NFL Network’s Mike Mayock: Jaelen Strong needs to ‘continue to confirm’ at ASU pro day
Mar 6, 2015, 4:11 PM | Updated: 4:17 pm
Friday is a big day for former Arizona State wide receiver Jaelen Strong as he continues his journey to the National Football League.
Strong is one of six Sun Devils who will participate in ASU’s pro day for NFL scouting personnel in Tempe.
The All-Pac-12 selection hopes to build on a strong showing at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, where he ran a 4.44-second 40-yard dash and registered a 42-inch vertical jump.
NFL Network’s Mike Mayock, who has Strong rated as the fourth-best receiving prospect in a draft rich at that position, shared what he thinks Strong needs to do in front of scouts.
“What he needs to do at his pro day is to continue to confirm,” Mayock told Doug and Wolf Friday on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. “You don’t need any red flags. What that means is he’ll probably only do positional drills. The great thing about the combine is if you do well, you never have to run another 40 ever again. You never have to do another vertical jump again.
“All he’s got to do is catch the football and most importantly, he probably had dinner last night with a team. He probably has meetings set up before and after with teams. He’s got to get them to believe he’s a good kid, a hard worker and he’d be an asset to any team.”
Strong has already impressed NFL folks with his performance on the field. In two seasons at ASU, he caught 157 passes for 2,287 yards and 17 touchdowns.
A solid pro day performance by Strong may be enough to convince a team to make him the first ASU player drafted in the first round since Terrell Suggs was picked by Baltimore with the 10th pick in 2003.