Ponder Impresses Scouts On Pro Day
TALLAHASSEE (CBS4) - Former Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder had the biggest job interview of his life Wednesday when he threw for pro scouts at Florida State's pro day.
Ponder's stock had fallen during the regular season due to multiple injuries. But, after a solid performance at the Senior Bowl, Ponder is trying to work his way back into the first round discussion.
"I think they just really wanted to see how the ball was coming out today, and especially on the deep balls," Ponder said, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "And that's what they specifically asked to see before I ever threw a ball – they wanted to see if we were going to throw some deep balls. And I thought I threw them pretty well."
NFL Network's Mike Mayock, the best talent evaluator on television, told the Tallahassee Democrat that Ponder showed off, "more than adequate arm strength" and "did really well" at the session.
Ponder said he has nine private workouts scheduled with NFL teams. He drew great interest from the Cincinnati Bengals, who had both head coach Marvin Lewis and offensive coordinator Jay Gruden in attendance.
The Bengals might hope they can pick up Ponder early in the second round. But, if Ponder continues to impress scouts, any team hoping to land him will probably have to come up into the second round to get him.
