Jaguars notes from Missouri pro day: Sheldon Richardson, Kendial Lawrence drawing interest

The Jaguars attended Missouri's pro day on Thursday and had eyes on a few players in particular.

By Matthew Fairburn Mar 8, 2013, 11:25am EST

The Jacksonville Jaguars had a representative at Missouri's pro day on Thursday. With 12 players working out for scouts, the Jaguars had plenty to take in, but they seemed to narrow their focus to a handful of players.

The most notable name working out at Missouri was defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson. After improving his time in the 40-yard dash by over two-tenths of a second to 4.81 and running through positional drills, Richardson said he has been getting a lot of attention from a lot of teams, mentioning the Jaguars as one of those teams. Keep in mind, Richardson is highly sought after.

"The whole NFL wants Sheldon Richardson," Richardson said on Thursday.

Linebacker Zaviar Gooden continued to turn heads after besting every linebacker in the 40-yard dash, three-cone drill, and both shuttle drills at the NFL Combine last month in Indianapolis. He improved his vertical from 34 inches to 38.5 inches and put on a show during positional drills, flashing his athleticism and hands.

While he didn't say that he has specifically met with the Jaguars, he could fit the team's system as a weak side linebacker. He feels his versatility sets him apart.

"Obviously Mizzou's a 4-3 defense, but I can play 3-4 as well," Gooden said. "I feel like I can succeed in any system. The 3-4 teams I talked to talked to me about playing inside. They call it the inside will backer. It frees you up and lets you run around and make plays. I'll look forward to doing that."

Wide receiver T.J. Moe was also trying to improve on his already impressive combine performance. Moe beat all other wide receivers in every running drill except for the 40-yard dash, which he finished last in. He also improved his time by close to two-tenths of a second, running in the 4.5 range. He wouldn't say which teams he met with, and the Jaguars's scout wasn't working particularly close with him during the positional drills.

Two prospects the Jaguars did show some interest in that are a bit off the radar were cornerback Kip Edwards and running back Kendial Lawrence. Edwards ran in the 4.5 range, and the Jaguars and Patriots were getting a close look at him in the broad jump and positional drills. Lawrence, meanwhile, ran in the 4.3-second range and said afterwards that he has spoken with the Jaguars.

Edwards had an up and down career at Missouri but finished with a solid senior season. He's not unlike former Missouri cornerback and current Jacksonville Jaguar Kevin Rutland. The speed and ball skills aren't elite, but he's competitive and physical in coverage.

Lawrence is an undersized back with breakaway speed. He filled in for the injured Henry Josey this season and ran for 1,025 yards and 12 touchdowns. He's a player to keep an eye on as a un-drafted free agent. He has the speed to be a capable change of pace back in the NFL, and the Jaguars could use some depth at the position.