Laken Tomlinson (Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
Former Patriots assistant Dante Scarnecchia was a ubiquitous presence on the pro day circuit this spring, working out offensive linemen at Georgia Tech, Florida State and South Carolina. Now comes word that New England’s ex-offensive line coach was at Duke earlier this spring getting a good look at Blue Devils offensive lineman Laken Tomlinson.
Duke held its pro day on March 25, and while no one apparently spotted Scarnecchia at the time, he was on the grounds, working with Tomlinson — who is expected to be one of the first guards taken in the draft. In a pre-draft diary with Chicagofootball.com, Tomlinson writes that he spent time with Scarnecchia and Pittsburgh assistant Shaun Sarrett.
I did offensive line work with Coach [Dante] Scarnecchia of the Patriots and Coach [Shaun] Sarrett of the Steelers. They had us working for a while. It was good work, but we were out there for what seemed like forever. It was tough, but I felt like I did well in every drill. I felt like I could listen and follow the instructions of the coaches. I had a lot of fun out there. Overall, it was a great experience.
Tomlinson is a 6-foot-3, 330-pounder who achieved several honors while at Duke. He was a member of the 2014 AP All-America first team, as well as the 2014 All-ACC first team. He was also a 2014 team captain and a 2013 All-ACC second teamer. Many consider him a possibility to be taken between the mid-first and late-second rounds.