Representatives from 18 NFL teams -- including Minnesota Vikings defensive line coach Andre Patterson -- were present for Montana's pro day on Monday.
The workout was held outdoors in 50-degree temperatures and run on FieldTurf. There were 10 Grizzlies players participating, as well as three more players from area small schools.
Defensive end Tyrone Holmes -- 6-foot-2 1/4, 253 pounds -- ran the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds on both attempts. He had a 37 1/2-inch vertical jump and 9-foot-5 broad jump. He did the 20-yard short shuttle in 4.28 seconds and the three-cone drill in 7.1 seconds. He had 28 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press. Holmes led all of FCS in sacks with 18 in 2015, topping the sack totals of some other notable 2016 NFL Draft prospects: South Carolina State's Javon Hargrave (13.5), Stony Brook's Victor Ochi and Southern Utah's James Cowser (13.0), and Eastern Kentucky's Noah Spence (11.5).
The Vikings' Patterson said that Holmes -- who worked out really well at the pro day -- reminded him of Everson Griffin (who is 6-3, 273, and has recorded 40 sacks in six seasons with Minnesota).
Wide receiver Ben Roberts -- 6-2 1/4, 205 -- ran the 40 in 4.75 and 4.78 seconds. He had a 34 1/2-inch vertical and 9-foot-11 broad jump. He did the short shuttle in 4.28 seconds and the three-cone drill in 7.11 seconds. He also had eight reps on the bench press. Roberts transferred to Montana in 2015 after playing three seasons of baseball at Washington State. Roberts is a rookie free-agent pickup possibility following the draft.
The highlight of this pro-day event is the caravan of scouts driving from Missoula to Boseman for Montana State's pro day on Tuesday. The caravan will make a stop in Manhattan, Mont., to go to Sir Scott's Oasis Steakhouse & Lounge for a going-away party for Bob Beers, who is an area scout for the Houston Texans. Beers is retiring later this spring.
The Oasis steakhouse is off-the-charts good. I can vouch for it because Pro Football Hall of Famer **Jim Taylor** and I had dinner there one night. Taylor was unable to finish his streak because it was so big.
Follow Gil Brandt on Twitter _@GilBrandt_.
