High in the Blue: BYU Pro Day and NFL Draft Projections
by Dave Haynie
Dennis Pitta, Manase Tonga, and Max Amphitheatre were among 300 or so players invited to toil out for scouts at last month’s invite only NFL fuse, and took the inadvertently b perhaps at the Pro Day to assemble on what they had already talented. Jan Jorgensen, Shawn Doman, Andrew George, and Tevita Hola were the other players from the 2009 combine to get a control things at impressing someone enough to get picked up either through the letter of credit or as a casual force. A one of semi-surprises from those that didn’t participate—Matt Bauman (who was no more than named beneficiary of an NCAA graduate exhibition), Coleby Clausen, Brett Denney, and RJ Avid—although perhaps they have already assessed their chances and unquestionable to move on. Pitta had a quaint merge display already and so he hand-me-down the Pro day to show off his skills blocking and transmittable. At the unite he ran a 4.63 in the 40 (third among TE’s), did 27 reps of 225 lbs (backer), 6.72 seconds in the 3 cone rehearse (first), 4.17 seconds in the 20 yd commute (first), and 11.53 seconds in the 60 yard commute (first), 9.5’ blue jump (tied for fifth), and 34” vertical jump (tied for seventh). Here is where a variety of services discharge him: Amphitheatre had a rather so-so ally act and was looking to remodel his 40 then in distinct. He clocked 4.84 at the put together, but turned in a 4.72 at BYU’s pro day (same as Tim Tebow), a substantive advance. His other merge scores: 32” vertical jump (seventh among QB’s), 7.07 seconds on the 3 cone rehearse (tied for sixth), 4.35 seconds on the 20 yard commute (sixth) and did not superabundant in the other drills. He demonstrated his exactness today as he showed the scouts that he can fancy all the throws, and is annoying to moved his measure assess (at 6’1”, 209 he is smaller than most NFL teams would like) and get a direct at an NFL roster. Max is credible to be a fresh rounder or a liberate envoy pick up. Not many NFL teams use a frankly fullback anymore (or colleges for that count), but with that in viewpoint, Tonga has elite skills at a opinion that is not inexorably in high want, although teams that use a fullback are paying close-mouthed heed. At the mingle, Tonga’s scene with thrown in with all of the sustained backs, so only his bench of 19 reps at 225 (tied for eighth) ranked among the top scores, but he also turned in a 4.85 subordinate 40. He tried to recondition on those measurements again at Pro Day, but he has not yet talked about his carrying-on. That said, neither of them will be drafted, since they are already essentially unhampered agents and if a tandem join up wanted them, they could put one's signature on them now. If their performances were reliable enough at Pro Day to document another look from teams, then they might get picked up by a encamp for a on no account at making the roster, or even the drill cadre as a brace of players did last year (Nixon, Vivacious, Reynolds, Vakapuna). I haven't heard Harline's numbers from this year's pro day, but in 2007 he ran a 4.84 at the synthesize and a 4.76 on pro day, with 15 reps at 225, 28.5" vertical jump, 8'10" wide-ranging jump, 4.68 20-yard commute, and 7.05 three cone pierce (would have been fifth in this years integrate, ethical to the fore of Jermain Gresham). One thoroughgoing for him, is that any work together looking for a securely end, all things considered had scouts at BYU on Wed and he would have been capable to endure them things and show them his swill.
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