Beginning Tuesday, former Saluki tight end MyCole Pruitt will participate in the National Football League Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

At the combine, Pruitt will participate in various activities both on and off the field to test his NFL readiness. He said the combine is the most important step in getting to the NFL.

“It’s a chance for scouts and teams to look at you individually,” he said.

Pruitt, who CBS ranked the No. 9 tight end and the No. 170 overall player in the draft, said he will use the week to showcase his skills in front of the scouts and improve other aspects of his game. 

Dale Lennon, who coached Pruitt for five years at SIU, said Pruitt needs to work on blocking if teams want him only as a tight end. Lennon said he is more of a hybrid that can be used as a tight end, full back and receiver.

“That could be the reason why certain teams shy away from him,” Lennon said. “Other teams want the hybrid and that’s where MyCole will hopefully find a fit.”

Workouts begin for Pruitt on Thursday with the bench press. Then, on-field workouts begin Friday with timing drills, stations and skill drills. The timing drills will include the 40-yard dash, three-cone drill and shuttle run. Pruitt said he looks forward to the 40-yard dash and route running drills.

“I’m ready to show that it doesn’t matter what school you come from,” he said. “You’re right next to the top guys and you have to perform right after or right before them.”

The top three tight ends in the draft class and top overall prospect, defensive tackle Leonard Williams, a junior from Southern California University, will be at the combine.

The 2013 and 2014 Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks will also attend the combine. Florida State sophomore Jameis Winston and Oregon junior Marcus Mariota are rated No. 2 and 5 respectively in this year’s draft.

“That’s the beauty of the combine,” Lennon said. “You compete against all the top talent in the country.”

Pruitt said if he can perform as well as he wants to, he will not have to put as much effort at SIU’s Pro Day on March 17.

Lennon said he is excited for that day.

“As a former coach, you take on a fan role and get to see how well these guys can perform,” he said. “You know what the numbers mean. You sit back as a proud coach if those numbers are where they need to be.”

Live coverage of on-field workouts will begin at 8 a.m. Friday on NFL Network and NFL.com.

Pruitt’s results will be updated as information is received.

Brent Meske can be reached at [email protected] or 536-3311 ext. 269.