I don't want this to come as a shock to anyone, but folks have lied to me before in the months leading up to the NFL draft. And there's a chance it could happen again this afternoon when I call a few scouts around the league to ask about Wednesday's USC pro day.
The Trojans always have one of the latest pro days, in part, because it's a lavish affair that pretty much stands alone. I'm sure Lane Kiffin will continue that tradition despite his team being on probation and being banned from making extended eye contact with Reggie Bush. From my experience, the University of Texas and USC put on the best shows this time of year, although Art Briles at Baylor is making up ground quickly.
And even though USC doesn't have as much star appeal as usual, the Dallas Cowboys' head coach arrived on campus Wednesday. He was one of only two head coaches (Oakland's Hue Jackson the other) to attend the session and it's his first pro day appearance of the offseason.
About three weeks ago, I started my annual routine of trying to collect three names who would be virtual "locks" for that No. 9 pick. (If you listen to 103.3 ESPN, you might be familiar with the legendary "Dr. Draft.")
My longtime friend and former colleague Rick "Goose" Gosselin from the Dallas Morning News likes to walk a tightrope by only selecting one player at No. 9, but I prefer having a little wiggle room. As I looked at a lot of mock drafts a few weeks ago, I noticed USC offensive tackle Tyron Smith showing up anywhere from Nos. 13-25. I asked a high-ranking Cowboys source who occasionally pokes fun at my radio work whether Smith was worthy of being one of my three "locks."
"Absolutely," he said with a little too much enthusiasm for my taste. But after making a few more calls around the league, I'm now convinced his enthusiasm was somewhat genuine. Garrett and offensive line coach/running game coordinator Hudson Houck wouldn't make the trip to Los Angeles if there wasn't some interest in Smith. They could've sent some of their scouts and waited for Smith to arrive in Dallas for his official visit next week.
Smith, who has gained 25 pounds since the end of the college season, put on a show Wednesday. He reportedly ran a 4.92 40-yard dash and had a 30-inch vertical leap. Of course, the Cowboys don't currently have any plays requiring Smith to leap that high, but it is a sign of his athleticism.
About the only question mark on Smith is that he's only 20, and some scouts wonder how difficult it will be for a relatively inexperienced player to quickly learn new concepts. But it's not like there are any red flags from a productivity or measurables standpoint. Last week, I asked a high-level executive from the AFC to assess Smith at this point. And he didn't hold anything back.
"He had a very high ceiling," said the executive. "He has the prototypical measurables and when you turn on the tape [of his college games], the measurables match up with his productivity. He can pull, pass protect and get to the second level in a hurry. He needs to improve his core power and gain a little more strength. But his arrow's pointed way up. He could go up to 318 pounds and you wouldn't even know it."
I've noticed some local reports suggesting that Smith's weight gain might be an issue, but the scouts I've talked to actually like the way he's adding pounds. His body has more room to mature, according to men who study that sort of thing.
"His pro day is critical," said the executive. "You need to have conviction about him after that. I don't have that conviction yet, but I'm getting there."
It's obvious the Cowboys are doing their due diligence on Smith. I understand that some Cowboys fans look at the defensive end situation as a bigger need in this draft, but it's hard to argue with an elite offensive tackle. I believe that Smith would start immediately at right tackle and that he'd eventually move to the left side.
There are plenty of smoke screens leading up to the draft, but right now it seems like the Cowboys have a genuine interest in Smith. The only issue might be that he's moving up the board a little too quickly. And it's likely one of those first eight teams in the draft might be able to use an elite offensive tackle.
The Trojans always have one of the latest pro days, in part, because it's a lavish affair that pretty much stands alone. I'm sure Lane Kiffin will continue that tradition despite his team being on probation and being banned from making extended eye contact with Reggie Bush. From my experience, the University of Texas and USC put on the best shows this time of year, although Art Briles at Baylor is making up ground quickly.
And even though USC doesn't have as much star appeal as usual, the Dallas Cowboys' head coach arrived on campus Wednesday. He was one of only two head coaches (Oakland's Hue Jackson the other) to attend the session and it's his first pro day appearance of the offseason.
About three weeks ago, I started my annual routine of trying to collect three names who would be virtual "locks" for that No. 9 pick. (If you listen to 103.3 ESPN, you might be familiar with the legendary "Dr. Draft.")
My longtime friend and former colleague Rick "Goose" Gosselin from the Dallas Morning News likes to walk a tightrope by only selecting one player at No. 9, but I prefer having a little wiggle room. As I looked at a lot of mock drafts a few weeks ago, I noticed USC offensive tackle Tyron Smith showing up anywhere from Nos. 13-25. I asked a high-ranking Cowboys source who occasionally pokes fun at my radio work whether Smith was worthy of being one of my three "locks."
"Absolutely," he said with a little too much enthusiasm for my taste. But after making a few more calls around the league, I'm now convinced his enthusiasm was somewhat genuine. Garrett and offensive line coach/running game coordinator Hudson Houck wouldn't make the trip to Los Angeles if there wasn't some interest in Smith. They could've sent some of their scouts and waited for Smith to arrive in Dallas for his official visit next week.
Smith, who has gained 25 pounds since the end of the college season, put on a show Wednesday. He reportedly ran a 4.92 40-yard dash and had a 30-inch vertical leap. Of course, the Cowboys don't currently have any plays requiring Smith to leap that high, but it is a sign of his athleticism.
About the only question mark on Smith is that he's only 20, and some scouts wonder how difficult it will be for a relatively inexperienced player to quickly learn new concepts. But it's not like there are any red flags from a productivity or measurables standpoint. Last week, I asked a high-level executive from the AFC to assess Smith at this point. And he didn't hold anything back.
"He had a very high ceiling," said the executive. "He has the prototypical measurables and when you turn on the tape [of his college games], the measurables match up with his productivity. He can pull, pass protect and get to the second level in a hurry. He needs to improve his core power and gain a little more strength. But his arrow's pointed way up. He could go up to 318 pounds and you wouldn't even know it."
I've noticed some local reports suggesting that Smith's weight gain might be an issue, but the scouts I've talked to actually like the way he's adding pounds. His body has more room to mature, according to men who study that sort of thing.
"His pro day is critical," said the executive. "You need to have conviction about him after that. I don't have that conviction yet, but I'm getting there."
It's obvious the Cowboys are doing their due diligence on Smith. I understand that some Cowboys fans look at the defensive end situation as a bigger need in this draft, but it's hard to argue with an elite offensive tackle. I believe that Smith would start immediately at right tackle and that he'd eventually move to the left side.
There are plenty of smoke screens leading up to the draft, but right now it seems like the Cowboys have a genuine interest in Smith. The only issue might be that he's moving up the board a little too quickly. And it's likely one of those first eight teams in the draft might be able to use an elite offensive tackle.
