Five former Bobcats work out for NFL scouts on MSU Pro Day

With at least 10 NFL scouts in attendance and the Bozeman skies opening up to dump giant snow flakes, Beau Sandland stood and waited.

The main attraction for Montana State’s annual Pro Day elected to let his performance at last month’s NFL Combine stand. As four of his former MSU teammates were hustled through the six-drill workout in a hasty fashion, Sandland tried to stay warm as he awaited his last chance to boost his stock before April’s NFL Draft. 

Once offensive tackle John Weidenaar, defensive lineman Taylor Sheridan, cornerback Bryson Keeton and wide receiver Mitch Griebel completed testing in the 40-yard dash, the 225-pound bench press, the 20-yard shuttle, the 3-cone drill, the broad jump and the vertical jump, Sandland took his turn to impress the collection of scouts on hand.

The 6-foot-5, 255-pound tight end looked powerful and purposeful while running an array of routs as the snow continued to pile up at Bobcat Stadium. The collection of scouts praised Sandland for his ability to cover ground in a short number of steps and his knack for catching anything throw within his formidable catch radius.

Rand Getlin, a reporter for the NFL Network, was on hand to watch Sandland work out. He tweeted “Snow didn’t stop scouts and TE coaches from coming out to watch Montana State TE Beau Sandland today in Bozeman.”

Getlin’s tweet earned a response from Matt Miller, the lead NFL writer for Bleacher Report. Miller said on Twitter: “One of my favorite prospects in the entire draft.”

Sandland’s performance at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis coupled with his strong showing on Tuesday means he will continue climbing draft boards. He is currently projected as one of the top 10 tight ends in the draft and could be drafted as high as the fourth or fifth round.

“You never know,” Sandland said. “You hear stories every year about where you are projected to go and it changing. I would love to get drafted. Everybody would. If I don’t, it’s not the end of the world because I know even if I don’t, I’ll sign an undrafted free agent contract and go to a camp and get an opportunity. At the end of the day, what more can you ask for?”

Among tight ends at the NFL combine, Sandland ran the 6^th-best 40 time (4.74), the sixth-best long shuttle (11.75), the eight-best 20-yard shuttle (4.33) and the ninth-best 3-cone drill (7.10). His 23 repetitions on the bench press ranked second among tight ends, his 35-inch vertical was the third-best mark and his 10-foot, four-inch broad jump was the top mark among tight ends at the event. Sandland said each number was in line with his pre-combine goals so he decided to just do field work at MSU’s pro day.

Sandland and Griebel caught passes from former Bobcat quarterback Jake Bleskin, who threw every rout asked of him to the bounding physical specimen and the explosive, quick former Bobcat captain.

“I was happy with it,” Sandland said. “I thought Jake threw the ball really good. He was putting them out there so we could show our hands. Having him around is a great asset. I don’t know who would’ve thrown to me if Jake wasn’t here.”

The Pro Day started in the MSU weight room with the bench press, the vertical leap and the standing broad jump. The prospects were also measured and weighed, an important factor for the 6-foot-4 Sheridan and the 6-foot-8 Weidenaar. Weidenaar moved over 300 pounds for the first time in his life, tipping the scale at 302 pounds. Sheridan, who came to MSU as a defensive end but started for three seasons at defensive tackle, tipped the scale at 278 pounds, 12 to 15 pounds less than his playing weight.

“I didn’t plan on it to be like that but our goal was for whatever I feel best at,” Sheridan said of his weight loss. “As long as I feel strong at that weight, I feel like I can move better at that weight. I was trying to show a little versatility. If they need an inside guy, an outside guy, a punter, I’ll do it.”

Sheridan put up 30 repetitions on the 225-pound bench press test, a number that would have been among the top nine among defensive linemen at the Combine. Weidenaar banged out 22 repetitions, a number outside the top 15 marks among offensive linemen in Indy.

Keeton shined in the speed, agility and jumping tests. Inside, he notched a 36-inch vertical, the best mark of the day. He fell on a broad jump that would have been more than 11 feet but still notched a 10-07. His broad jump would have been a top-four mark and his vertical would have been 12^th at the Combine.

Outside, Keeton again turned heads. The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder ran a 4.45 in the 40, a time that would have been among the top 10 for defensive backs at the Combine. His 3-cone time (6.87), his short shuttle (4.09) and his long shuttle (11.40) would’ve been among the top 10 marks. Keeton did not make himself available for comment following the workout.

Weidenaar and Sheridan both ran well in comparison to their position groups. Weidenaar’s time of 5.05 in the 40 was faster than all but six offensive linemen in Indianapolis. His broad jump (9-02) was farther than all but three offensive tackles, his 3-cone drill (7.25) would have been the best mark at the Combine and his 20-yard shuttle (4.55) would have been a top 10 mark as well.

“I think I did pretty well considering the conditions of snow and cooler weather,” said Weidenaar, a two-time All-Big Sky Conference selection and an FCS All-American as a senior. “It was a good opportunity. I was a little nervous but I came out and did my best and hopefully that was satisfactory.”

The Manhattan product started 49 straight games at left tackle for the Bobcats. He transformed himself from a 220-pound Class B star into a potential NFL left tackle, but summers spent working on his family’s potato farm always hindered his ability to put on serious bulk. After spending the last three months in Houston focusing on nothing but nutrition and training, Weidenaar finally hit the 300-pound threshold and seemed to maintain most of his athleticism.

“It’s a huge relief,” Weidenaar said. “I was tired of waiting. I wanted to get out here and perform. I thought I did well. Now we will see what happens April 28 through the 30. I think I did enough. I think I did comparably with the guys in Indianapolis.”

Sheridan’s unofficial 40 times varied among scouts and observers but a Denver Broncos scout clocked him at 4.88 and the consensus among the scouts was that he broke five seconds, something that would have put him among the top 10 defensive linemen in Indianapolis. Neither of his jumping numbers or his short shuttle would have been among the top 15 defensive linemen but his 3-cone drill (7.43) would’ve cracked the top 15.

“As you meet these scouts throughout the season, it’s great to see them again and have them still remember your name,” the former team captain said. “The fun part is having these other three guys out here that I’ve played with forever reaching for the same goals.

“On your last game at home, you don’t know if you’ll ever be back out there at least with a purpose so it’s nice to get back out there. It wouldn’t feel the same without the snow.”

The 5-foot-10, 190-pound Griebel caught more than 100 passes during his two years as MSU’s starting slot receiver. On Tuesday, he did not blow anyone away with his straight-line speed or his strength but his agility and his ability to cut precisely could help him land a spot in the Canadian Football League.

“What do I have to lose? I’m blessed to be in this position,” Griebel said. “I feel like I ran some crisp routes. We will see if someone calls me up, maybe Canada ball, who knows. But until then, I’ll keep getting A’s in school and graduate in May.”

Griebel’s 40 time, bench press, vertical and broad jump would not have been top 15 among wide receivers at the NFL combine. His short shuttle (4.14) would have ranked seventh while his 3-cone drill (6.91) and his long shuttle (11.52) would have ranked 11^th each.

“One last time being out here in Bobcat Stadium with the guys, it was fun,” Griebel said. “It’s a somber feeling knowing this will be my last time out here doing stuff but I had fun. It was everything I hoped it would be. I think I did well, ran some good routes, had some good times considering the weather wasn’t ideal. It’s Montana so it’s bound to happen and we wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.

*NFL Combine numbers