TUESDAY, MARCH 16
9:20 p.m.: The
Steelers and the rest of the league showed up at the LSU Pro Day on Monday. Some interesting numbers were put up by safety Chad Jones, running back Charles Scott, and nose tackle Al Woods.
Jones weighed in at 225 pounds and shaved some time off his combine 40 with a run of 4.54. According to NFL.com, Jones also ran a 6.84 3-cone drill. He also pushed the bar up 11 times in the bench press, up from 9 at the combine.
"That just shows improvement," Jones told The Monroe News Star. "I think the scouts saw that if I get in the weight room more, I'll definitely get a lot stronger."
Jones, of course, was a star player on the national championship baseball team, as well as a junior who just completed his first full season as LSU's starting safety. If the Steelers don't grab Earl Thomas in the first round, Jones is one of my favorites in the second.
Scott, a 232-pound running back whose season was cut short by injury, ran a 4.53 40 and should be viewed as a mid-round sleeper for the Steelers, who need help in their short-yardage game.
Woods is a 307-pound nose tackle who ran a 4.98 40 and could be an interesting late-round prospect for a team looking for youth at the position.
The Steelers also visited Youngstown State to watch wide receiver Donald Jones. The 6-0, 214-pounder made 77 catches last season but is coveted more for his size than his speed. His 40 time from Monday's workout was not reported.
The Georgia Tech Pro Day drew a large NFL contingent to watch another power back, Jonathan Dwyer. The 225-pounder, whose status had slipped after a sloppy combine, ran a 4.52 40. But he was overshadowed by safety Morgan Burnett, who ran a 4.42 40 (according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution) and posted exceptional distances of 11-0 in the broad jump and 39.5 in the vertical jump.
The Pro Day schedule the rest of the week includes Georgia (today), Penn State, Tennessee and Florida (Wednesday), and Virginia Tech and West Virginia (Thursday).
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