Cravens, Madden impress in USC’s Pro Day

Scouts poured into Cromwell Field for USC’s annual Pro Day as the Trojans’ NFL hopefuls went through drills, the sun beating down on them on a bright Wednesday morning.

Seventeen participants took part in the event, but most of the eyes were on junior linebacker Su’a Cravens, who is projected to be drafted in the early second round,  although whether teams consider him a linebacker or a safety is still in question.

Cravens ran the 40-yard dash in 4.65 seconds, above average for a linebacker but slow for a safety. He did not run the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine last month, opting to improve upon his time for Pro Day. He also posted a vertical leap of 30.5 inches, more than three inches higher than he reached at the combine.

“I think I did everything I could do,” Cravens said. “Now it’s just sharpening my skills in the drills they wanted me to do today and just getting ready for whatever team drafts me.”

The preparation has paid off. Cravens said he has interviews set up with four to five teams. His time in the 40-yard dash was third among all Trojans, behind senior fullback Soma Vainuku (4.59 seconds) and senior running back Tre Madden (4.56 seconds).

Madden also led USC with a 10-foot broad jump and was third with a 33.5-inch vertical jump. With impressive numbers across the board, Madden’s only question mark remains his durability; he was plagued by injury throughout his USC career and missed the Holiday Bowl last season after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in December.

“[NFL teams] ask about the injury,” Madden said. “That’s the biggest thing. I feel like showing my athleticism and how healed I am and how fresh I feel is answering questions, and my durability is going to be fine.”

The senior, who has interest from the Cowboys and Saints, felt good about his showcase at Pro Day.

“It was an all-around good day,” Madden said. “The performance I put out really impressed some of the scouts.”

Redshirt senior quarterback Cody Kessler, a projected late round pick, did nothing to lower his prospects of being selected. Kessler wasn’t flashy, but was crisp and accurate on most of his passes.

Senior cornerback Kevon Seymour and senior defensive tackle Antwaun Woods were limited in participation. Woods has been dealing with a pectoral strain suffered at the combine  and pulled up short during his second 40-yard dash with a sore hamstring.

While scouts were abundant, there were no NFL head coaches. Miami Dolphins General Manager Chris Grier and Oakland Raiders’ defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. were among those at Pro Day.

Cravens claimed he was not nervous about finding out where he will next call home.

“At the end of the day, if a team picks you, it’s a blessing,” Cravens said. “No matter where you go [in the draft], you should be grateful. It’s all in God’s plan. You just succeed, and you’ll be at the top one day, so it doesn’t matter what pick you go at in the draft.”

The NFL draft is a little more than a month away — April 28-30 — in Chicago.

Staff writer Josh Cohen contributed to this report.

Correction: This article previously stated that Madden had a 10-inch broad jump. He had a 10-foot broad jump. The Daily Trojan regrets the error.