Which NFL prospects rocked the red carpet at the draft?
DK Metcalf goes without a shirt at a combine meeting with the Seahawks’ staff, and Pete Carroll decides to go shirtless himself. (0:15)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The NFL draft’s top prospects gathered in Nashville on Thursday, dressed to the nines and eager to find out where they’d begin their professional careers. Their on-field performances have been scrutinized for months — now it’s time to evaluate their fashion game.
Here are the standouts, beginning with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft:
Drafted: No. 1 by the Arizona Cardinals
Style credits: Shoes by Nike
Why did Murray choose Nike? Murray had custom Nike Air Force One sneakers to match his pink pinstripe suit inspired by “The Great Gatsby.” The custom sneaks have “KM1” on them. The swoosh on the Nike sneakers was pink with burgundy spots to match his suit. In the words of John Witherspoon’s character in the movie “Boomerang”: “You gotta coordinate!”
What I liked: The peak lapels with a ticket pocket and vest were smoothly complemented by the custom white sneakers, which took the cake. Mixing in a pink and burgundy striped tie along with a burgundy pocket square topped off the look.
Grade: A+
Drafted: No. 13 by the Miami Dolphins
What inspired the outfit? “At Clemson, we called ourselves the Power Rangers,” Wilkins said. “I am the White Tiger Power Ranger, so I had to represent with the white, gold and black color scheme.”
What I liked: The custom lining in Wilkins’ jacket featured tiger eyes with “42” on each side of his jacket. It was a crafty look to go with his comical Power Rangers theme. The big guy finished it off with a soft pair of loafers without socks. Extra credit for the “no socks swag.”
Grade: A
Drafted: No. 25 by the Baltimore Ravens
Style credits: Michael Strahan JCPenney (M collection), shoes by Christian Louboutin
What’s behind the pattern? Brown wanted to wear a patterned blazer in Oklahoma’s colors but also have it coordinate with his black shirt and slacks. True to his “Hollywood” nickname, Brown had a picture of himself in his Oklahoma jersey on his custom lining. He also had the word “Hollywood” featured in the lining along with “954” to represent his hometown area code. A custom medallion that resembled Brown complemented by diamonds hung from his chain.
What I liked: Brown’s custom lining was a nice touch. His mini-Hollywood piece was a baller move. Finishing the look with Christian Louboutin red-bottom shoes stood out, too. Brown is working his way back from a Lisfranc injury so his footwear was of the utmost importance.
Grade: A
Drafted: No. 64 by the Seattle Seahawks
Why the double-breasted suit? Metcalf wanted to accent his triangular shape. The double-breasted suit accentuated his old-school taste. The wide pinstripe is a classic look.
What I liked: Metcalf paid homage to his high school by having team name-themed lightning bolts on his custom lining. Metcalf also had strawberries on the lining. Why? A love for strawberry milk. To take it a step further, he had a pink nose ring and pink socks to match the strawberry milk theme.
Grade: A
Drafted: No. 35 by the Jacksonville Jaguars
What’s behind the lining? Taylor’s custom lining in his jacket paid tribute to his grandmother, Gwendolyn Lewis, who died in 2010. He refers to her as his “guardian angel,” which is featured on the lining above her picture.
What I liked: The gray base with purple plaid was outstanding. Taylor is a big guy, so simplifying the look with a white shirt and black tie was a good idea. Pulling off the three-piece suit was a nice feat.
Grade: B
Drafted: No. 5 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Why go with blue and pink? “The first time I wore a blue suit I just knew that was my look,” White said. “We are in horse country and want to represent my horse, Daisy May. She loves pink, so I wanted to put the pink on for her to let her know she’s with me.”
What I liked: The postman blue suit with a pink shirt, tie and pocket square was classic. White had a vest on as well, which he said reminded him of a county sheriff look from back in the day. White didn’t forget where he came from either. He showed his loyalty to his alma mater by sporting a purple and gold bracelet.
Grade: B
Drafted: No. 16 by the Carolina Panthers
Style credits: Gucci, Dior
What I liked: Burns is a huge Spider-Man fan and incorporated that theme into his outfit by wearing Spidey socks. The custom camouflage lining on his deep fuschia coat was a nice twist, too. Burns said that when he woke up and put the outfit together his goal was to be the cleanest dude out there.
Grade: B
Drafted: No. 42 by the Denver Broncos
Style credits: Shoes by Gucci
What I liked: Lock involved his family in the decision. Pulling off a blue nailhead pattern was a bold look. He simplified the look with his white shirt and navy tie. Lock had the “no sock swag” going with his Gucci shoes that he categorized as his first “I made it” purchase.
Grade: C
Drafted: No. 30 by the New York Giants
Style credits: Dolce & Gabbana
What I liked: Baker’s family got involved with the outfit. His father, Andre, had the “bow-tie swag” going with a black satin shawl collar on his jacket. Baker’s mother, Shanika, picked out her son’s red-carpet outfit. Baker himself pulled off an interesting look with some Dolce & Gabbana shoes/sneakers. Wearing the lapel pin he got for winning the Jim Thorpe Award (nation’s best college DB) along with the shark (Baker feels like he’s the biggest fish in the sea) and lightning bolt medallion was a power move.
Grade: C
Drafted: No. 10 by the Pittsburgh Steelers
What I liked: I wasn’t a big fan of the look, but the fact that he wanted to make a bold statement sits well with me. “I wanted to go with something off the wall and put my personality into it. You can’t just go into a store and get this,” Bush said during his news conference. The outfit reminded me of Morris Day and the Time from the 1980s.
Grade: D