Cornerback Najee Goode does the vertical leap at the University of Maine’s Pro Day for NFL personnel Friday in Orono. (University of Maine athletics)
ORONO — There’s little that NFL teams don’t already know about Jamil Demby, a four-year starter at left tackle for the University of Maine.
His performances in two all-star games, particularly the Senior Bowl, and at the NFL Scouting Combine have thrust Demby into the NFL draft spotlight. Once thought of as a possible late-round pick, maybe even a preferred free agent, he now looms as a midround possibility.
But that doesn’t mean NFL teams don’t want to know more about the 6-foot-4 Demby, who projects more as an NFL guard than tackle. He was perhaps the main reason personnel from six NFL teams made the trip to Orono for UMaine’s Pro Day on Friday. He was, by no means, the only player looking to make an impression — eight other former Black Bears participated — but he was certainly first and foremost on the NFL’s mind.
“I’m here for Jamil,” said T.J. Paganetti, an offensive quality control/assistant offensive line coach for the Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles. “As well as John (Reddington) and Isaiah (Brooks), the offensive linemen.”
Paganetti was the lone coach at Pro Day, where former Black Bears are measured and tested in a series of drills. But scouts from the New England Patriots, New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, Oakland Raiders and Atlanta Falcons were also present. Last year, there were only two NFL scouts in attendance.
“Demby is the guy,” Maine coach Joe Harasymiak said. “His tape speaks for itself. That Senior Bowl tape is legit.”
Paganetti said the Eagles send scouts all over the country to attend Pro Days, but he was here to “follow through” with Demby. He put the three linemen through a rigorous 45-minute positional workout after the testing was done.
“It was harder than it looked,” Brooks said. “It was tiring. I started to cramp up, but I got through it. It was good, better than what I expected.”
Demby, who weighed in at 315 pounds (down four from his NFL combine weight), only participated in the bench press and the positional workout, skipping sprints and agility drills. He improved his bench press, lifting 225 pounds 18 times — one more than he did at the combine.
“I feel like it went well,” said Demby, who is also finishing three classes so he can graduate in May. “These past couple of weeks, I’ve been anxious for it.”
He said this was more relaxed than the combine and that being with his former teammates helped.
“It was good to go out with a bang with my seniors I played with,” he said. “It was awesome to see those guys compete and compete with them.”
Demby had a private meeting with Paganetti after the workout was over. He said he has had a private workout with Tennessee and is scheduled to work out for San Francisco and Atlanta. He’ll also visit the Saints and Jets and meet with the Eagles and Giants.
“From where I started to where I am now, I’m super proud of myself,” said Demby, who grew up in Vineland, New Jersey. “I’m super blessed. Wherever the chips fall, I’ll be happy for that opportunity.”
NFL opportunities are not as certain for Demby’s ex-teammates. They know that Pro Day was perhaps a last chance to get an invitation to training camp, likely as an undrafted free agent. Oakland scout Kyle Newhall-Caballaro said he was looking for specific things from the athletes.
“I want to see some position-specific stuff,” he said. “I want to see if they’re in shape, if they’ve been working out — that says a lot about a kid. I want to see if they’re coachable. I want to see their athleticism, how they move. I want to feel his movements and his strength.”
The players know this. They’ve been preparing for weeks to get ready. Cornerback Najee Goode and safety Jason Matovu trained in Davie, Florida, though at different facilities, getting together on weekends to relax. Reddington worked out in Massachusetts.
Matovu (Cambridge, Massachusetts) and Reddington (Milton, Massachusetts) had pretty good days. Matovu’s performances in the vertical leap and 40-yard dash brought whoops and cheers from a large gathering of ex-teammates. Unofficially, his time in the 40 was 4.4 seconds. He had a broad jump of 10 feet, 9 inches.
“When you come in your freshman year and watch all the seniors work out for NFL scouts, you picture yourself being there,” he said. “It felt great having that opportunity.”
Reddington, who had 20 lifts during the bench press and went 8-6 in the broad jump, sought to improve his speed and agility, and did.
“They broke down my running and changed everything,” he said. “I felt that I looked more athletic and smooth running.”
Goode, whose senior season was hampered by injuries, strained his left pectoral muscle during the bench press but pushed through because of what the day meant.
“This is the culmination, the end of my career here,” he said. “This is the last time I perform with the team, the last time with my brothers.”
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