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While I wasn't looking, Georgia (SEC!!) held their pro day this past Tuesday morning. A very, very strange pro day. In attendance was DE/OLB draft prospect Justin Houston (6'3", 270 lbs.), often mocked as a a potential Saints draft selection. So how'd he do?
Houston's goal for the day was to show scouts that he's got a high motor...
"After every drill, I sprinted an extra five yards to show them my motor," Houston said.
...and he was apparently successful. Houston "turned some heads" as six more teams scheduled private workouts via this agent.
The biggest news of the day was Houston's 40-yard dash time, which he ran in 4.57 seconds, an improvement over the 4.68 he ran at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Wes Bunting over at National Football Post, isn't sold on Houston playing linebacker in the NFL, however, and views him more as a defensive end:
...he's a tight-hipped kid who really looked awkward again during linebacker drills Tuesday, struggling to cleanly open up his hips, keep his footing and close on the football. Ideally, I think Houston is just better suited to play with his hand on the ground and in year one might be nothing more than a nickel rusher as he learns his trade. He doesn't have a great pass rush arsenal at this stage either and I question his ability to change directions as a pass rusher off a counter.
Linebacker or defensive end, personally it doesn't really matter to me. The Saints need help at both positions so I wouldn't be upset if they decided to draft the former Bulldog. I also trust the coaching staff to extract the most potential from Houston at whatever position they think best. But has he raised his stock too high now for him to ever be available when the Saints pick at No. 24 overall?