PRO DAY A SLOW DAY FOR JARRETT USC RECEIVER RUNS 4.6 STILL EXPECTED TO BE FIRST-ROUNDER.

Byline: BILLY WITZ

Staff Writer

It's been nearly three months since Dwayne Jarrett could run under the watchful eye of NFL scouts. And when he did finally take off on a 40-yard dash Wednesday, it seemed to take him that long to reach the finish line.

Jarrett turned in two times, of 4.64 seconds and 4.65 seconds, according to one scout during USC's Pro Day at Cromwell Field. Several others had varying times, but all were north of 4.6.

That's well off the 4.4 that fellow USC receiver Steve Smith turned in at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis more than a month ago, and slower even than linebacker Dallas Sartz's 4.58 and defensive lineman Travis Tofi's 4.57 on Wednesday.

"So many people have been putting a pimple on the 40," said Jarrett, who ran in a black-and-gold, Michael Johnson-like track suit that Nike designed for him. "I just went out there, worked and did what I was supposed to do and am happy with the results. I'm a big receiver. I think around that time is pretty good."

Jarrett's pass-catching workout wasn't smooth, either. His cuts weren't nearly as sharp as Smith, and one slipped and fell on one. A scout for an AFC team described Jarrett, who is 6-foot-5, 214 pounds, as stiff.

Yet while several Trojans saw their stock plummet before last year's draft, some NFL evaluators said Jarrett's work on the field over the past three years, when he caught a Pacific-10 Conference record 41 touchdown passes, would carry the most weight.

Most saw him as a late first-round pick.

"He's a football player," said Miami Dolphins general manager Randy Muller, who dismissed comparisons between Jarrett and former USC receiver Mike Williams, who has flopped with Detroit. "That's a prime example of 'just watch the film.' He has one of the better sets of hands that you'll ever see. He's a big man and he catches it when he's covered. Those are all good things. Who knows how he'll turn out, but this guy's got the skins on the wall.

"When he does get covered, you can't underestimate how big the man is, so he can catch it when he's covered. He's going to be a really good red-zone target because of that. Again, it's about taking a guy's skill set and putting him in a position where his strengths are accentuated. You aren't going to ask him to run by corners all day."

If Jarrett's prospects don't seem to be rising, those of Smith and center Ryan Kalil are.

Smith, the former Taft High star, may have worked himself into a second-round prospect, and Kalil, who did 34 repetitions of a 225-pound bench press, may be a first-round pick despite being a relative lightweight. He's added 10 pounds to his 283 playing weight and envisions himself as a quick, durable player like Denver's Tom Nalen.

"He's got really good balance and leverage," said a NFC scout. "When you watch him on tape, you never question his strength. He's going to be a good one for a long time, but how high do you take a center as opposed to a guy who is going to score points?"

Said Smith: "There were questions about my speed, but I think I answered those questions."

It was a far different Pro Day atmosphere than last year.

A year ago, with Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and other prospects such as LenDale White, Winston Justice and Darnell Bing working out, there was a carnival feel with more than 100general managers, scouting directors, head coaches, assistants, scouts and a horde of agents.

USC coach Pete Carroll took advantage of the attention by holding the event on a Sunday, allowing it to coincide with the day he invites the top high school prospects, known as Junior Day. Close to 1,000 fans turned out for the running workouts at Cromwell Field.

On Wednesday, it was more serene. A new NCAA rule closed the workout to the public, leaving the stands mostly empty. And there were at most 50 NFL personnel, no head coaches and few general managers. There were, however, a pair of representatives from the Canadian Football League's British Columbia Lions.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) USC's Dwayne Jarrett shows his skills during USC's Pro Day. Jarrett recorded times of 4.6 seconds in the 40-yard dash -- not impressive for a wide receiver.

(2) Receiver Steve Smith (Taft of Woodland Hills) eyes a catch.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer