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Breaking down Nevada’s 2010 Pro Day
By: Juan López Wednesday, March 24, 2010 - 5:52 PM
http://nevadasagebrush.com/blog/2010/03/24/breaking-down-nevadas-2010-pro-day/
Former Nevada defensive end Kevin Basped worked out at Nevada's Pro Day Wednesday at Mackay Stadium. Photo by Juan López/The Nevada Sagebrush
About 11 NFL scouts showed up Wednesday afternoon to watch former Nevada athletes participate in the school’s annual Pro Day. Of the 12 athletes in attendance were 2009 starters Kevin Basped and Jonathon Amaya, both whom participated in the 2010 NFL Combine (Feb. 24-March 2) in Indianapolis. Former quarterback Nick Graziano, who transferred and played at Arkansas Tech last year, also worked out at Mackay Stadium.
The NFL Draft is April 22-24 so the prospective pro players have about a month off before the next step in their life journey is set. With that in mind, here’s a quick breakdown of some of the players I saw work out today and a prediction on what their NFL fate will be.
DE KEVIN BASPED: Basped, who declared for the draft as a junior (a choice he said he made about two weeks after the season ended), looked enormous. It was evident that as soon as the season ended, he got in the weight room and got to work — furiously. It paid off. He said he put on about 26 pounds since the season ended on Dec. 24. In his workouts, Basped still looked choppy with his footwork. The guy stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 258 pounds, but there are bigger and stronger players than him in the NFL right now who have much better footwork. He doesn’t have ideal upper body strength for a down lineman, but he also worked out as a linebacker — a position he said he wasn’t opposed to playing.
“It’s going to be different, but when there’s lineman that are like 6-foot-8, 410, 420 pounds, I can step back and cover a receiver,” Basped said jokingly about moving to the linebacker position. He said he had heard he might go in the fourth round and I agree with him. PREDICTION: 4th round draft pick
DB JONATHON AMAYA: During his workouts, I saw something from Amaya I didn’t see much of in his four years playing with the Wolf Pack — speed. Amaya, who plays safety and is 6-foot-1, 203 pounds, looked really quick and fluid in his running workouts today. In many of the defensive back drills, the players are asked to shift quickly from a backpedal to one side to a backpedal to the opposite side. This exercise shows the smoothness of their hips and agility. Amaya was far an away the smoothest guy on the field. I was surprised at how quick his feet were and his hands were even better. I don’t think I saw him drop a ball today. Amaya impressed me because I saw how much better he looked now than he did in the regular season. Plus, I’ve seen the play he puts out on the field. But I don’t know if the scouts realize the moves this guy has made in such a short period of time. PREDICTION: 7th round pick
QB NICK GRAZIANO: I didn’t see Graziano throw much today because there were few offensive skill players who worked out today, but his arm looked good. Graz has always had a strong, accurate arm and his throwing motion is ideal. But the simple fact that he stands only 6-foot-1 will automatically hold him back. Plus, moving from one small school (Nevada) to an even smaller school (Arkansas Tech) doesn’t help. Graziano had a great collegiate career, which included winning the Gulf South Conference Player of the Year last year as a senior, but I don’t think he has a future in the NFL. PREDICTION: Undrafted, free agent
OL ALONZO DURHAM: ‘Zo was one of the guys I had bigger hopes for. Watching him play here and dominate guys made me confident that he would be drafted when the time came and continue to dominate in the NFL. But he didn’t show that today. Durham, who anchored the Wolf Pack’s offensive line, looked slow and unsharp in the few drills he did do. After his workout, he said he weighed 308 pounds, but it wasn’t a solid 308. Also, he said he benched 225 pounds just 18 times. Plain and simple, Durham looked unprepared for this workout. He didn’t take the route Basped took, which was dedicating himself to working out. Although Durham is a beast on the field, scouts and NFL teams look just as much at your measurables as they do your game film. PREDICTION: Undrafted, free agent
LB MIKE BETHEA: Bethea, a solid linebacker for Nevada for the past two years, looked good in the workouts he did. His feet are very quick and nimble and his hands were better than average. Bethea was as consistent a tackler for the Wolf Pack, but he simply does not have the explosiveness it takes to play at the next level. PREDICTION: Undrafted, free agent
By: Juan López Wednesday, March 24, 2010 - 5:52 PM
http://nevadasagebrush.com/blog/2010/03/24/breaking-down-nevadas-2010-pro-day/
Former Nevada defensive end Kevin Basped worked out at Nevada's Pro Day Wednesday at Mackay Stadium. Photo by Juan López/The Nevada Sagebrush
About 11 NFL scouts showed up Wednesday afternoon to watch former Nevada athletes participate in the school’s annual Pro Day. Of the 12 athletes in attendance were 2009 starters Kevin Basped and Jonathon Amaya, both whom participated in the 2010 NFL Combine (Feb. 24-March 2) in Indianapolis. Former quarterback Nick Graziano, who transferred and played at Arkansas Tech last year, also worked out at Mackay Stadium.
The NFL Draft is April 22-24 so the prospective pro players have about a month off before the next step in their life journey is set. With that in mind, here’s a quick breakdown of some of the players I saw work out today and a prediction on what their NFL fate will be.
DE KEVIN BASPED: Basped, who declared for the draft as a junior (a choice he said he made about two weeks after the season ended), looked enormous. It was evident that as soon as the season ended, he got in the weight room and got to work — furiously. It paid off. He said he put on about 26 pounds since the season ended on Dec. 24. In his workouts, Basped still looked choppy with his footwork. The guy stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 258 pounds, but there are bigger and stronger players than him in the NFL right now who have much better footwork. He doesn’t have ideal upper body strength for a down lineman, but he also worked out as a linebacker — a position he said he wasn’t opposed to playing.
“It’s going to be different, but when there’s lineman that are like 6-foot-8, 410, 420 pounds, I can step back and cover a receiver,” Basped said jokingly about moving to the linebacker position. He said he had heard he might go in the fourth round and I agree with him. PREDICTION: 4th round draft pick
DB JONATHON AMAYA: During his workouts, I saw something from Amaya I didn’t see much of in his four years playing with the Wolf Pack — speed. Amaya, who plays safety and is 6-foot-1, 203 pounds, looked really quick and fluid in his running workouts today. In many of the defensive back drills, the players are asked to shift quickly from a backpedal to one side to a backpedal to the opposite side. This exercise shows the smoothness of their hips and agility. Amaya was far an away the smoothest guy on the field. I was surprised at how quick his feet were and his hands were even better. I don’t think I saw him drop a ball today. Amaya impressed me because I saw how much better he looked now than he did in the regular season. Plus, I’ve seen the play he puts out on the field. But I don’t know if the scouts realize the moves this guy has made in such a short period of time. PREDICTION: 7th round pick
QB NICK GRAZIANO: I didn’t see Graziano throw much today because there were few offensive skill players who worked out today, but his arm looked good. Graz has always had a strong, accurate arm and his throwing motion is ideal. But the simple fact that he stands only 6-foot-1 will automatically hold him back. Plus, moving from one small school (Nevada) to an even smaller school (Arkansas Tech) doesn’t help. Graziano had a great collegiate career, which included winning the Gulf South Conference Player of the Year last year as a senior, but I don’t think he has a future in the NFL. PREDICTION: Undrafted, free agent
OL ALONZO DURHAM: ‘Zo was one of the guys I had bigger hopes for. Watching him play here and dominate guys made me confident that he would be drafted when the time came and continue to dominate in the NFL. But he didn’t show that today. Durham, who anchored the Wolf Pack’s offensive line, looked slow and unsharp in the few drills he did do. After his workout, he said he weighed 308 pounds, but it wasn’t a solid 308. Also, he said he benched 225 pounds just 18 times. Plain and simple, Durham looked unprepared for this workout. He didn’t take the route Basped took, which was dedicating himself to working out. Although Durham is a beast on the field, scouts and NFL teams look just as much at your measurables as they do your game film. PREDICTION: Undrafted, free agent
LB MIKE BETHEA: Bethea, a solid linebacker for Nevada for the past two years, looked good in the workouts he did. His feet are very quick and nimble and his hands were better than average. Bethea was as consistent a tackler for the Wolf Pack, but he simply does not have the explosiveness it takes to play at the next level. PREDICTION: Undrafted, free agent