LSU's pro day was a riotous affair Wednesday, packed with five NFL head coaches and seven general managers, according to ESPN's Mike Triplett. Quarterback Zach Mettenberger and wide receivers Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. had perhaps the most-watched workouts.
LSU pro day results: Zach Mettenberger throws, moves well on rehabbed knee
Mettenberger threw in public on Wednesday for the first time since tearing his ACL last season. Also working out in Baton Rouge were top receiver prospects Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr., the latter of whom may have worked himself into the first round.
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You can check out the results of each participant with the school’s live pro day scorecard.
Mettenberger’s arm, not knee, in question
Mettenberger had the most to prove after tearing his ACL in December. NFL.com's Albert Breer reported earlier in the day that Mettenberger's knee was at "97 percent strength," and the quarterback proved it by rolling out and running play-action during passing drills. He also took a cue from his SEC rival Johnny Manziel and donned pads for the workout. Mettenberger reportedly threw the ball well early on.
QB Zach Mettenberger (@mettshow) at #LSU Pro Day https://t.co/a9iEGhbE8Y
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) April 9, 2014 Mettenberger did not appear limited as he went through the full passing workout, and he began the session with a long streak of completions. Toward the end of the workout, however, it appeared that his velocity dipped. Inaccuracy on short throws was an issue, per Roster Watch, though it seemed that his arm strength was lacking as a whole.
Mettenberger looks gassed. Started on fire, lost some zip towards the back end. Scout: "it's not his knee I'm worried about, it's his arm."
— Matt Boudreaux (@MattBoudreaux) April 9, 2014 Mettenberger was reportedly hanging his head after the workout, but his hot start coupled with the encouraging process may have done him a lot of good in the eyes of NFL teams.
Landry struggles, but improves 40 time
Mettenberger might have been the most scrutinized player in Baton Rouge on Wednesday, but Landry wasn’t too far behind. He struggled at the combine, running a 4.77 40-yard dash that came in as the slowest of the 45 wide receivers in Indy.
While he didn’t exactly blaze down the tracks on Wednesday, he did manage to significantly improve that number.
Jarvis Landry runs 4.58 at LSU Pro-Day, improving on his 4.77 at Combine. Speed not super important to his game, anyway, though.
— Tre9er (@Tre9er) April 9, 2014 It was reported that a hamstring injury was to blame for the slow time, and Landry’s much improved pro day time lends credence to the notion that the combine was somewhat of a fluke.
The speed increase is good news for Landry, but questions will persist about his athleticism after he failed to improve some of his other measurements on pro day. He saw a slight advance in his vertical (31”), but actually dropped two inches in his already unimpressive broad jump (111”). For perspective, Beckham’s vertical was 8 inches higher and his broad jump was 9 inches longer.
Landry didn’t fare that well in the catching drills, either.
Jarvis Landry dropped three to four passes today at LSU Pro Day, ran pair of 4.58s, rough day overall
— Aaron Wilson (@RavensInsider) April 9, 2014 With all that said, Landry’s style of play doesn’t rely on sheer athleticism, so don’t expect these numbers to drop him much on draft day (SB Nation ranks him as the ninth best receiver prospect). He’s a physical possession guy who finished second in the SEC in receptions, so he has a proven track record as a big-time performer.
Beckham skips 40, wows in position drills
Some of his teammates struggled, but Beckham had no such issues. Having already put up great numbers at the combine (including a 4.43 40), he managed to impress on Wednesday despite skipping the measurable drills.
/pretends to act surprised RT @AlbertBreer: Odell Beckham has had a few wow moments in position drills.
— Kyle Posey (@The_KP_Show) April 9, 2014 Beckham is listed as the No. 4 wide receiver prospect by SB Nation and could have earned himself a first-round selection with his combine and pro day performances. Among the candidates for making that selection are the Steelers, who reportedly took him out to dinner on Tuesday night.
Whenever Beckham hears his name called, he’ll do so in person. He’ll be attending the draft at Radio City Music Hall in May, his father told The Times-Picayune.
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