Former Georgia Tech linebacker Victor Alexander had been planning for his NFL pro day for awhile.
Last season, a few NFL scouts, including one from the Falcons, asked him if he could play fullback and work on some special-teams assignments.
“I’ve been working at fullback and doing special-team things in the offseason to try to get prepared for (pro day) as well as trying to get my special-teams film together to send out to them as well,” Alexander said Tuesday.
Alexander, who played in 47 games and started 17 games over his career at Tech, was fine with the move.
“It was pretty easy,” Alexander said. “I felt like I had some running back and fullback abilities from in my past life in high school and Pop Warner and stuff like that. I had to awaken those skills.
“I feel like it was pretty simple. It came back pretty naturally.”
Alexander was listed at 5-10 and 237 pounds while playing at Tech. He led the team with 60 tackles as a junior.
Alexander’s love for collisions would serve him well as a NFL lead-blocking fullback.
“Playing linebacker and getting physical is pretty much my forte,” Alexander said.
Alexander was not the only Tech player the NFL scouts wanted to see at multiple positions.
Safety Jalen Johnson was looked at as a hybrid NFL safety/linebacker, and Anree Saint-Amour either as a defensive end or linebacker by some teams. Quarterback TaQuon Marshall is trying to make the conversion to NFL wide receiver.
“That’s where a lot of people were telling I’d be a best fit at hybrid position,” Johnson said. “I did safety drills and linebacker drills. I knew that coming in, so I prepared for both.”
Playing closer to the line of scrimmage is fine with Johnson.
“It’s more physical,” Johnson said. “I weighed around 218 today, and (a scout) said to play with us (I’d need to be) around 225 or 230. I’ve been 225 before. It definitely is more physical.”
Johnson doesn’t believe he’ll have a problem adding weight.
“I’m going to take a couple of days off,” Johnson said. “I’ve been working for eight weeks now. Just enjoy the time with my family. Just get back to work whenever my time comes.”
Johnson has one team interested in a personal workout.
“I know one guy from the Giants said he wants to work out with me soon,” Johnson said. “I’m looking forward to that whenever I get my chance.”
Marshall showed his elusiveness in the open field while running the triple-option at Tech.
But can he catch the ball?
“I thought I showed that I can transition very well from the quarterback position in college to playing receiver,” Marshall said. “I didn’t drop any balls on the live routes, so I thought I had a pretty good day catching the ball.”
Marshall picked up tips on how to get in and out of his routes from Tech wide receivers, including Brad Stewart. They also discussed how to attack the ball in the air.
“He’s just so smooth,” Stewart said. “He’s an athlete. His transition from triple-option quarterback to a receiver, he’s made tremendous leaps and bounds.”
Marshall and Stewart both caught punts for the scouts.
“My freshman year I caught punts,” Marshall said. “My sophomore year I caught punts in practice all the way up until I started playing quarterback. I think I still have that in my back pocket.”
Saint-Amour, who had a strong showing at a regional combine in Kansas City over the weekend, injured his left hamstring while running the 40-yard dash.
He was not able to complete the drills.
“I was really just trying to show that I can do all of those numbers again or even better,” Saint-Amour said. “Just go out and do the (defensive) line drills, but unfortunately I couldn’t do those. I wanted to just show them that I’m a hard worker, have the techniques as well as athleticism.”
Saint-Amour also has some versatility.
“Some teams have been asking me to stand up and others with my hand downs, but whatever they want is what I’ll be able to do,” Saint-Amour said.
He worked out with former Falcons defensive Chuck Smith, who’s now pass-rushing specialist and trainer.
“Chuck Smith is amazing,” Saint-Amour said. “He’s a great teacher. He’s a great trainer. It definitely helped. Just the (defensive line) drills that we did over at Kansas City, I felt comfortable. It was like just another day training with him. That training definitely helped a lot.”
With no projected draft picks, it was a light NFL turnout overall.
However, the Falcons were represented by coach Dan Quinn, general manager Thomas Dimitroff, assistant general manager Scott Pioli, linebackers coach Jeff Ulbrich and scouting assistant Penial Jean.
In addition to Alexander, Johnson, Marshall, Stewart and Saint-Amour, 11 other Yellow Jackets also participated:
defensive lineman Desmond Branch, offensive lineman Will Bryan, defensive lineman Kyle Cerge-Henderson, running back J.J. Green, running back Clinton Lynch, defensive end Antonio Mallard, offensive lineman Andrew Marshall, kicker Justin Moore, defensive back Malik Rivera, long snapper Zach Roberts and running back Qua Searcy.
A total of 38 scouts, coaches and executives represented the 26 teams in attendance.
The NFL draft will be held April 25-27 in Nashville.
TOP PERFORMANCES – 2019 GEORGIA TECH PRO DAY
40-yard dash
Johnson – 4.61
Stewart – 4.66
Rivera – 4.69
T. Marshall – 4.70
20-yard shuttle
Stewart – 4.19
Green – 4.28
3-cone drill
Searcy – 6.97 (would have ranked third among running backs at 2019 NFL Combine)
Stewart – 7.03
60-yard shuttle
Searcy – 11.63 (would have ranked first among running backs at 2019 NFL Combine)
T. Marshall – 11.68
Rivera – 11.68
Green – 11.69 (would have tied for first among running backs at 2019 NFL Combine)
Broad jump
Johnson – 10-2
Saint-Amour – 10-2 (would have ranked fifth among edge rushers at 2019 NFL Combine)
Searcy – 10-1
Vertical jump
Saint-Amour – 35 (would have ranked ninth among edge rushers at 2019 NFL Combine)
Searcy – 35
Stewart – 35
Johnson – 34
Rivera – 33
225-pound bench press
Bryan – 31 (would have ranked fifth among offensive linemen at 2019 NFL Combine)
Mallard – 30
Saint-Amour – 26
Cerge-Henderson – 25
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