Texas A&M edge Nic Scourton excels at Pro Day, visiting Texans on Friday

HOUSTON – Texas A&M defensive end Nic Scourton, sporting a slimmed-down physique, excelled during positional drills at the Aggies’ campus Pro Day workout attended by Texans general manager Nick Caserio and coach DeMeco Ryans.

Scourton is meeting, visiting with the Texans on Thursday night and Friday. He previously visited the Arizona Cardinals.

Scourton, down 25 pounds to 6-foot-3, 257 pounds, is a Purdue transfer and a projected late first-round, early second-round draft target.

The workout, attended by Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer and Atlanta Falcons coach Raheem Morris along with Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst and Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot, was headlined by Scourton.

Although the Bryan, Texas native didn’t participate in testing drills, he shined in drills with all 32 NFL teams attending. He credited his weight loss to eating right and getting the proper amount of sleep.

“I do not think it was purposeful,” Scourton said. “I think it was just living the right way, eating the right things, getting the right amount of sleep. Obviously, I am a young guy, so my body is just filling into what it is supposed to be.”

Scourton didn’t participate in testing at the NFL scouting combine and downplayed the importance of the 40-yard dash and other workout numbers.

“I think a lot of people focus on the wrong things,” Scourton said. “Focusing on f---- 40-yard dashes for defensive lineman, I just do not think that is important. I think what is important is the tape and going out there, competing and working out for coaches that you might play for.”

Aft4er recording 10 sacks for the Boilermakers to lead the Big Ten Conference, Scourton had five sacks last season for the Aggies with just a half-sack in the final six games.

“He obviously looks like he dropped weight; that is good to see,” Aggies coach Mike Elko said. ‘When guys get into that next phase of their life and now they are professional, they start to understand taking care of their body a little bit more. As much as we preach it, as much as we talk about it, when we get them, they are still college kids.

“Then, they get to these training facilities, and all of a sudden, they can’t go to Chick-fil-A every day, and they can’t go to Chipotle every day. That probably helps a little bit. I am sure it was really special for him to be able to do this in Bryan-College Station. A lot of his family is here. To be able to come full circle from where he was as a high school player, a long journey to ultimately get to this point.

Scourton downplayed a suggestion that playing at a heavier weight curtailed his production.

“The weight was not the issue,” Scourton said. “I was not really getting enough sleep. I was not eating at the times I should have been eating, things like that.”

And Scourton has been working hard on his technique while training at Exos.

“Just implementing more power rushes in my game,” Scourton said. “Just little things like that, locking guys out better. Sometimes getting lackadaisical with my hand placement, things like that, but easy fixes.”

Texas A&M defensive end Shemar Stewart aced the NFL scouting combine with a 4.59 40-yard dash, a 40-inch vertical leap and a 10-11 broad jump. He stood on those numbers. Turner visits the Dallas Cowboys next week.

Stewart is recovering from a hamstring injury and wants to be ready for rookie minicamp, so he didn’t take part in the workout.

He had 4 1/2 career sacks with just 1 1/2 sacks last season. The production was limited, but the physical talent is obvious with Stewart.

Aggies tight end Shane Calhoun ran a 4.43 in the 40-yard dash with a 39-inch vertical leap and a 11-0 broad jump.

He caught 63 passes for 594 yards and six touchdowns at East Carolina before transferring and catching three passes for 57 yards for the Aggies last season.

Aggies corner, nickel B.J. Mayes, a Heights graduate who led the team with four interceptions and ranked fourth in the Southeastern Conference, had a strong Pro Day.

At 6-1, 187, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.49 seconds with a 9-10 broad jump, a 4.15 short shuttle and a 6.95 three-cone drill.

He met with the Texans, Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants at the Pro Day. He has a top 30 visit with the Indianapolis Colts, per a league source.

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com