A select few pro football hopefuls from the 2011 LSU squad strutted their stuff for NFL officials at the league’s combine in February.
Some impressed, such as defensive back Ron Brooks with his 4.37-second 40-yard dash, while some floundered, particularly defensive tackle Michael Brockers, who came in overweight.
On Thursday, several NFL head coaches and dozens of scouts descended on Baton Rouge to watch the prospects attempt to improve their stock at LSU’s Pro Day.
Brockers took advantage of his second chance, shedding six pounds from his bloated combine measure to weigh in at 316. The lighter frame allowed him to shave two-tenths off his 40-yard dash to a 5.15 and add 3.5 inches to his vertical leap for a 30-inch jump.
The Houston native attributed nerves to the poor showing that NFL.com called a “combine dud,” and said working with former LSU and current Buffalo Bills defensive lineman Kyle Williams helped him put on a more inspired performance.
“I feel like today was a good day for me,” Brockers said. “I didn’t do too well in the combine and now I’ve opened some eyes. … This is my environment out here, and I think I wowed some coaches.”
Brooks decided not to run after posting the second-highest 40 time for a defensive back at the combine, but fellow cornerback Morris Claiborne said he had something to prove.
 
 
Many experts project Claiborne to be a top-5 pick, but he ran a disappointing 4.50-second 40-yard dash at the combine. He responded on Thursday by clocking in at 4.39 seconds, a vast improvement. 
“I really just went back and worked on my start and tried to stay relaxed,” Claiborne said. “If you go back and look at the tape, you can tell how tight I was, running looking like a devil ’cause my face was all wound up.”
Claiborne also revealed that he chose not to partake in the bench press because of a torn wrist ligament sustained against Alabama on Nov. 5. He’s scheduled to have surgery today.
Minnesota Vikings coach Leslie Frazier, whose team holds the third pick of the draft, was on hand Thursday to watch Claiborne, who said the two exchanged niceties after his workout. Other NFL coaches present were Rex Ryan of the New York Jets and Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers, both of whom were front and center for Brockers’ drills.
Other players who improved their 40 times were linebacker Ryan Baker, from a 4.88 to a 4.61, and receiver Rueben Randle, from a 4.55 to a 4.42. Randle also looked especially fluid in his route running.
The wideout said he worked on his speed and his routes leading up to Pro Day to ensure he’s a bonafide, rather than borderline, first-round pick.
“As a kid you always want to be a first-round draft pick,” Randle said. “If that happens for me, it’ll be pretty exciting.”
Safety Brandon Taylor said he was confident in his stock after the combine, where he ran a faster-than-expected 4.58, and also said he was happy with the 16 bench press reps he put up on Thursday.
“I just wanted to show I had clean feet and not drop balls,” Taylor said. “When you’re dropping balls, you’re losing money.”
Taylor said he has workouts lined up with Kansas City, Miami and the New York Jets.
After impressing at the combine, oft-maligned quarterback Jordan Jefferson decided to forgo most measured drills. He displayed good arm strength in his delivery and missed a minimal amount of his targets.
 
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