Several Eagles Stand Out At BC NFL Pro Day

Boston College held their annual NFL Pro Day in front of NFL scouts on Wednesday in the Fish Field House. This was a huge year for “Eagles in the NFL” as there were over a dozen players trying to impress scouts. Players went through drills, did bench presses, and ran the 40, while scouts watched on and took notes.

First off let’s look at the 40. Here were the reported times from the school:

40-Yard Dash

Kevin Bletzer 4.65

Hamp Cheevers 4.49

Lukas Denis 4.68

Aaron Monteiro 5.3

Jeff Smith 4.34

Ray Smith 4.9

Connor Strachan 4.75

Taj-Amir Torres 4.37

Mike Walker 4.46

Noa Merritt 5.1

Thadd Smith 4.51

First off, defensive tackle Ray Smith ran a 4.9? That is incredibly quick for that position. According to Dan Rubin at Eagles Unlimited, the coaches had Smith running routes as well, showing off his versatility which could mean he is trying to catch on at a camp as a tight end. Jeff Smith and Taj Amir Torres also had huge days, running great 40’s both showing numbers that will probably get the attention of many NFL teams. Both players certainly have question marks, both are pretty small in terms of NFL standards at their position, but they could still get a camp invite given those speeds.

Bench Press (reps of 225)

Kevin Bletzer 18

Aaron Monteiro 19

Jeff Smith 15

Ray Smith 27

Connor Strachan 25

Taj-Amir Torres 4

Mike Walker 21

Noa Merritt 23

Thadd Smith 14

Ray Smith again showed he deserves to be looked at more closely by NFL teams with a great showing here on the Bench Press. Strachan as well, who Rubin also reported was trying out as a fullback on offense, showed off an elite level of strength. Later in the try outs he ran a 60 yard shuttle almost as quickly as speedster Jeff Smith. After his Pro Day, he clearly caught the attention of multiple teams, as both the Oakland Raiders and San Fransisco 49ers had conversations and interviews with him after the event, per reports on Twitter.

One of the most intriguing moments had to do with Chris Lindstrom, who worked drills with Dane Scarnecchia, legendary offensive line coach of the New England Patriots. He ran drills with Monteiro and Lindstrom, and spoke with him extensively during the event. Lindstrom has a huge ceiling, and obviously it would be huge if he got to work with a coach like Scarnecchia in the NFL. Editorial: Also, I’m a Pats fan and selfishly want him to stay home.

Below you can also read up on some of the other drill results. Coming early next week, I’ll preview where I believe each player will land in the draft/UDFA pecking order.