Agim stands out in all-star stints

Former Arkansas defensive lineman McTelvin Agim rushes the passer during the second half of the Senior Bowl on Saturday in Mobile, Ala. Agim’s North team won 31-17 over the South.
(AP/Butch Dill)
Former Arkansas defensive lineman McTelvin Agim rushes the passer during the second half of the Senior Bowl on Saturday in Mobile, Ala. Agim’s North team won 31-17 over the South. (AP/Butch Dill)

FAYETTEVILLE -- For former University of Arkansas defensive lineman McTelvin Agim, the all-star season was successful in getting his name on the radar of NFL executives.

Agim, a Texarkana native who played high school football at Hope and was a four-year starter for the Razorbacks, played in the East-West Shrine Game on Jan. 18 and in the Senior Bowl on Saturday. His workouts in the practices leading up to those games drew rave reviews, and they appear to have put him in better position for the NFL Draft that begins April 23 in Las Vegas.

"I think he's kind of boosted his draft stock here to where he could approach top 100 status," Ric Serritella of NFLDraftBible.com said. "I think he was a mid-to-late-round guy coming into the all-star circuit, and he'll depart Mobile as a late Day 2, early Day 3 [prospect]."

Agim was measured at 6-2, 307 pounds at the weigh-in for the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. He also measured 10-inch hands and 33¾-inch arms.

Agim was a late addition to the Senior Bowl roster after players who had accepted invitations to play in the game backed out.

He had turned heads the week before during practice for the East-West Shrine Game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Of Agim's workout on Jan. 14, former Eagles, Ravens and Browns scout Daniel Jeremiah wrote on NFL.com, "That was the most dominant practice any one player had all week."

"I think he was kind of a surprise for the East-West Shrine Game, and once he got to Mobile the word was kind of out because there was a buzz about him," Serritella said.

Once Agim arrived in Mobile, he made an impression there, too.

"From what I've seen, this guy has a major bend to him for a big man, and his flexibility for his size is going to be very appealing," Serritella said. "I think that athleticism, versatility, flexibility -- those are the big positive attributes that stand out to me."

At Arkansas, Agim bounced back and forth between defensive tackle and defensive end as the Razorbacks changed defensive schemes under three different coordinators in his four years. Agim finished his college career with 145 tackles, including 30.5 for loss and 15 sacks in 47 games. He also forced six fumbles.

Serritella said Agim likely projects as a 3-technique lineman at the pro level.

"I think anytime you can get a guy that can get to the backfield, create tackles for loss, apply pressure on the quarterback and be a backfield disruptor from the interior of the line -- there's not enough of those guys," Serritella said. "Teams are going to value that."

The biggest critique of Agim, Serritella said, was improper hand placement that caused him to be slow to get off some blocks.

"Otherwise, he's a very good looking player," said Serritella, who said he thinks Agim has a good chance to receive an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis from Feb. 23-March 2.

Agim was one of two former Arkansas players who played in postseason all-star games, along with tight end Cheyenne O'Grady at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. Linebacker De'Jon Harris did not attend the East-West Shrine Bowl after being selected to play in the game.

Serritella said O'Grady showed great hands in practice at the NFLPA game, but said he needs to improve his route running and blocking.

The biggest question surrounding O'Grady stems from his abrupt departure from the Arkansas team with four games remaining in his senior season. He had 33 receptions for 372 yards and 3 touchdowns at the time, and in his final game with the Razorbacks caught a touchdown at Alabama -- the 12th of his career to break the program record for a tight end.

O'Grady was suspended for undisclosed reasons for a Nov. 2 game against Mississippi State. Two days later, then-Razorback coach Chad Morris said O'Grady had "mutually agreed" to leave the program.

"That whole situation is where teams are going to have to decide, 'Do we want to invest a draft pick on this player?' " said Serritella, who is an advance scout for the NFLPA game. "What we told him going into the interview process at the NFLPA Bowl was, 'Just be honest, be straightforward, tell the truth and show that you've learned from the situation, and maybe someone will take a shot on you.'

"When you have these types of concerns, a lot of times as a personnel evaluator like myself, I'm looking at C.J. O'Grady and saying, 'Man, I'd love to take a sixth- or seventh-round pick and all the upside that comes with it.'

"I think where the power struggle comes in the war room on draft weekend is coaches don't want to work with a guy that 'quit' on his team. The teams are going to be divided, and you're going to have to surround him with a proven, veteran coaching staff with strong personalities, and if he can get in the right situation, he's got incredible upside."

Sports on 01/26/2020

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