Twelve members of LSU’s senior class of 2009 showcased their skills in various drills at the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine from Feb. 24 through March 2, the most of any school in college football.Players return to campus  today for LSU’s Pro Day to continue their auditions in front of NFL coaches and scouts. The prospective NFL players will participate in the 40-yard dash, 225-pound bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, shuttle run and the 3-cone drill along with other position-specific drills.Chris Low, ESPN.com Southeastern Conference writer, said players’ performances at Pro Day are crucial to their NFL futures.”The big thing is how they run — how they do in 40[-yard dash] times and how the players move,” Low said. “If a guy comes to a workout and he’s not in shape or he’s gained 10 pounds, it’s a pretty good indicator he’s not going to be a good professional.”NFL draft analyst Mike Detillier described Pro Day as a “job interview” for the players.”It’s also about the professionalism and how you handle all this,” Detillier said. “When you spend this kind of money on a football player, you want to find out just how much football means to them.”Former LSU defensive back Chad Jones is LSU’s lone junior forgoing his senior season to enter the draft. Jones ran a time of 4.57 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine but completed only nine bench presses.Detillier said Jones’ nine reps on the bench press were “unusually low” for his size of 6 feet 3 inches and 221 pounds.Low said Jones can help his draft stock greatly by doing well today.”[Jones] is a guy the NFL is very intrigued with,” Low said. “He’s big and athletic. I don’t think he’ll get picked in the first round, but if he has a good workout, he’s certainly a guy who could go in the top half of the second round.”Low said former LSU wide   receiver Brandon LaFell needs to record a quicker time in the 40-yard dash than he did at the NFL Scouting Combine to gain the trust of NFL scouts. LaFell’s time in Indianapolis was 4.60 seconds.”He was a guy last year who you thought might be a late first-round or early second-round pick,” Low said. “The NFL wants to know if he can get open and separate himself from NFL defensive backs. They’ll be looking for a little more speed out of him.”Detillier said LaFell’s Pro Day performance is crucial to rebounding from a subpar senior season.”He had a very inconsistent year catching the football … an inordinate amount of drops and inconsistency as a route runner,” Detillier said. “It’s imperative for him to show up big here. If he’s going to get picked in the second round, he’s going to have to run well for the clock [today].”Detillier said Pro Day can also be a key day for projected middle-round picks such as former LSU linebackers Perry Riley and Harry Coleman, cornerback Chris Hawkins and defensive tackle Al Woods.”With Coleman’s body build, you can tell he believes he can play at strong safety,” Detillier said. “[Hawkins] has a chance to play at the next level, [and he] could be a nickel or dime defensive back like [former Tiger] Randall Gay. Al Woods works out well; the problem is, he’s never played to that. Somebody always thinks he can turn water into wine.”Thirteen former LSU players took part in Pro Day last season. Six of them were drafted in 2009, including former defensive end Tyson Jackson, who was the third overall pick by the Kansas City Chiefs.The other NFL draftees from LSU were former wide receiver Demetrius Byrd, fullback Quinn Johnson, offensive guard Herman Johnson, defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois and safety Curtis Taylor. Five other 2009 Pro Day participants signed free-agent    contracts following the draft.
 
 
 
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