive coordinator at Michigan State. Dennard and Waynes became first-round draft picks.

“(Maddox) fits right in that mold with those guys,” Narduzzi said. “He's a football player.”

At Pitt, Maddox started 38 of a possible 51 games, missing five games the past two seasons because of injury. In 10 games as a senior, he led Pitt with two interceptions, 11 pass breakups and three forced fumbles. He also chipped in four sacks, with two coming in Pitt's upset of No. 2 Miami.

Although Maddox played on the outside in Pitt's defensive scheme, his NFL future projects as a slot corner because of his slender frame. Maddox, who is similar in stature to the Steelers' Mike Hilton, hopes he can impress NFL coaches with his smarts.

“I'm a guy who knows what the D-line and linebackers do and the safeties, along with what I've got to do,” he said. “I have to show them I know the game and have knowledge of the game. That can separate you in the big leagues.”

Or speed up, which was the case at the combine. Maddox prepped for the showcase by training at a performance facility in Pensacola, Fla. The results were evident in Indianapolis. Just ask Sanders.

Narduzzi hopes NFL talent evaluators were paying attention, too. Representatives from all 32 teams got a second chance to watch Maddox at Pitt's pro day.

“He's a competitor. He's a leader. I love that guy to death,” Narduzzi said. “He gave you everything he had every Saturday. But not just every Saturday. Every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday ­— in the film room and on the field.”

This fall, it also could be every Sunday.

Joe Rutter is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at jrutter@tribweb.com or via Twitter @tribjoerutter.