Star-Ledger Article on Jeremy Zuttah's RU Workout

http://www.nj.com/sports/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/120659630781720.xml&coll=1

Zuttah Limited At RU's Pro Day

Thursday, March 27, 2008
BY TOM LUICCI
Star-Ledger Staff

Had things gone differently for Jeremy Zuttah at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis last month, he might have been a lot more panicky after an injury-shortened workout before 30 scouts at Rutgers' annual Pro Day yesterday.

Zuttah, a four-year starter and standout offensive lineman for the Scarlet Knights, pulled up during position drills in the bubble practice facility after tweaking his back, forcing him to call it a day earlier than he would have preferred.

But then, returning to Rutgers to work out again for pro talent evaluators -- 20 NFL teams were represented -- was really just a case of Zuttah playing with house money. He's still riding the momentum from a dazzling showing at the NFL Combine that could take him all the way into the second round of the April 26-27 Draft.

"The back is just a little thing. I'll be fine," Zuttah said of an injury that has nagged him for about a week now.

His draft credentials are already in order.

That happened when he ran a 4.99 in the 40-yard dash -- the second-fastest of the linemen at the NFL Combine -- and when his 35 reps in the bench press were the second most (behind the 37 of Jake Long, projected as the top lineman in the draft). Combined with his athleticism and versatility, the former star at J.P. Stevens High School in Edison may have boosted his draft status last month as much as any player not named Darren McFadden.

"He helped himself tremendously at the Combine," said an AFC scout, who cited team policy in requesting anonymity. "It was pretty impressive to watch. I think he surprised a lot of people with how good an athlete he really is. He definitely opened eyes."

None of it was a surprise to the person who probably knows him best -- Rutgers offensive line coach Kyle Flood.

"Jeremy is a tremendous athlete, so I had a pretty good idea of what he was capable of doing," Flood said. "That was a great setting for him to show that."

Zuttah, now listed at 6-3 and 308 pounds, said he was actually disappointed in two aspects of his Combine test results.

"I've gotten as many as 38 (reps) and I ran a little bit lower than 4.9s," he said. "But people seemed impressed. The thing is, I felt I was that kind of athlete when I was (at Rutgers). I guess I just had more people looking."

They're the ones whose opinions matter now.

"His stock rose dramatically at the Combine, and the fact that he can play tackle or guard is going to help him," said another AFC scout. "He has some negatives, but he also has some impressive strengths."

Neither Zuttah nor former Rutgers running back Ray Rice ran the 40, with both feeling they had a pat hand. Rice was clocked in 4.42 seconds at the Combine in the event.

One area where both players improved dramatically was the vertical jump. Zuttah improved 26 inches at the Combine to 31 yesterday. Rice, projected as a mid-second round pick, went from 31 inches to 39.5 this time -- a dramatic increase.

"I don't want to say they messed up (with the vertical leap) at the Combine, but the way they ran it there and the conditions here were different," said Rice, one of 12 players from the 2007 Rutgers team to participate in drills that featured the 40, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, short 20-yard shuttle, three-cone shuttle and the 60-yard shuttle. "I knew I could always jump. I'm glad I was able to show it here."

Zuttah passed on all of the drills except the vertical leap and the positional work, in part because of his back.

He'd already spent the entire Combine softening the negatives he had heard about himself: That he's a tweener with average footwork who doesn't dominate opponents. Oh, and that he comes from Rutgers.

"Some people are still in that old mentality that it's Rutgers and they write you off," Zuttah said, "so I was glad to do what I did at the Combine."

Former Rutgersoffensive tackle Pedro Sosa, considered a middle-round draft prospect, watched the proceedings on crutches with his left knee in a bulky brace. Though a published report said that Sosa tore his ACL, he said he had the knee scoped and was expecting to be ready to go in two months.

That's the same knee that bothered him the end of last season.

"I can't think about how this will affect me (in the draft). All I can do is get better and then rehab," Sosa said. "As long as I get a chance I'll be all right. It doesn't matter where you go. What matters is if you can play."

Tom Luicci may be reached

at tluicci@starledger.com

 

There was an unconfirmed blurb the other day in an article that said we had an eye on him at the Combine. I just figured there's probably a chance one of those "AFC Scouts" at Rutgers yesterday was from the Jets.