Charlotte 49ers safety with Tar Heels ties shines in front of NFL scouts at pro day
Ja’Qurious Conley made the most of his first NFL job interview Thursday at Jerry Richardson Stadium.
The defensive back, who went to high school in Jacksonville, North Carolina, put on a show in front of scouts from 11 NFL teams during the Charlotte 49ers’ annual pro day. After splitting his college career between Chapel Hill and Charlotte, Conley put an exclamation point on that phase of his football life with eye-opening testing numbers in a handful of drills.
“I feel like it was a pretty good day,” Conley told The Charlotte Observer after the workout. “I feel like I could have did a lot better, but coming into the day, I was very nervous. Just seeing everybody else’s combine numbers and pro day numbers — so I was just comparing myself to everybody. But I didn’t need to do so.”
“I feel like I just let God take over and let him control the day,” Conley added. “And I tried to come into the day with the most confidence I could.”
Conley measured in at 6 feet and 214 pounds. The safety then posted a 38-inch vertical jump and bench pressed 225 pounds 23 times. His vertical number would have placed him among the top five testing safeties at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. His bench press total would have topped every defensive back in Indianapolis by five reps.
Conley’s most impressive mark came on the broad jump, where he landed a 10-foot-11 leap. Despite battling through some adversity early in his career with a major knee injury — which required ACL and MCL surgery — in 2021, Conley’s athleticism and explosiveness shined through during the drill.
The mark would have placed him among the top five testing defensive backs at the combine. The jump would have also placed him at the very top of the safety group at the February showcase.
“I feel like it says a lot about myself,” Conley said of his performance. “A lot of people have injury worries and everything, but I feel like today was to show everybody that I’m 100% healthy, and I can compete with anybody.”
Conley, who transferred from North Carolina to Charlotte in 2023, then tested his speed on McColl-Richardson Field, as the current 49ers squad was scrimmaging during a planned practice.
Scouts clocked him at a consensus time of 4.49 seconds during the 40-yard dash, according to the program. He also ran impressive times during 3-cone (7.06 seconds) and short shuttle (4.21 seconds) drills.
“They liked what I did,” Conley said about the feedback he received from the scouts after drills.
Conley finished the morning workout with defensive back position drills.
He was able to demonstrate his change of direction and ball skills in front of evaluators from the Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, Las Vegas Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills. A scout from the Canadian Football League’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers was also in attendance.
Conley played three seasons with the Tar Heels and two seasons with the 49ers. During his five-year college career, he appeared in 40 games, producing 171 total tackles (6.5 for loss), two forced fumbles and five interceptions. He collected a career-high three picks last season with the 49ers.
When asked to describe himself as a player, Conley kept his analysis brief, almost as short as his 40-yard dash time.
“Team player — physical,” Conley said. “Prepared every game.”
With the NFL Draft less than a month away, Conley helped himself on his program’s home turf. In a few weeks, he could join other 49ers alums — such as Pittsburgh’s Alex Highsmith and Tampa Bay’s Markees Watts — in the pros.
Quick hits
- Wide receiver Sean Brown, a Waxhaw native, had his workout limited to a 40-yard dash. According to the school, Brown ran a 4.64-second 40-yard dash. Brown, who is recovering from foot surgery, measured in at 6-3 and 200 pounds. Brown caught 75 passes for 1,018 yards and two touchdowns during his career at Charlotte.
- Defensive end Zion Shockley produced a workout-high 33 reps on the bench press. The 6-foot-3, 275-pound lineman appeared in 19 games over three seasons with the 49ers.
- Linebacker Shay Taylor ran a 4.87-second 40-yard dash, per the program. He had a 30.5-inch vertical jump and a 9-foot-3 broad jump. He also had a 7-second 3-cone drill. Measuring in at 6-1 and 225 pounds, Taylor also had eight reps on the bench press.
- Fellow linebacker Reid Williford measured 6-1 and 235 pounds. He posted a 40-yard dash of 4.51 seconds and did 22 reps on the bench press. He also had a 6.77-second 3-cone drill.
- According to the program, cornerback Randy Franklin measured 5-11 and 205 pounds. He ran a 4.49-second 40-yard dash and did 24 reps on the bench press.
This story was originally published March 26, 2026 at 4:04 PM.
