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INDIANAPOLIS** - Giants.com's Dan Salomone brings you the latest from the NFL Scouting Combine. Be sure to follow @NYGsalomone on twitter and stay tuned to Giants.com for complete combine coverage including Big Blue Kickoff Live, Coach Tom Coughlin and GM Jerry Reese Press Conferences. The following are things we learned from Wednesday's combine session:

1. Maxx Williams following his father and ex-Giant.Football runs in Maxx Williams' blood. And some of it is blue.

The 6-foot-4, 250-pound tight end out of Minnesota, who is regarded as one of the top prospects at his position, comes from an accomplished line of football players, including his father, Brian Williams, who played 129 games with 62 starts at center for the Giants from 1989-1999.

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"It was a great experience having my dad play in the NFL and growing up around that kind of atmosphere, being in the locker room and seeing what the game's all about, actual inside the NFL, what football truly is," Maxx Williams said. "I think that's helped me in my career knowing that I know what it's like and I can fall back on my dad if I have any questions. He's one of those guys I've always relied on for those questions because he's been there, he's done it, he's succeeded at the highest level."

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Maxx said his favorite memory of his father's playing days was jumping in the hot tub while Brian was rehabbing in the cold tub after games.

But the memories don't begin with just Brian, whose father -- Maxx's grandfather -- Robert played quarterback at Notre Dame and was drafted by Chicago in 1959.

"I think just the fact you're going in the first round is a great honor," Maxx said of possibly being a first-round draft choice like his father. "I mean, not many people can say they're first round. Not many people can say they went in the first round and so did their father, so having an opportunity to go in the first round -- it would be a moment I would remember for the rest of my life."

2. Offensive linemen, tight ends, and specialists met the media.On-field workouts for the NFL Scouting Combine don't begin until Friday, but certain position groups as well as team coaches and executives spoke on Wednesday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Before getting to what key decision-makers had to say, we'll start with the prospects, which are divided into 11 groups for their weeklong job interviews.

Offensive linemen, tight ends and specialists were the first up and began with orientation, interviews and medical pre-exams on Tuesday before measurements and media on Wednesday. One of the most interesting players of the day was Duke's Laken Tomlinson, who is No. 3 among Mike Mayock's top interior offensive linemen.

The 6-foot-3, 330-pound four-year starter is a double-major in evolutionary anthropology and psychology and was asked today if he's heard people say that he is too smart to play football. "I don't see how that could be a problem," he responded.

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Meanwhile, Stanford's Andrus Peat, who is Mayock's No. 2 offensive tackle, has been projected as a possible pick by the Giants at No. 9 in a few mock drafts, including SI.com's Chris Burke. Peat said that playing in a pro-style offense in college definitely prepared him for what is ahead in the NFL.

"I'd say there's been a great culture of offensive linemen there, guys like David DeCastro, Cameron Fleming and David Yankey," Peat said. "The work ethic and toughness that they bring, I really learned a lot from them."

3. News from around the NFL.Each February, the combine draws executives, coaches, scouts and medical personnel from all 32 NFL teams. Most head coaches and general managers will speak to the media at some point this week -- Tom Coughlin speaks Thursday afternoon and Jerry Reese on Saturday morning -- and on Wednesday we heard from the Steelers, Buccaneers, Broncos, 49ers, Bears, Cardinals, Titans, Bills, Chargers, Redskins, Raiders, Vikings, Lions, Rams, Ravens, Jets, Browns, Chiefs and Dolphins.

Among those are the teams holding the first and second overall picks in the draft: Tampa Bay and Tennessee, respectively. And as it is often the case, much of the talk was about the quarterbacks -- particularly Heisman Trophy winners Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota -- and how they will set the pieces in motion come late April.

"From what I know, and that's watching game highlights and watching TV and, of course, watching a lot of video right now, they're two talented players that have different styles who have won a lot of football games," Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith said about the Florida State and Oregon products. "And what do you judge quarterbacks on? Accuracy, decision making, leadership, and both of these players, the two win football games. Jameis and Marcus, they've won a lot of games. Jameis didn't lose a game until the last one he played. That says a lot about him.""

Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht also said the team would "probably lean towards using the pick" instead of trading but that all options are on the table. "We have a favorite," he added, "but we want to let the process play out."

Meanwhile, in NFC East news, Redskins coach Jay Gruden said that Robert Griffin III is the team's No. 1 quarterback moving forward.
"Robert ended the season as the starter," Gruden said. "And we anticipate that going forward."

Gruden added: "You know, we'll go into the season with Robert as the No. 1 guy, and you know, it's up to Robert to continue to grow and mature as a quarterback and as a person. Then moving forward, we just want to see some improvement. It's up to us as a staff to get more out of him."

STILL TO COME: Giants.com will stream Coach Coughlin's press conference (12:15 PM ET, Thursday) and GM Jerry Reese's press conferfence (10 AM ET, Saturday)

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