They peruse the field to check every detail before jotting down their observations of a player.

NFL scouts – one from the Cleveland Browns and another from the Las Vegas Raiders – were in attendance at James Madison’s practice on Monday to mark the first time any scout showed up at Bridgeforth Stadium for a workout since the 2019 season. Talent-evaluators were not allowed on the road last year, because of NFL coronavirus safety protocols, and the league only let some scouts travel to FCS games toward the end of the spring slate. And when scouts attend games, they normally sit in the press box.

So, Monday’s trek to Harrisonburg by scouts from the Browns and the Raiders provided them the opportunity to see the Dukes’ potential prospects from only a few feet away for the first time in nearly two years. The last time scouts visited JMU, they were eyeing prospects like former quarterback Ben DiNucci and ex-defensive ends Ron’Dell Carter and John Daka, who are all entering their second seasons in the pros now.

The two scouts on Monday were chatting with JMU staffers on the sidelines about players while they warmed up. Then, when the team broke into individual drills, the pair wondered separately to get an up-close glimpse of those they wanted to see going through position-specific drills.

More scouts are likely to roll into JMU through the end of the preseason, but these were four players the scouts appeared to have their eyes on Monday:

Fifth-year senior running back Percy Agyei-Obese carried a ball attached to a string as position coach John Miller yanked on the string in an attempt to pull the ball free. The drill is designed to promote ball security, and Agyei-Obese aced the rep as the Browns scout looked on.

This past spring Agyei-Obese rushed for 102.4 yards per game and the season before he ran for 1,216 yards. At 6-foot, 205 pounds, he’s shown in the past how his strength can help him when he churns his legs and defenders can’t seem to bring him down.

He’s experienced with 470 career carries already under his belt, so the Preseason Colonial Athletic Association Offensive Player of the Year should be able to dissect anything a defense throws at him this fall.

There’s a chance any scout that comes through has a good idea of who fifth-year senior defensive tackle Mike Greene is. If they scouted Carter or Daka, odds are they saw Greene on film a few years ago or in-person when he was just beginning to blossom as a force on the Dukes’ defensive line.

Now, DraftScout.com lists Greene as the 49th best defensive tackle prospect for the 2022 NFL Draft, and that comes on the heels of a spring season when he primarily played defensive end.

With a deeper JMU roster for this fall, he’s back at his natural defensive tackle spot and that’ll give NFL scouts a chance to evaluate how he’s developed since the 2019 season. He has 27 tackles for loss and 13 sacks in his career.

Both scouts on Monday were glancing at JMU offensive line drills at the same time, from just about the same vantage point with a clear view of the senior left tackle Liam Fornadel.

Fornadel this fall, first, has to prove he’s healthy after missing the last six games this past spring. Then, because he’s adjusting to the left side, scouts will have new material to evaluate and project off of after Fornadel started the last 33 games on the right side of the offensive line.

The 6-foot-5, 311-pound New Jersey native is listed as the 33rd best guard prospect by DraftScout.

Wide receiver Antwane Wells Jr. had quite the debut season with the Dukes this past spring, catching 33 passes for 603 yards and six touchdowns, so it’s not too early for scouts to start taking notes on the 6-foot-1 pass-catcher.

JMU coach Curt Cignetti always praises the way Wells Jr. competes, and not only in games, but during practice, too. That’s something scouts will likely notice and inquire about when they visit in the coming weeks. He’s not draft eligible until 2024, but he can use these practices to make an early impression.