COLUMBIA - Compared to the previous two, Missouri's Pro Day on Wednesday was practically relaxing.
Without the buzz surrounding Shane Ray, a surefire first-round draft pick, or Michael Sam, the first openly gay draft prospect, there was a little more elbow room Wednesday - to say nothing of TV sets or documentary crews.
Still, with a program that has produced 15 picks in the last five drafts, there was plenty of NFL interest. Thirty-two scouts made the trip to Columbia, representing more than 20 professional teams.
"Honestly it was surprising not to see the weight room completely stuffed to the brim with people," said safety Ian Simon, who has attended multiple Missouri Pro Days in the past. "But honestly, it made me feel a little bit better.
"But it was still a lot of people. I know a lot of schools don't even get this amount of attention. For some schools, this would have been a ridiculous amount, but when you go to a big school like Mizzou and when you've got first-round draft picks coming out damn near every year, that's what it's going to be like."
Offensive linemen Evan Boehm and Connor McGovern, two of Missouri's hottest draft prospects, did not participate in measured drills. They did work with offensive coaches from four teams: Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia, Colts assistant O-line coach Joe Gilbert, Seahawks assistant O-line coach Brennan Carroll and Bengals offensive quality control coach Robert Couch.
Kentrell Brothers, Missouri's other likely draft pick, had something to prove after posting some disappointing totals in January's NFL Combine.
"Nerves weren't like a huge factor (at the Combine), but I know when I got to bench press, like on the first rep I like dropped the weight on my chest because I was so nervous," he said. "Like I forgot how to bench. But on the 40, I used no techniques that I had learned, on the broad and the vert I used none of the techniques that I learned, so it was just like I was rushing into things, trying to get them over with. But I made sure to take my time on everything else today."
Brothers lowered his 40-yard dash time from 4.89 to 4.73 seconds, raised his vertical jump from 28.5 to 31.5 inches and posted 19 reps in the 225-pound bench press, matching his personal record from the Combine. He also recorded a time of 11.56 seconds in the 60-yard shuttle Wednesday.
"It felt a lot better to be at Mizzou," said Brothers, who said he has met either formally or informally with every NFL team. "Not as stressed. It's like that home-field advantage. You've got your teammates around you, so it's kind of like practice, so I was a lot more comfortable. I think everybody was."
For the Tigers who didn't get Combine invites, Wednesday was their best chance to prove themselves to NFL scouts. Simon wasn't disheartened by not getting to make the trip to Indianapolis.
"Whether I went or not, today was going to be my day," he said.
Simon has seen past teammates like receivers Bud Sasser and Jimmie Hunt get shots at the NFL even without an invitation to the Combine.
"I kind of went through it with them, the disappointment of not going," he said. "When you're a kid, you dream of going to the NFL Combine. That's every kid's dream that goes to play college football to go to the NFL Combine. And you know, going through that with them, and understanding that not everybody gets to go, that it's not a death sentence as far as getting drafted and achieving your dreams."
Simon has put on 20 pounds since the season ended. He was happy with most of his numbers Wednesday and said he has spoken with San Francisco, the New York Giants, Oakland, Kansas City and Los Angeles.
Tailback Russell Hansbrough and cornerback Kenya Dennis posted the best 40-yard dash times, at 4.38 and 4.48 seconds, respectively. Both set personal records in the bench press as well, with 17 and 19 reps, respectively.
"(There are) guys starting to show a little more interest than they were before this," Dennis said. "I couldn't tell you in particular who, but I've definitely opened a lot more guys' eyes than I did at first."
Tailback Tyler Hunt, tight end Clayton Echard and receiver Wesley Leftwich also participated in the drills. Leftwich, who suffered a Jones fracture in his foot seven weeks ago, posted a 4.65-second mark in his one 40-yard dash attempt and had the most bench-press reps of anyone at 22.
"Obviously, I just wanted to show well on everything, but ultimately my routes" were the most important, Leftwich said, "which I was really happy with. I thought my routes were really crisp. Because, I mean, measurables can only go so far."
Kicker Andrew Baggett didn't participate in workouts but he went through kicking drills for a scout from the Miami Dolphins.
"The kickers, you always have to go and beg people like, "Don't go,'" Baggett joked.
He came up short on a 65-yard field goal attempt but hit the rest, including a 60-yarder. He also practiced kickoffs. Baggett has already competed in two kicking combines - reaching the finals of each, he said - and was named MVP of the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl after making six of seven field-goal attempts.
Baggett thinks that experience has elevated his profile some. He is still in the process of deciding on an agent and will compete in the Chiefs' local pro day April 8.
"I would like to think that ... at least catches the attention of people," Baggett said. "Really, right now I've just been getting ready for (Pro Day), because all those scouts would be here. So I haven't had people blowing up my phone right after those things, but we'll see kind of moving forward in the next month."