Ole Miss NFL prospects prepare to showcase skills for annual pro-day

NFL scouts will descend on the indoor practice facility today for Ole Miss’ “pro day,” where scouts will scrutinize 40-times, vertical jumps and other vitals of former Rebels eligible for April’s NFL draft.

Nobody has more to prove than quarterback Jevan Snead, who declared for the draft after his junior year at Ole Miss.

After a stellar sophomore campaign, which made NFL front offices salivate over his potential, Snead’s encore performance was marked by inconsistency and plenty of interceptions.

Instead of deciding to hone his skills in Oxford for one more year, Snead decided to jump to the pros during a year where there does not appear to be a first-class quarterback for NFL teams to tap.

Snead’s positives are obvious upon first glance: a prototypical build for an NFL quarterback and a live arm that features a lightning quick release.

However, the 2009 season revealed a quarterback whose questionable accuracy led to 20 interceptions and a player who had trouble recovering from early mistakes in games.

Questions about running back/wide receiver Dexter McCluster’s diminutive stature are overkill, but the NFL combine brought up questions about his speed when he ran an unimpressive 4.58 40-yard dash.

If this time is something that keeps NFL personnel directors from drafting McCluster, they need only to pop in film of McCluster making Tennessee safety and probably top five overall draft pick Eric Berry look like he forgot how to tackle.

However, inquiries about McCluster’s strength and durability might have been answered when his bench press included 20 repetitions of 225 pounds, which was tied for the best total among receivers.

McCluster was always an anomaly during his four years at Ole Miss and his worth in the NFL will only be determined once he actually tries to slash and dash his way through pro competition.

Receiver Shay Hodge became the first Rebel to have more than 1,000 yards receiving in 2009.

NFL scouts should approach Hodge’s draft potential with the knowledge that his vitals will never stick out on paper, but his production cannot be questioned.

Defensive end Greg Hardy returned to Ole Miss for his senior season, and had another up-anddown season due to injuries that have plagued him throughout his college career.

Few would doubt that a healthy and motivated Hardy is an elite talent worthy of high first round draft pick (just ask the 2008 versions of Florida, LSU and Mississippi State), but many NFL teams are gun shy of any prospect with health issues.

John Jerry moved to tackle for the Rebels in 2009, but is destined to be a guard at the next level.

Jerry’s large frame at 6-foot-5 and 328 pounds allows him to overpower his opponents, but his main concern at pro day should be convincing scouts that he has the durability to match his brute strength.

Safety Kendrick Lewis and cornerback Marshay Green both started out as receivers at Ole Miss but moved over to the defensive side out of necessity.

The wrap on Lewis is that he is fundamentally sound, but must prove that he has the speed and burst in his skill set. Green must prove that his 5-foot-9 180-pound frame is capable of matching up with big, physical receivers.