R U Ready For NFL?

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – For the first time in 10 years, Rutgers University hosted representatives from all 32 NFL teams Wednesday at its annual Pro Day.

Inside the spacious practice bubble, attention quickly shifted to the 20 athletes participating in their most pivotal job interview to date.

Those participating included WR Gunnison Bloodgood, WR Naseim Brantley, S Flip Dixon, WR Christian Dremel, DL Kyonte Hamilton, DB Desmond Igbinosun, DL Aaron Lewis, CB Robert Longerbeam, DB Shaquan Loyal, DB Joe Lusardi, WR Dymere Miller, RB Kyle Monangai, OT Hollin Pierce, LB Tyreem Powell, DL Troy Rainey, DL Malcolm Ray, LS Austin Riggs, DB Eric Rogers, OL Reggie Sutton and LB Jamier Wright-Collins.

The stars of the show were Monangai, Longerbeam, Loyal, Miller and Powell, each of whom thrived under the watchful eye of 45 NFL personnel people.

Monangai, who ranks second in Rutgers history in rushing yards, said he’ll be attending the Eagles’ local day in April. He flashed as a pass-catcher, running crisp routes, hitting the brakes and attacking the football.

At 5-foot-8, 209 pounds, Monangai – a Roseland, N.J. native – looks the part of a three-down back at the next level, his game predicated on playing with tremendous contact balance and leverage, punishing defenders and finishing runs.

GETTY IMAGES: Rutgers RB Kyle Monangai could be a Day 3 NFL Draft pick.

He finished his Rutgers career with 3,221 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns over 52 games (35 starts).

“I think I’ll bring a whole bunch of value to an NFL team,” Monangai said. “No matter in what capacity, what role that is for that team, I fulfill a role to the best of my ability that others maybe can’t.

“I’ve been in every role in college and prior, and I’ve succeeded to get to the point that I am in my career because of that.”

On pass protection, Monangai added that he knows it’ll “be different” at the pro level.

“You always go through film, you do the mental reps of everything and you learn more about scheme,” he said. “When I talk to scouts and we talk pass pro, it’s getting a feel for how they do it, how they speak, the terminology. So, just doing it like that.”

One interesting note on Monangai: his older brother, Kevin, signed with the Eagles in 2015 as a rookie free agent.

Kyle, then 13, remembered being at the Linc to see Kevin play.

Kyle Monangai, who participated in the NFL Scouting Combine last month, only elected to test in the short shuttle at his pro day. He clocked a 4.32. I currently have a high Day 3 grade on the Rutgers running back.

Pierce, listed at 6-foot-8, 344 pounds, feels like a quintessential Jeff Stoutland project to mold into an NFL tackle in a season or two.

Pierce mentioned that he models his game after longtime Cowboys and current Jets All-Pro tackle Tyron Smith for his pacing, maturity on the field, and poise in intense moments.

Pierce is another Rutgers product slotted for Day 3, though he feels like a prospect with a higher ceiling.

While Pierce opted not to partake in any of the testing – he also participated in the Combine – he did talk to a couple of reporters about his road to the NFL Draft.

On flipping the mindset and overcoming adversity, he talked about “motivation.”

“Telling everybody at a young age, when I started playing football, Rutgers was my dream school to play at,” he said. “And you get a lot of different, negative feedback. And you get a lot of people doubting you, and that just fueled my fire.

“My Dad always believed in me – sister, uncles and stuff. And my mom passed away, and she told me, ‘You can be anything you want.’ And that voice has never left my head and that just drives me every day.

“So, yeah, it was a rough start, but I had a clear vision. I had a clear vision of what I was gonna do and how I was gonna do it.”

Longerbeam (5-11, 174) tested through the roof at the Combine. The Alexandria, Va., native recorded a 4.39 40-yard dash, 36.5-inch vertical and an 11-foot, 2-inch broad jump.

The wiry framed cornerback opted to stand on his terrific Combine numbers, but showcased fluidity, eye discipline and change of direction during the on-field portion of the drills.

“I think he’s gonna be a pro, and he’s gonna be a pro for a while,” Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano said.

Longerbeam, on where he’s shown the most growth:

“My ability to play man coverage. Coming in at receiver, I’m not really used to this. But I always played DB and wanted to, so once I got the opportunity to play man, I just felt like I got better with reps. Guarding different people, body types and all that.”

On what he’s learned about himself, Longerbeam added, “Just to believe in yourself.”

“Everybody comes in with this goal. Everybody wants to play. So, just having an opportunity, I have to take advantage of every opportunity I get,” he said. “And I wanna crush it every time I’m able to perform. I never take nothing for granted.”

Another player I took note of was long-snapper Austin Riggs, a native of Eagle, Idaho, and BYU transfer. Riggs moved well enough during the ability portion of the testing, which should be of no surprise given Riggs’ background, moonlighting at defensive end at Eagle High School.

Riggs’ dream was always to play in the NFL, and he early on acknowledged that it’s always about the team and what you can produce.

With that, Riggs fixated on mastering long-snapping, while also adding value by leaning into his previous life as a pass-rusher, covering downfield and making tackles.

Also a participant at the Combine, Riggs (6-3, 235) has an opportunity to continue Rutgers’ long-snapping lineage in the pros, which includes Andrew DePaola and Clark Harris.

In front of NFL personnel, Riggs was dialed in, lasering snaps with timing and accuracy to go along with an engaging personality. Riggs mentioned he’ll be attending the Eagles’ local pro day in April.

“If you break it down, you have an eight-yard snap for a PAT or field goal that anybody can do in their backyard. Same for a 15-yard punt-snap,” he said. “There should be no difference between snapping in your backyard and snapping a game-winning field goal in the Super Bowl.

“And so, if you treat every snap like you’re in the Super Bowl, when you’re there, there is no difference. So, that’s my biggest takeaway from long-snapping … if you treat everything like it’s the highest stakes and you are the best at it, eventually, you’ll become that.”

– Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com.