Pro Day critical for Miami Hurricanes’ Jason Fox

UM will hold its Pro Day a week from today at Greentree Practice Field and no Hurricane will be under more pressure to perform than offensive tackle Jason Fox.

The workout will be crucial to Fox because of a knee injury that not only caused the 6-foot-7, 303-pound Texan to miss UM’s last regular-season game and bowl game, but also cost him a chance to perform at the NFL Combine last month in Indianapolis.

About all Fox got to do at the combine was the bench press. He lifted 225 pounds a total of 23 times, but was unable to do any of the running drills because of the knee injury, which required surgery.

Even if Fox has a great Pro Day next Friday, ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay thinks the UM lineman is no better than a late-round pick.
“I do think he’s showed some quickness, he’s a pretty decent athlete in terms of his balance and being able to get in position,” McShay said. “He can recover against a double move and do those sort of things. But [he’s] not overly dominant. He could stand to put on a little more bulk, certainly get stronger and become a more physical player.

“I don’t think he finishes and has that mean streak that you look for. You just wonder. He’s a left tackle, but I don’t know that he’s a good enough player to become a starting left tackle in the NFL. I think he’s going to have to settle in as as reserve tackle and maybe, depending on the team that drafts him, move inside to guard. But I think he’ll wind up getting drafted late.”

Fox, an All-ACC first team selection last season, started every game (47) he played in as a Hurricane. He was athletic enough to be used as a tight end on occasion (he scored a touchdown on a 5-yard run against Florida State as a junior).

Fox said he realizes how important next Friday’s workout will be.

“I expect to go full go,” Fox told CBS4 recently. “I have to put on a show. I’ve been told all 32 teams will be there, so it’s going to be a great opportunity.”

Tight end Jimmy Graham could also boost his draft stock at Pro Day, although it’s questionable how much more he can improve over a solid performance at the NFL combine.

Graham ran the second-fastest 40-yard dash (4.56 seconds) among the assembled tight ends in Indianapolis and was also second in the three-cone drill (6.90) and the broad jump (10-feet even). Finally, he was third in the vertical jump at 38-feet, 5 inches.

As he has stated before, McShay continues to question Graham’s toughness and attitude. With Graham, who played football for only one year at UM after playing four seasons as a power forward on the Hurricanes’ basketball team, there is “always an excuse and there’s always a reason that something is wrong,” according to McShay.

“He’s a tough case,” McShay said. “The concerns are out there. Is he football tough? Does he have the mental toughness in addition to the physical toughness to develop and become a solid blocker and just be a consistent football player? Those are the biggest questions you have with him.”

Having said that, McShay adds that Graham’s physical tools will be too good to pass up. McShay said that Graham won’t get past the fourth round, although some projections have the 6-foot-6, 260-pound red head getting drafted as early as the second round.

“It’s hard to find human beings that are 6-foot-6 and 255-260 [pounds] that run like him and have his athleticism,” McShay said. “That’s why ultimately, even though you know what you’re getting and he may never be a full-time starter, I don’t think he’s going to get out of the fourth round just simply because he has good physical tools from a size, speed, athleticism standpoint.”



(palmbeachpost.com)