EAGAN, Minn. -- Kevin O'Connell typically doesn't attend pro days during his preparation for the NFL draft, and for good reason. After retiring as a player, and before accepting his first assistant coaching job, O'Connell worked as a private coach to help draft-eligible players prepare for the scouting combine and their pro days. He knows the strategies for exaggerating strengths and hiding weaknesses, and believes there are better ways to evaluate them.
In four offseasons as the Minnesota Vikings' head coach, however, O'Connell has made one exception. He has always attended the University of Minnesota's pro day, partly because it takes place 20 minutes from the Vikings' practice facility but also because of his friendship with Golden Gophers coach P.