Syracuse, N.Y. -- Zaire Franklin churned out more bench press repetitions (30) at Syracuse football's Pro Day than any linebacker at the NFL Scouting Combine.

His 40-yard dash time (4.58 seconds) would've slotted him fifth and his vertical jump (38 inches) would've tied for sixth.

"I should've got the invite, I guess," Franklin said before chuckling.

The Orange's second-ever three-time captain was the headliner inside the Ensley Athletic Center on Monday, impressing the 20 or so NFL scouts in attendance on the field before sitting down with a handful of them for 1-on-1 meetings.

It was his first opportunity to showcase his ability in front of scouts since the end of last season. And though he wasn't invited to the Combine in Indianapolis earlier in March, Franklin was well aware of the numbers that were put up by his peers.

"Once I found out that I was officially not going to be there, it was just kind of one of those things where I get to see what numbers I've got to go beat a week before I get to go do it," Franklin said. "It was all good. It was just more motivation."

Franklin credited his strong performance on Monday to offseason workouts with Ford Sports Performance in Bellevue, Wash., over the last few months. Head trainer Tracy Ford specializes in linebackers and Franklin, who slimmed down to 239 pounds, believes the mock testing was especially helpful in his preparation.

"Everything that happened today was what's been happening the whole time in the Pacific Northwest," Franklin said. "I've done this so many different times it was just like another day at the office."

Franklin's already looking forward to his next opportunity to impress NFL teams.

The 49ers and Seahawks will be in Syracuse on April 5 while the Buffalo Bills are coming April 13. A workout with the Arizona Cardinals is also being set up.

"I think everybody's going to look at my numbers today and say, 'What?'" Franklin said. "And then they'll want to see it in person and I'm going to do it in person."

Stephen Bailey covers Syracuse football for The Post-Standard/Syracuse.com. You can follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can also be reached anytime via email or phone (315-427-2168).