BOULDER — Colorado Buffaloes linebacker Nate Landman entered his Pro Day workout with two main items on his football checklist to showcase for NFL scouts.
1. A bench press that proves his shoulder injury is no longer an issue.
2. Short-area quickness drills to squash mobility doubts.
“It felt great,” Landman told reporters Wednesday morning from inside CU’s practice facility. “I checked boxes and proved to some people that I’m the kind of player they see on tape.”
Landman approaches next month’s NFL Draft with few concerns over the intangibles that made him a team captain in Boulder. The former three-star recruit out of California went on to become the first CU player to earn four consecutive all-conference honors (two first-team and two second-team). Landman’s 409 career tackles are tied for fifth all-time in program history. He was invited to the NFL Combine.
However, a torn Achilles and shoulder surgery at CU derailed his progress toward becoming a coveted draft pick. Landman is currently projected as “a candidate for the bottom of a roster or practice squad,” according to NFL.com. Landman’s Pro Day performance aimed to improve upon that prediction.
The numbers: Landman hit 20 repetitions of 225 pounds on the bench press. He also clocked 4.32 seconds in the 20-yard shuffle and 6.88 seconds in the three-cone drill, according to the CU athletic department.
“I thought I did great in those and proved that I could move laterally and be explosive out of those movements,” Landman said. “I showed today that I can move in space and flip my hips. I’m not just a run linebacker. I’m one that can move in space and one that is pretty well-rounded. I can play all downs in the league.”
Landman also took reps Wednesday at a different position — long snapper.
“I’ve long-snapped since high school and I did it the first couple of years here,” Landman said. “The more you can do, right? I just wanted to showcase that talent to some scouts and they loved it.”
But Landman chose not to participate in the 40-yard dash. His lackluster NFL Combine time — 4.86 seconds — ranked 22nd out of 23 linebackers tested in Indianapolis. Landman explained why he chose not to try it again on Wednesday.
“I did want to run a 40. At this point in my career, I have to make a business decision. I want to be healthy for minicamp,” Landman said. “I don’t care what I run in the 40 at the end of the day. I can get to the ball faster than anyone can. I’m a football player. I’m not a track runner.”
The NFL Draft is scheduled for April 25-28 in Las Vegas. Landman plans to watch it unfold on TV surrounded by family. He lacks no confidence in his pro football future.
“I’ll bring a leader,” Landman said. “Someone who can compete in all phases of defense and special teams. A guy like I’ve been here. I’ve had to prove myself in every facet. I think I can contribute early. A guy that’s going to get the locker room going. Just do whatever it takes to help the team win games.”
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