As Eku Leota climbed to the podium inside the Indiana Convention Center, he lumbered up the steps with a protective boot on his left foot.

The former Auburn edge is dealing with a strained calf that he sustained last week before preparing to depart for the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. The injury will limit his availability during this week’s Combine, as he won’t be able to run or participate in on-field drills.

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Leota said the timetable for a return from the injury is anywhere from one to two months, and while it will keep him off the field at the NFL’s annual scouting event, he believes he will still find value in the experience in Indianapolis and a chance to meet face-to-face with NFL teams and their personnel.

“They’re going to get everything that I have,” Leota said of the impression he wants to leave on teams this week. “I’ve suffered some injuries this past year, but I’m going to lay it all on the line.”

The calf strain is the latest setback for Leota, who missed much of his senior season at Auburn due to a torn pectoral muscle that he sustained during the first quarter of the LSU game Oct. 1 at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The pec injury cut Leota’s senior season short, as he didn’t take the field the rest of the year and finished with 17 tackles, five for a loss and a pair of sacks in a little more than four games.

While Leota, who started his career at Northwestern before transferring to Auburn for his final two seasons, did not suit up again for the Tigers last fall, he made it a goal of his to participate in the Senior Bowl in Mobile in January. The 6-foot-3, 255-pounder achieved that goal before injuring his calf last week.

Though the injury is not a serious one, Leota hopes he can still make a good impression on teams during the pre-draft process.

“I feel like I’m one of the best all-around players as an edge,” Leota said. “I can stop the run, set the edge, and I can rush the passer. Being an every-down player is very important.”

In preparing for the NFL Draft, along with sharpening his own skills, Leota said he has been studying film on current NFL players like T.J. Watt and Von Miller. He described both as “relentless” pass-rushers whose careers and skills he would like to emulate. Before heading to Indianapolis this week, Leota even pulled up Watt’s performance at the 2017 NFL Combine as a refresher to prepare him mentally for the week ahead.

Though Leota won’t be on the field this week due to his injury, he hopes teams leave impressed with his interviews—as well as what he put on film during his career at Northwestern and Auburn, specifically citing his motor, hand quickness and twitch off the edge.

“I feel like my skillset will translate very well to the next level,” Leota said.

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.