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Four area draft prospects work out for Rams
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_c9b86e77-a3af-582a-b152-680602bb61f5.html
The Rams took a look at four draft prospects from the St. Louis area Monday during their local pro day at RamsPark.
Working out in front of coach Jeff Fisher and other members of the coaching staff were: wide receiver Jimmie Hunt of the University of Missouri (Cahokia High); tight end MyCole Pruitt of Southern Illinois (Kirkwood High); tight end Charles Brooks of Kansas and Findlay universities (Maplewood High); and cornerback Travis Manning of Northwest MissouriState (Belleville West High).
Pruitt, who had a record-setting career for the Salukis, may be the only member of the group to get drafted. Unlike the so-called "top 30" visits, the local players get to work out at Rams Park.
"It was a great experience, especially being back home _ you know what I mean?" Manning said. "Growing up watching the Rams, and then having an opportunity to go to the Rams' facility and work out for them, meet the head coach. It's a pretty neat deal."
At Northwest MissouriState, Manning played safety and nickel back as a sophomore and junior, and then switched to cornerback as a senior after twins Brian and Brandon Dixon completed their college careers at the Division II power in Maryville, Mo.
Brian Dixon, who was signed as an undrafted rookie, plays corner for the New Orleans Saints. Brandon Dixon was drafted in the sixth round of the 2014 draft by the New York Jets, but spent the regular season as a corner with Tampa Bay.
"I owe them a lot of credit as well because they definitely brought a lot of NFL scouts to a lot of our practices and games," Manning said.
So Manning could be the third player from the 2013 Northwest Missouri secondary to make the NFL. The Bearcats won the NCAA Division II title that season.
Manning, 5-11, 196, attracted notice from pro scouts with a strong workout and a 40-time in the low 4.4s at the pro day hosted by Missouri Western for small-college talent from throughout the state earlier this offseason.
He had 142 tackles, 31 pass breakups, and eight interceptions over the course of his college career. After Monday's workout, he had a full medical exam from the Rams and said he checked out fine. (He had rotator cuff surgery the day after the Bearcats' national championship victory in 2013.)
Pruitt, the record-setting tight end from Southern Illinois, did not need an exam because that was done at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis in February. After his workout Monday, he went upstairs and spent some time with assistant head coach/tight ends coach Rob Boras.
"Talked a little football, watched a little film," Pruitt said.
The other tight end in attendance Monday, Brooks, didn't begin playing football until his senior year of high school at Maplewood. After beginning his college career at the junior-college level (Scottsdale, Ariz. Community College), he spent two years at Kansas _ where he caught only two passes in seven games. He transferred to Division II Findlay (Ohio) last season, catching four passes in eight games.
Even with very little college production, Brooks' measurables are intriguing to pro scouts. He's 6-4, 260 and runs a 4.7 in the 40.
Wide receiver Hunt was Mizzou's second-leading receiver last year with 40 catches for 698 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 17.5 yards per catch. After catching six passes for 169 yards against Alabama last season in the SEC title game, Hunt underwent shoulder surgery and missed the Citrus Bowl contest against Minnesota.
"It was a good time," Hunt said of his Rams workout. "The receiver coach (Ray Sherman), he really liked me a lot. He kept talking to me about how I'd fit into certain things, so I was pretty pleased with that. Hopefully I did enough to get their attention a little more."
Hunt, 6-0, 208, unofficially ran a 4.50 at Missouri's pro day March 19. But he had been slowed by a hamstring injury suffered earlier in the offseason during pre-draft training. His best 40 time at Mizzou is a 4.42.
Prior to the Rams' local pro day, Hunt has had private workouts for four NFL teams in Columbia.
Former Southern Illinois quarterback Kory Faulkner of Ste. Genevieve, Mo., who was on San Francisco's offseason roster a year ago, threw to Hunt, Pruitt, and Brooks on Monday.
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_c9b86e77-a3af-582a-b152-680602bb61f5.html
The Rams took a look at four draft prospects from the St. Louis area Monday during their local pro day at RamsPark.
Working out in front of coach Jeff Fisher and other members of the coaching staff were: wide receiver Jimmie Hunt of the University of Missouri (Cahokia High); tight end MyCole Pruitt of Southern Illinois (Kirkwood High); tight end Charles Brooks of Kansas and Findlay universities (Maplewood High); and cornerback Travis Manning of Northwest MissouriState (Belleville West High).
Pruitt, who had a record-setting career for the Salukis, may be the only member of the group to get drafted. Unlike the so-called "top 30" visits, the local players get to work out at Rams Park.
"It was a great experience, especially being back home _ you know what I mean?" Manning said. "Growing up watching the Rams, and then having an opportunity to go to the Rams' facility and work out for them, meet the head coach. It's a pretty neat deal."
At Northwest MissouriState, Manning played safety and nickel back as a sophomore and junior, and then switched to cornerback as a senior after twins Brian and Brandon Dixon completed their college careers at the Division II power in Maryville, Mo.
Brian Dixon, who was signed as an undrafted rookie, plays corner for the New Orleans Saints. Brandon Dixon was drafted in the sixth round of the 2014 draft by the New York Jets, but spent the regular season as a corner with Tampa Bay.
"I owe them a lot of credit as well because they definitely brought a lot of NFL scouts to a lot of our practices and games," Manning said.
So Manning could be the third player from the 2013 Northwest Missouri secondary to make the NFL. The Bearcats won the NCAA Division II title that season.
Manning, 5-11, 196, attracted notice from pro scouts with a strong workout and a 40-time in the low 4.4s at the pro day hosted by Missouri Western for small-college talent from throughout the state earlier this offseason.
He had 142 tackles, 31 pass breakups, and eight interceptions over the course of his college career. After Monday's workout, he had a full medical exam from the Rams and said he checked out fine. (He had rotator cuff surgery the day after the Bearcats' national championship victory in 2013.)
Pruitt, the record-setting tight end from Southern Illinois, did not need an exam because that was done at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis in February. After his workout Monday, he went upstairs and spent some time with assistant head coach/tight ends coach Rob Boras.
"Talked a little football, watched a little film," Pruitt said.
The other tight end in attendance Monday, Brooks, didn't begin playing football until his senior year of high school at Maplewood. After beginning his college career at the junior-college level (Scottsdale, Ariz. Community College), he spent two years at Kansas _ where he caught only two passes in seven games. He transferred to Division II Findlay (Ohio) last season, catching four passes in eight games.
Even with very little college production, Brooks' measurables are intriguing to pro scouts. He's 6-4, 260 and runs a 4.7 in the 40.
Wide receiver Hunt was Mizzou's second-leading receiver last year with 40 catches for 698 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 17.5 yards per catch. After catching six passes for 169 yards against Alabama last season in the SEC title game, Hunt underwent shoulder surgery and missed the Citrus Bowl contest against Minnesota.
"It was a good time," Hunt said of his Rams workout. "The receiver coach (Ray Sherman), he really liked me a lot. He kept talking to me about how I'd fit into certain things, so I was pretty pleased with that. Hopefully I did enough to get their attention a little more."
Hunt, 6-0, 208, unofficially ran a 4.50 at Missouri's pro day March 19. But he had been slowed by a hamstring injury suffered earlier in the offseason during pre-draft training. His best 40 time at Mizzou is a 4.42.
Prior to the Rams' local pro day, Hunt has had private workouts for four NFL teams in Columbia.
Former Southern Illinois quarterback Kory Faulkner of Ste. Genevieve, Mo., who was on San Francisco's offseason roster a year ago, threw to Hunt, Pruitt, and Brooks on Monday.
