Ryan Nassib hears all the noise.
He could end up with the Buffalo Bills, playing for his former head coach Doug Marrone. He could be selected early in the first round of the NFL Draft in April. He could tumble much, much farther.
Twenty-nine NFL representatives were on hand at Syracuse?s pro day Thursday, and Nassib blocked it all out for a stellar performance at Manley Field House.
?At the end of the day, it?s not like picking a college, a team picks you, so you never know,? Nassib said. ?Right now I?m just trying to put myself as the best fit for any team.?
Nassib was one of 15 now-former SU football players to participate in the Orange?s pro day. The participants ranged from potential first- and second-round picks, such as Nassib, Shamarko Thomas and Justin Pugh, to those just hoping to get drafted, like Carl Cutler and David Stevens.
The Washington Redskins were supposed to have representatives at Syracuse on Thursday, but their flight was cancelled. The Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins will make a separate trip to Syracuse in the near future for individual workouts.
For Nassib, Thomas, Pugh and Alec Lemon it was another chance to prove themselves after participating in the NFL Combine last month in Indianapolis. For Cutler, Stevens, Lou Alexander, Zack Chibane, Siriki Diabate, Deon Goggins, Marcus Sales and Brandon Sharpe, it?s first chance to make impressions to NFL scouts since their collegiate careers ended.
Goggins has been outspoken on Twitter since the end of the season that he should have been invited to the Combine. The snub made pro day that much more important.
?This is my only shot,? Goggins said, ?this my only time other than the all-star game I played in a couple months back, this is my only shot to get in front of some scouts and show them what I can do.?
Will Hicks, Syracuse?s assistant athletics director for athletic performance, runs the Orange?s pro day. He raved about Nassib, but he was perhaps most complimentary of Goggins.
Goggins performed well at the NFLPA Game in January, but Thursday was his first chance to perform in workouts, where he made arguably his biggest splash.
?Deon Goggins today really lit it up,? Hicks said. ?I mean, he verticaled 37.5. He ran in the high 4.7s, so he put himself on the map today. But he also did that in the all-star game he played in. He had a caused fumble, a sack, a tackle for loss, but what he did today was show his speed.?
Nassib was the star on display on Thursday, though. The quarterback was a Pro Football Weekly All-American and is a potential first round pick. Flanking him in drills were two wide receivers, Sales and Lemon, and two tight ends, Cutler and Stevens.
Lemon participated at the NFL Combine, so on Thursday he was focused on improving his time in the 40-yard dash. He had a chance to showcase his skills as a receiver, playing with his old quarterback.
?Back in a familiar place like Manley Field House, catching passes from the quarterback I caught from three, four years, it?s nice to see some old faces,? Lemon said. ?I felt like I was back at home.?
Lemon also improved on his jumping, notching a 36.5-inch vertical leap and a 9.8-foot broad jump.
While Lemon had his shot at the Combine, Sales was one of the players who just missed the cut. Sales took the entire day on Thursday to showcase all of his skills.
He was a bit more fatigued at the end of the day, but he got to do a bit of everything, including the bench press, where he logged 11 reps.
But it was Nassib who made it all work. Everything hinged on the quarterback?s arm just as it did this past season. Nassib?s wide receivers bailed him out early in the day when he was under-throwing his targets, but the level of comfort he brings to the field made it a smooth day for Syracuse, and perhaps a defining day for Nassib and the NFL Draft.
?Ryan had a great day,? Hicks said. ? ? He went through a 74-play script where he threw every type of throw you could make.
?From listening to the scouts, he only threw one ball today that he would probably want back. He threw 73 good balls so that?s a good average.?
Contact David: dbwilson@syr.edu | @DBWilson2
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