Eighteen members of LSU’s 2009 senior class had one more chance to impress NFL scouts Monday at Pro Day.Players participated in three hours of drills with several goals in mind, from firmly establishing themselves as viable professional athletes to proving their versatility on the football field.Former LSU tight end Richard Dickson called Pro Day “a reassurance thing.””Ninety percent of it is what [scouts] see on film,” Dickson said. “Basically you come out here and reassure what you did on film by running your routes and catching the ball and knowing the questions they ask.”Former LSU safety Chad Jones completed just nine reps of the bench press at the NFL Scouting Combine from Feb. 24-March 2. Jones added to that number Monday, finishing with 11 reps.Jones said scouts have asked him how leaving for the NFL after his junior season will affect his performance on the professional level.”The big question was how ready I am to play in the NFL with only one full year at safety,” Jones said. “I said I had experience playing in different positions. It shows me being committed … to focus on football and reach my highest limit in football.”Jones said he has heard projections that have him selected between the first and the third rounds of the draft.”I don’t see myself as a third-round guy,” Jones said. “I put on a good show for the scouts today. They told me I did better.”Former LSU wide receiver Brandon LaFell failed to impress many observers with his time in the 40-yard dash at the combine, as he ran a time of 4.60 seconds. LaFell said he strained his hamstring, which inhibited him from exerting all his effort Monday.”I didn’t better my [40-yard dash] time a whole lot today, but I wanted to show the coaches I could push through,” said LaFell, who completed the drill in 4.57 seconds. “I pushed through and ran all my routes. You’re going to be banged up at the end of the season and not have that extra step, so it goes back to the fundamentals of technique.”Former LSU offensive tackle Ciron Black said NFL teams have been evaluating him at offensive line positions besides tackle at the combine and Pro Day.”You want to get in where you fit in,” Black said. “Some teams liked me at right tackle, some at left guard or right guard. Being versatile is going to increase your stock. I’ve been training at right tackle because I’ve been playing left for so long, and at guard at the Senior Bowl, I was going against the best in the country.”Former LSU running back and return specialist Trindon Holliday said he also wanted to make himself more marketable at Pro Day by proving to scouts he could be more than just a threat at punt returner. Holliday, at 5-feet-5-inches, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.34 seconds at the combine and did not run the drill Monday.”I’ve talked to most of the scouts from different teams who have asked if I can play wide receiver and not just specialist,” Holliday said. “I don’t think size really matters — speed offsets size. I wanted to run, but my agent said I didn’t need to run anymore.”Other highlights from Pro Day included former LSU safety Danny McCray and defensive tackle Al Woods. Each recorded 23 reps on the bench press, and McCray ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds.Former LSU wide receiver Chris Mitchell led all players in the vertical jump when he cleared 37 1/2 inches. Woods jumped 37 inches at the combine, and former LSU cornerback Chris Hawkins followed closely with 36 1/2 inches Monday.
 
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