With his father watching, Dré Bly’s son emerges at UNC Pro Day: ‘That’s what we do’
The player who made arguably the biggest splash at UNC’s pro day didn’t suit up for the Tar Heels this past season.
But he has deep ties to the program nonetheless.
Jordan Bly, son of Tar Heel great defensive back and 11-year NFL veteran Dré Bly, had a day to remember at North Carolina’s indoor practice facility on Monday in front of scouts that accounted for 30 of the NFL’s 32 teams.
The Gardner-Webb receiver netted a 10’7” broad jump, a 36.5” vertical jump and a 13-rep performance on the bench press — to go along with a 4.33-second 40-yard dash time, according to at least one scout.
What makes it even sweeter? His father, who was there representing the New York Jets, was there to see it.
But there was no extra pressure because Dad was around, to be clear.
“It’s kinda normal,” Jordan said with a smile and shrug. “He’s always been around, always been a coach. So it’s always been normal. It kind of felt like back in high school, like he was coaching my team or something like that.”
Jordan grew up in Charlotte and attended Myers Park High School. He chose to be a receiver around “seventh or eighth grade,” he said — opting to follow in the footsteps of his cousin Josh Downs (another Tar Heel great who now plays for the Indianapolis Colts) as opposed to being a defensive back like his father — and then spent the next three years at Old Dominion.
His final year was spent close to home: at Gardner-Webb in Boiling Springs, S.C., where he notched 32 receptions for 333 yards and three touchdowns as a senior. He was invited to the Tar Heel pro day, just as other local NFL hopefuls have over the years.
On Monday, the receiver who spent the past few months training in Nashville at X3 set out to prove he was not only fast but agile, which he proved quickly in the various drills. In the receiving drills, his route tree was polished and his hands were steady. He caught every pass from incoming Tar Heel freshman QB Bryce Baker — from fade balls to 5-yard digs to deep slants. The Charlotte product also proved his speed, chasing down a slightly overthrown deep ball to the middle of the field on one of his last reps.
For Jordan, it’s always been about opportunity. That’s all the 5-foot-10, 170-pound receiver is asking for in this process leading up to the NFL Draft and every team’s roster-building thereafter.
It’s all his father knows he needs, too.
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“He was raised a football baby,” Dré Bly told The Observer on Monday. “So it’s kind of cool. And this is what I tell people: Everybody processes different. Some people it comes early to. Some people, it comes late. He was a basketball player and decided he was going to play football and get serious about it junior year. Then COVID hit and he didn’t get his senior year, and was affected by that.
“And to see it all come to fruition, come to reality, it’s pretty cool.”
Dré Bly spent some moments reconnecting with old recruits after the drills were done Monday. The coach, after all, was on staff under former Tar Heel head coach Mack Brown and was named Rivals.com’s ACC Recruiter of the Year in 2022.
He said he was happy to be there for his son, just as his parents were when he was a player. Their presence always put him “at peace.” Jordan’s brother, Trey, as well as family friend and NFL legend Torry Holt — who they call “Uncle Torry” — were also there to watch Jordan perform.
“He handled his business and topped all his times,” Dré said. “When they ran the first time, they thought it was a surprise. I’m like, ‘Nah, that’s what we do.’ Like I was saying, Josh Downs is his first cousin, and you combine that DNA with my DNA, we got it. It’s just a matter of when you’re able to display it. And he was able to display it today.”
In the words of Jordan:
“I’m grateful to be here,” he said.
He added: “I just wanted to leave no doubt with what I can do.”
Other notes from UNC pro day
▪ Omarion Hampton, the Tar Heels’ unrelenting running back from Clayton, participated in receiving and running back drills Monday but did not try to improve upon his impressive numbers at the NFL Scouting Combine in February: 10’10” broad jump, 18 reps on the bench press and a 4.46 40-yard dash time. When the potential first-round pick was asked what it was like receiving from a QB he never played with — as Baker is one of Bill Belichick’s earliest recruits — he smiled and said the incoming freshman spun the ball well.
▪ Defensive end Kaimon Rucker, like Hampton, only participated in position drills Monday. He did the same in the NFL Scouting Combine after suffering a fractured fibula toward the end of the 2024 season. He said that he feels good — but that the recovery prevented him from doing the training required to have certain drills reflect the athlete he is.
▪ Another defensive lineman, Jahvaree Ritzie, had a nice day, notching a 36.5” on the vertical jump and showing off his athleticism, too, in other drills. The 6-foot-5, 290-pound DL said he’s met with the Carolina Panthers, among numerous other teams, and was proud of his performance Monday — both in the fact that he got to show off several pass-rushing techniques Monday, as well as prove the hamstring injury he sustained while training after the UNC season was behind him. Said Ritzie: “I was a power rusher, based off our defense and stuff. And today, I was able to bend, move, look good, no pain. For me, I felt good, I felt confident about today.”
▪ Tight end Bryson Nesbit finished with a 29.5” vertical jump, down from his combine total of 32.5”, but outside of that had a solid day through receiving drills. The 6-foot-5 Charlotte native is the son of former offensive lineman Jamar Nesbit, who played 11 NFL seasons, including four with the Carolina Panthers.
This story was originally published March 24, 2025 at 2:34 PM.
