Images courtesy of UMass Athletics

By Andrew Guindon
NEFJ Correspondent

AMHERST – Seven NFL scouts lined up in the Amherst bubble field on Wednesday as 18 players from UMass and four from various regional schools tested to prove they belong at the next level.

Scouts from the New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers and the New York Jets were in attendance, helping players progress through drills.

Despite operating in an offense that largely struggled to score points in 2024, wide receiver Jakobie Keeney-James put on a show for the scouts. Keeney-James ran an unofficial 4.37 40-yard dash, which would have ranked him as the eighth-fastest receiver at the NFL Combine. According to Keeney-James, scouts also measured his vertical leap at 40 inches, which is no easy task.

“I was excited to be out here,” said Keeney-James. “I felt like I took it step by step today, and I was able to execute every goal that I set out to reach for… I hope I can get a team that can take an opportunity on me and believe in me like UMass did.”

Keeney-James was the quickest and most fluid athlete throughout the afternoon, showcasing his natural route-running and quick stop-and-go ability.

Running back John Burton is another player on offense who impressed. He saw a heavy workload during the on-field drills, working as a receiving threat out of the backfield. Burton mostly ran short, underneath routes (in-breakers, whip routes, curl routes, etc.), showing that he can be a quality receiving back.

Dom Mazotti also tested well on Wednesday, moving quickly for his size in the 40-yard dash and the short shuttle. The 6’4”, 250lb tight end ran a lot of vertical routes during the on-field drill portion of the day.

On the defensive side of the ball, defensive backs Te’Rai Powell and Arsheen Jiles made their mark. Both players looked to have run in the 4.5-second range in the 40-yard dash, and similar to Keeney-James, they were some of the most polished athletes who tested today.

Powell and Jiles also tested well in the 20-yard shuttle and the three-cone drill. Powell’s footwork was superb, and Jiles showcased impressive flexibility and bend, wasting no movement.

Powell was grateful for the opportunity he had on Wednesday to impress in front of numerous NFL scouts.

“It was a surreal moment for me,” said Powell. “I’ve always dreamed of being in this position—being able to see my [teammates] that I’ve played with for four years… It was a good opportunity.”