INDIANAPOLIS—The Packers will see a leaner Louis Nix from the one that lumbered through the 2013 college football season. Nix confirmed on Sunday that he is scheduled to interview with the Packers at the scouting combine.
"My stomach doesn't stick out as much. That's nice. I just feel sexier, man. I'm starting to like salads now," Nix said in entertaining reporters at the scouting combine on Sunday.
The Notre Dame nose tackle would've likely been a high first-round draft pick last spring, but opted to remain in school. He gained weight, injured a knee, had surgery and, by and large, was a disappointment last fall.
It's expected all of that will be overlooked should Nix prove in workouts on Monday that he's fully recovered from meniscus surgery; he's already proven he can control his weight.
"I heard people wanted me to get slimmer, so I slimmed down," he said.
Nix lost 23 pounds and has his weight down to 331 on a 6-2 frame. That should raise his draft stock, which might be bad news for the Packers, who appear to have distinct need for a 3-4 nose tackle. Pick No. 21 could turn out to be a little too low to nab Nix.
Should that be the case, Princeton's Caraun Reid could offer a less expensive option. Reid, 6-2, 301, came out of nowhere to make a strong impression at the Senior Bowl.
"It was great. Going in, I had never played against any of the guys. It was a great confidence builder for me as an athlete, coming from a smaller school and going against the higher level competition I didn't face. It allowed me to improve throughout the week, and I definitely think I improved every day and got better," Reid said.
Whereas Nix was a big-time recruit coming out of high school, Reid was an unknown.
"I'm from The Bronx. They don't really recruit many people out of The Bronx. I was 6-2, around 250. I'm just grateful for the opportunity Princeton allowed me to have, and I made the most of it," Reid said.
Reid won the looks-the-part award at the Senior Bowl weigh-ins; that's when scouts began to take notice. He'll have a chance to enhance his appearance in workouts here on Monday.
"I do believe I have great potential. One of the things, being at Princeton, I have to do a lot of studying. The studying takes a lot of my day. Being able to focus on football will be huge for me. I think my potential and my ability will skyrocket," Reid said.
Is football important to him?
"It is very important. Faith, family and football," he said.
Vince Lombardi said that, Reid was informed.
"Well, he's a smart man," Reid countered.
The teams that draft Nix and Reid won't only be getting a nose tackle, they'll be getting one with a sense of humor. More from the scouting combine
