Clemson, Illini pro days on tap … The annual pro day circuit will have an ‘orangy’ flavor today with workouts scheduled at Clemson and Illinois among other schools. And the one player scouts are eager to see work out today is Clemson LB Barrett Carter who did not participate in on-field testing at the combine. The first full week on the pro day schedule winds up tomorrow with work outs at Georgia Tech and Delaware. Meanwhile, a coupleof follow-up notes from several other pro days from earlier in the week. Georgia S Malaki Starks, one of the top 1-2 prospects at the position for the upcoming draft, did not run at the Bulldogs pro day yesterday. Along with injured LB Jalon Walker, Starks will work out for NFL personnel people at a private session, although its not clear if he’ll be at the the same private workout as Walker on April 17th. Also earlier this week, Tennessee RB Dylan Sampson, another player who did not run at the combine, reportedly was clocked in the 4.45 range for the 40 at the Vols pro day. However, that was a hand-timed clocking which as we have noted in the past can be as much as a tenth of a second slower than electronic times meaning that it is very likely Sampson’s actual time is likely to be more in the low 4.5 range which is not necessarily the kind of speed scouts were hoping to see from a 5-8, 200-pound scatback type. On the other hand, one player that did stand out at pro days this week was Washington DT Sebastian Valdez, a reasonably productive veteran who measured in at 6-3, 305 and ran the 40 in the 5-flat range, while a couple of others to watch, at least as potentially post-draft free agents include Oklahoma DE Trace Ford, a one-time promising prospect whose career was pretty much derailed by injuries, but he had a solid pro day running in the 4.55 range and posting a 36-inch vertical at 6-2, 245, while USC DB Jacobe Covington, a 6-2, 210-pound CB who ran in the 4.65 range, may get some looks at safety at the next level.
