28 NFL teams give ex-Gophers a look at pro day

After posting the third-fastest 40-yard dash time among linebackers (4.58 seconds) at the NFL combine last month, De'Vondre Campbell continued working on his draft stock Monday at the Gophers' annual pro day.

The Gophers had 28 NFL teams in attendance, up from 13 three years ago. Campbell received a noticeable amount of individual attention from Vikings coach Mike Zimmer.

"I had a feeling he was trying to get under my skin and see how I'd react," Campbell said. "I don't get rattled. I don't get nervous under pressure, so I just took the coaching and tried to apply it to what he was telling me to do."

The 6-4, 232-pound Campbell has a good combination of size and speed for a linebacker, but his NFL.com draft profile page says his "linebacker instincts [are] missing badly."

"I totally agree because I've only been playing the position three or four years," Campbell said. "I've gotten better and better every year. My best football is way ahead of me. So if I get in the right system and get the right coaches, who knows what can happen?"

Campbell said he also could be a fit as a defensive end in a 3-4 system. He's been working out in Orlando, Fla., with pass rushing guru Chuck Smith, who has helped train the likes of Denver's Von Miller.

Cornerback Eric Murray appears to have the Gophers' highest draft stock this year, with most projections ranging from the third to the fifth round.

Fellow cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun was a first-team All-Big Ten selection as a junior but slipped to the third team after being hampered by a knee injury as a senior.

"Some days I felt 95 percent. Some days I felt about 75 percent going into the game," Boddy-Calhoun said. "Compared to now, where I'm 100 percent every day, no pain at all. Just looking back, I wouldn't change a thing. It made me stronger."

• One scout's stopwatch had wide receiver KJ Maye's 40-yard dash time at 4.53 seconds, and another had 4.60. Gophers wide receivers coach Brian Anderson said it won't matter, since Maye's skill set isn't just speed, but route running, savvy and an ability to produce first downs.

• Former Gophers punter Peter Mortell spent time working with Vikings special teams coordinator Mike Priefer. Knowing how rare it is for punters to get drafted, Mortell said he's hoping to sign as a free agent and get into a team's camp.