The message Will Sheppard got from NFL scouts on Friday was pretty clear.

“I made some money today,” the former Colorado receiver said. “That’s what I heard — I made some money today.”

Sheppard was one of 16 Buffs to participate in their “We Ain’t Hard 2 Find Showcase” on Friday in Boulder, in front of 70 scouts representing all 32 NFL teams, and he may have been the one to boost his draft stock the most.

Quarterback Shedeur Sanders and cornerback/receiver Travis Hunter are the Buffs’ two big stars, and both are projected as top five picks in the draft, which takes places April 24-26.

Sheppard, meanwhile, is one of several Buffs doing all they can to get drafted or improve their draft position — and he certainly did that Friday.

“I feel good,” Sheppard said after the workout. “I did what I had to do, improved from Big 12 (pro day). Big 12 wasn’t what I wanted to do, but I put the numbers together I wanted today, so I feel good about it.”

The 6-foot-3, 196-pound Sheppard caught 48 passes for 621 yards and six touchdowns in his one season with the Buffs, putting up solid numbers despite being the No. 3 receiver.

During his career, which began at Vanderbilt, he caught 210 passes for 2,688 yards and 27 touchdowns.

Despite the production, Sheppard wasn’t invited to the NFL combine as one of the top draft prospects.

“I feel like not getting an invite just put a chip on my shoulder, gave me that extra edge to show people what it really is,” he said. “I’m someone that’s gonna come in, do what’s asked of me, not have any off-field problems. Someone that’s gonna know the playbook and be versatile and play wherever you want me to play.”

Sheppard backed up his gameday production with an impressive performance in Friday’s position drills. But that’s not all that impressed the scouts. Sheppard posted a 40.5-inch vertical leap — better than 34 of the 36 receivers who were at the NFL combine, and his 10-foot, 11-inch broad jump was better than 29 of the 33 who jumped at the combine.

“I just put my shoes on, went out there and did it,” he said of his vertical leap, which was two inches better than the 38.5 he posted at Big 12 pro day last month in Texas. “I did a couple of high knees and went out there. I’ve been jumping my whole life.”

Sheppard also posted 40-yard dash times of 4.56 seconds and 4.54. He had a time of 4.59 at Big 12 pro day.

“This kid can play this game,” CU head coach Deion Sanders said. “I talked to a lot of the scouts earlier about how fond I am of his game and his consistency thereof. He’s a big-time receiver. A 50-50 ball, he’s going to get that more times than not. And I just love his character and what he brings to the table, what he brings to the practice field, day in and day out. He’s a tremendous asset.”

With his size, Sheppard has proven to be a threat in the red zone and a big target for third down situations, but at CU and during pro day, he flashed a variety of routes.

“I think just going out, showing I’m more than (a red zone threat) to these scouts when running these routes and stuff today,” he said. “That’s something I’m building on. I can do it all. I’m big. I’m more than just a possession, go up and get it kind of receiver. I can run routes, run after the catch. I can do everything, play inside, play outside.”

Shilo’s speed

Safety Shilo Sanders was going for a 40 time under 4.5. He officially clocked in at 4.52, although some scouts had him in the 4.4s.

“Some people had 4.4, but the big boys had 4.52, so we’re gonna go by that,” he said. “A 4.4 was just a goal. Nobody even thought I could run a 4.5 at all, or a 4.6. Everyone talking about 4.7 and stuff like that. I’m proud of it.”

Shilo added that in addition to speed, he’s been working this offseason on getting stronger and making sure his body is ready for the next step.

“Now it’s time to get in football shape for the camps and just be ready to go whenever my name gets called,” he said.

Notable

Nine defensive tackles did the 225-pound bench press at the NFL combine, with 29 being the top number of reps. On Friday, CU’s Chidozie Nwankwo had 30 reps and Shane Cokes had 29. … Offensive lineman Justin Mayers had 28 bench reps and a vertical leap of 28 inches. Both numbers would have ranked sixth among offensive linemen at the combine. … Defensive end BJ Green, who led CU with seven sacks, posted a 40 time of 4.59 that would have ranked fourth among 18 defensive ends at the combine. … Receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. ran a 4.40 in the 40, better than the 4.46 he ran at the combine. “I was pleased, but I could still do better,” Horn said of his day. “I ain’t never satisfied.”