Departing Oregon football players performed drills in front of professional scouts at the Moshofksy Center on Thursday during Oregon’s annual Pro Day.
A handful of Ducks are expected to be selected in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. is one of those “fringe” players: projected to be a middle-to-late rounddraft pick. He jumped a 28-inch vertical, ran a 4.85-second 40-yard dash and looked sharp throwing passes to receivers Bralon Addison and Byron Marshall, particularly when he rolled out and threw on the run.
Adams graded his Pro Day performance a ‘B.’
“I think everything went well, throwing-wise especially,” Adams said. “I didn’t really run what I wanted to run (in the 40-yard dash), but, you know, I’m a quarterback, not a running back or a receiver.”
Adams wanted to show scouts he could drop back under center and make all the throws the scouts wanted to see, from the comebacks to the deep posts. He said he will continue to work on solidifying his throwing base and strengthening his core.
Due to the limited amount of film from Adams playing at the FBS level, teams seriously interested in him must evaluate his Combine and Pro Day showings with added weight. Some teams will be dissuaded from drafting him simply because his sample size of games is small, even if he was the nation’s most efficient passer while healthy. ESPN Draft Analyst Todd McShay told 49ers.com he is “struggling with” evaluating Adams, but said he was “one of the most intriguing prospects leading up to the draft.”
“I just tell [scouts], ‘Put on the film.’ I’m not the tallest guy, but I make it happen,’” Adams said.
Adams had one official interview at the NFL Combine with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who liked his play-making ability—”kind of like Big Ben’s,” Adams said.
Defensive lineman DeForest Buckner, on the other hand, had 15 official interviews with NFL scouts at the Combine. Buckner is considered a first-round draft pick as an interior pass rusher; many projections land him inside the top 10. He didn’t need to do much to improve his high draft stock at Pro Day.
“I just wanted to show the coaches again that I’m moving good and everything, and that position drills isn’t really a big thing for me. I can move, and I can do all the little things they’re looking for.”
Buckner, whom the Oregonian’s Andrew Greif pointed out is usually modest and deflects attention during interviews, sent a different message to scouts at Pro Day.
“Today was really just showing that, personally, I think I’m the best defensive lineman in this draft.”
Buckner said he has “film to back it up,” and mentioned the fact he played every position on Oregon’s defensive line throughout this career.
“Outside, inside—wherever coaches need me, I can fit.”
Offensive lineman Tyler Johnstone didn’t record any official measurements, but rated his Pro Day performance an ‘A’. He wanted to show scouts his leg strength was up to par, after undergoing two knee surgeries during his collegiate career.
“I think I did really well in the position work,” Johnstone said. “I thought I stayed in low position and showed athleticism, and, really, that was all I was out here to do.”
Addison and Marshall scored times of 4.69 and 4.57 seconds in the 40-yard dash, and 4.30 and 4.28 seconds in the 20-yard shuttle, respectively. Addison jumped a 33-inch vertical and 94-inch long jump, while Marshall jumped 29.5 inches high and 93 inches far. Addison is considered a mid-round selection and Marshall a possible late-round flier.
Most of the players said they would watch the NFL Draft from their homes, with their families. Addison, however, had other plans.
“I don’t even know if I’ll watch it,” he said. “I’ll probably go fishing or ride some jet skis or something—do something fun to keep my mind off it.”
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