Curry dominates at Marshall Pro Day

After putting together a rather disappointing performance at the NFL Scouting Combine last month, Marshall defensive end Vinny Curry may have gained back enough momentum to make his way back into the first round of April's draft. Curry impressed scouts tremendously at Marshall's Pro Day this morning.


In the 40, Curry has run several times under 4.7 seconds, with a fast time of 4.65 seconds. His best time at the combine was 4.87 seconds. Curry also completed 28 reps on the bench press and posted a vertical jump of 35.5 inches, the latter a 3.5-inch improvement from the combine.

Why was Curry so much better today? The word was nerves got the better of one of the draft's best pass-rushers at the combine. His running form led to poor times in the 40. Today's marks were more in line with the expectations of scouts.


Curry then participated in position drills. Teams such as the San Diego Chargers would like to feel confident that he could make the transition from a 4-3 defensive end in college to a 3-4 outside lineback in the pros. Curry put together a brilliant effort in response to questions about his athleticism and versatility.


Marhall's Vinny Curry continued the momentum of the morning's brilliant workout with a first-class practice session. Curry ran through a battery of linebacker and defensive line drills for almost 45 minutes, a session in which one scout on hand referred to as "masterful." Looking athletic and explosive, coaches were impressed with the mental toughness and tenacity Curry showed throughout the workout. During linebacker drills, engineered by the Arizona Cardinals, Curry flowed well around the field, quickly changing direction without losing balance. The New Orleans Saints and Detroit Lions handled the defensive line drills and again, Curry was up to the task in every test. There was a feeling from teams departing the workout that Curry is now back in the conversation as a potential pick in the bottom half of round one.


I've already written about Curry. He had 11 sacks and 22 tackles for losses in 2011. That served as a nice follow-up to his 2010 season, in which he recorded 12 sacks and 18 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. During Senior Bowl week in January, Sports Illustrated draft analyst Tony Pauline described Curry as “impossible to stop at times” and that scouts left “highly impressed with his athleticism, quickness and general feel as a pass-rusher.”

In a post I put together two weeks ago, I cited a superb article written by the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel's Bob McGinn, who quoted an anonymous scout stating the following:

Vinny Curry, DE-OLB, Marshall: 6-3, 266.Three-year starter with 26½ sacks. "Very, very talented football player," one scout said. "He may have a chance to stand up and be an outside linebacker. He's tough. The guy plays hard." Moved around rather well at the Senior Bowl when the coaches gave him a chance to play standing up.

The Chargers have the 18th overall pick in Round 1, so Curry would probably be considered a reach at that point. It would be golden if he fell to San Diego's second selection, but perhaps the best way for the Chargers to get him would be to move down to the end of the first round.