| EASTERN WASHINGTON (April 1): EWU has a free-agent possibility in OT Clay DeBord (6-6, 302) who had a pretty good workout including a 4.99 second 40 and some decent shuttle times of 4.38 in the SS and 7.65 in the 3-cone, although his 18 reps in the BP needs work. OG Aaron Neary (6-3, 301) ran a 5.13 in the 40 and had 26 reps in the BP. |
| FLORIDA ATLANTIC (March 31): CB Tre’von LeBlanc (5-10, 185) had a slowish 4.65 40 time, but his shuttle times 4.16 in the SS and 6.91 in the 3-cone were better. DT Trevon Coley (6-1, 304) had a quick 4.95 40 clocking and a super 7.02 in the 3-cone. The big story at the FAU pro day though was German WR Moritz Boehringer, a physical speciman at 6-4.5, 227 who ran the 40-yard in 4.45 seconds, had a 39-inch vertical jump and 10-foot-11 broad jump and did the 20-yard short shuttle in 4.1 seconds and the three-cone drill in 6.65 seconds. Boehringer just got to the United States from Germany two weeks ago. He had been playing club football in Germany, most recently for the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns – really! |
| BOISE STATE (March 31): Tweener OLB/DE Kamalei Correa stood on his combine numbers, but posted very good shuttle times of 4.18 in the SS and 6.96 in the 3-cone which he did not do in Indy. C Marcus Henry (6-2.5, 299) ran the 40 in a pretty good 5.15 for an interior offensive lineman. |
| WASHINGTON (March 31): OLB Travis Feeney, the Huskies’ only legit draft prospect, did not work out as he is rehabbing from a sports hernia. And while the Huskies aren’t likely to have anyone else drafted they have several intriguing free agent types including WRs Jordan Mickens (5-10, 174) and Marvin Hall. Mickens ran an average 4.51 in the 40 and 35.5 vertical but was very quick in the shuttles with times of 3.87 seconds in the SS and 6.58 in the 3-cone. Meanwhile, Hall was a blur with a 40 clocking some teams had close to 4.3 seconds along with a 40″ vertical.LB Cory Littleton (6-3, 235) ran the 40 in 4.75 and had a quick 7.01 3-cone and a decent 4.39 short shuttle, but his 11 reps in the BP wasn’t very good. Meanwhile, RB Dwayne Washington (6-0, 223) also had a very athletic workout as he ran the 40 in 4.45 seconds, had a 37.5″ vertical, 21 reps in the BP, and shuttle times of 6.90 in the 3-cone and 4.24 in the SS, but struggled catching the ball. |
| NOTRE DAME (March 31): All 32 teams were at the Irish pro day including 3 GMs and a half dozen offensive line coaches there to see star LT Ronnie Stanly and C/G Nick Martin. Stanley managed 24 reps on the bench press which he did not do at the combine but otherwise stood on his numbers from Indianapolis. Stanley, though, did the proscribed positional drills and reportedly looked very good. So did the hard-working Martin. The star of the day, though, was CB Keivarae Russell who had to sit out the combine because of a foot injury. Russell, though, made up for lost time as he ran ran the 40 in 4.44 seconds, had a 38,5″ vertical and long jump of 11-2 and had very good times in both the short shuttle (4.09 seconds) and 3-cone drill (6.89 seconds). WR Chris Brown, who was also limited at the combine had a 40 clocking under 4.5 (4.47), but his vertical (33.5″) and shuttle times of 4.31 in the SS and 7.39 in the 3-cone weren’t as good. Fellow WR Amir Carlisle (5-9.5), who was not at the combine, also ran under 4.50 seconds with a 4.46 clocking along with a 35″ vertical. DE Ishaq Williams (6-4, 253) did not test all that well as he ran the 40 in 4.83 seconds with shuttle times of 4.36 in the SS and 7.51 in the 3-cone, while he had a 31″ vertical and 10-o long jump. Maybe the most surprising player at the Irish workout was QB Everett Golson who actually played at Florida State last fall after transferring from ND. Golson measured in at 5-11, 200 and ran the 40 in 4.82 seconds with a 32″ vertical. |
| TCU (March 31): Depending on who was counting either all 32 NFL teams or 30 (minus Carolina and Pittsburgh) had reps at the TCU pro day including at least a couple of GMs and numerous position coaches. RB Aaron Green (5011, 203), one of the more surprising players not invited to the combine, had a pretty good despite only running the 40 in just under 4.6 seconds (4.57) and posting a 32.5″ vertical. However, Green was very quick in the shuttle drills in which he had times of 4.04 in the SS and 6.89 in the 3-cone, both of which would have been among the leaders at the position in Indianapolis. DE Terrell Lathan (6-3. 5, 292), a late-round or free agent 5T DE prospect ran the 40 in 4.85 seconds. QB Trevone Boykin (6-0, 213) reportedly threw the ball well enough and then went out and caught some passes of his own and even fielded a few punts for good measure. |
| TENNESSEE (March 30): Tennessee isn’t likely to have anyone selected all that early at the upcoming draft, but does have several potentially interesting later round or free agent candidates including FS Brian Randolph who had a very strong pro day. Randolph had 31 reps in the bench press, which would have been the top figure among DBs at Indianapolis, by far, and then ran a 4.40 40 on the field. TE Alex English also had a decent day after he ran in the 4.60 range and had 20 reps in the BP. The Vols also gave WR/KR Pig Howard, who was kicked off the team last fall for an undisclosed violation of team rules, the opportunity to workout but he was only able to run a 4.60 40. |
| SOUTH CAROLINA (March 30): Most of the ‘other’ USC’s top prospects did full workouts at the combine. The exception was WR Pharoh Cooper, a second-day prospect who is the Gamecocks top prospect for next month’s draft. Cooper, who claims he doesn’t ‘test well’, didn’t test well as he only ran the 40 in 4.61 seconds and barely cracked 30″ in the vertical. He also had a 9-10 long jump and a decent 19 reps in the BP. |
| MIAMI (March 30): Again all but one NFL team was at the Miami pro day, and like the Florida State workout yesterday, Cincinnati was the one team not to make it to Florida. And despite the fact that the Hurricanes really don’t have any legit first-round prospects, 3 NFL GMs were in Miami (Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay and the Giants. Mostly they got wet as the workout was conducted in a torrential downpour that had more than NFL personnel person saying they were the worst weather conditions ever for a pro day. While Miami likely won’t have any first day picks they do have a couple of second-day candidates in CB Artie Burns and FS Deon Bush. Burns, who had a 4.46 40 time at the combine, but didn’t do much else in Indy, didn’t exactly light it up at the pro day. After managing just 7 reps in the BP, Burns only had a 33″ vertical, but a better 10-4 long jump. he also had an OK 3-cone time of 6.96, but his 4.33 in the SS was not at all quick; again though the lousy weather and field conditions may have played a part. For his part, Bush, who did just about everything at the combine, added a decent 3-cone time of 6.91 seconds. Meanwhile, WR Rashawn Scott who did not run at the combine had a 4.50 40 clocking, as well as a decent 6.88 3-cone time, but his short shuttle time of 4.29 was slowish. Among Hurricanes not at the combine included DE Ufomba Kamulu (6-5.5, 291) ran a 4.90 40 had a 31.5″ vertical and 10-3 long jump. DT Calvin Heurtelou (6-2.5, 306) lumbered to 5.49 seconds. |
| NEVADA (March 29): Only 8 NFL teams were at the Wolfpack’s pro day, but there three from the CFL. DE Ian Seau, the nephew of former NFL star Junior Seau who kind of expected to be invited to the combine, was the key guy the 11 teams came to check out. Seau, tweener sized at 6-2, 250, had a decent day as he ran the 40 in 4.70 seconds, had 22 reps in the BP, a 34.5″ vertical and 9-9 long jump, all of which would have been at least middle of the table at the position at the combine. Fellow DE Lenny Jones (6-2, 256) ran the 40 in 4.80 seconds, while he had a better 4.36 short shuttle time and 22 reps in the BP. At the same time, though, Seau’s shuttle times of 4.51 in the SS and 7.63 in the three-cone weren’t all that quick. Meanwhile, RB Don Jackson (5-10, 205) was timed in 4.53 seconds in the 40 and 4.34 in the short shuttle. |
| FLORIDA STATE (March 29): All but one NFL team were represented at the FSU pro day – apparently the Cincinnati guy missed the bus or got lost on the way over where DB Jalen Ramsey was the star attraction. Ramsey stood on his outstanding combine numbers, but did do positional drills in which he reportedly performed very well. And at least according to the player ‘he’s worthy of being the #1 pick overall this year!’ Meanwhile, DT Nile Lawrence-Sample, who did work out at the combine, clocked a representative 5.15 seconds in the 40, while he had a very good 10-5 long jump, along with 27″ vertical; he also had 24 reps in the bench press and times of 4.78 in the SS and 7.81 in the 3-cone. |
| MISSISSIPPI (March 28): All 32 teams were represented at the Ole Miss Miss with at least 4 teams sending their G.M. including Tennessee which most analysts project will take Rebels’ OT Laremy Tunsil with the #1 pick overall this year. And while he didn’t run the 40 because of a strained muscle, Tunsil didn’t do anything to hurt his grade. He threw up 34 reps in the bench, which would have tied with the top figure from the combine. Tunsil then went out and aced the positional drills in which he looked as fluid as any offensive lineman coming out in recent years. On the other hand, while Tunsil checked off a bunch of boxes, NFL scouts were still left with polarizing questions about Ole Miss’ other top prospects. WR Laquon Treadwell, for example, did not test particularly well at all as he was only able to run in the 4.65 range, had a mediocre 33.5 vertical and had very average shuttle times of 4.29 in the SS and 7.05 in the 3-cone drill. At the same time, though, Treadwell, who weighed in at 217 pounds, down 5 or so from the combine, looked a whole lot smoother in receiving drills where he was just snatching the ball out of the air wherever it was thrown. Meanwhile, enigmatic DT Robert Nkemdiche stood on his combine results, but reportedly looked great in the positional drills where he looked all the part of a potential top 10-15 prospect. Of course, the bigger issues for Nkemdiche are his motor and character concerns. At the same time, WR Cody Core, who ran the 40 at the combine, but did not do the shuttles had a good 3-cone time of 6.75 seconds and a not-so-good 4.44 in the SS. Interestingly, Core also reportedly posted a very athletic 37.5″ in the vertical after barely clearing 31″ at the combine. Among former Ole Miss players not at the combine, S Trae Elson impressed with a 4.46 40 clocking while fellow S Mike Hilton clocked a 4.55; RB Jaylen Walton also got under 4.50 (4.46). MLB C.J. Johnson (6-2, 238) had a 27″ vertical and 8-6 long jump while posting only 12 reps in the BP. Massive DT Woody Hamilton (6-5.5, 314), whom Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze described as the team’s top sleeper candidate, had 29 reps in the BP, a 26.5 vertical, an 8-10 long jump, along with shuttle times of 4.80 in the SS and 7.90 in the 3-cone. |
| BYU (March 25): With Bronson Kaufusi standing largely on his combine numbers, the star of the BYU pro day was WR Micth Matthews. The rangy (6-6.5, 222) Matthews ran the 40 in just under 4.50 seconds, had a 36-inch vertical and a 10-9 broad jump; he also completed the short shuttle in 4.25 seconds and the three-cone drill in 6.99 seconds, all of which would have somewhere in the middle among receivers at the combine. Mathews, who has 10.5 inch mitts, then went out and caught just about everything that came his way. Indeed, the only box that Matthews really didn’t check off was the BP in which he had only 12 reps. It wasn’t quite as good a good Friday for fellow WR Devon Blackmon (6-0, 186) who ran the 40-yard dash in the low-to-mid 4.5 range, had leaps of 32-inches in the vertical and 9-7 in the broad jump; he also posted times of 4.28 seconds in the short shuttle and 7.22 in the three-cone drill neither of which was very good. Neither was his bench press where he manged just 10 reps. |
| SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI (March 24): WR Mike Thomas, a mid-to-late round prospect for the upcoming draft, reportedly ran in the low 4.4 range at the Eagles’ pro day, while he had a 36.5″ vertical and a 10-6 long jump. Meanwhile, underrated CB Kalan Reed (5-11, 192) turned in a very athletic performance as he reportedly ran just under 4.4 seconds in the 40, had a 41.5″ vertical and 11-0 long jump, but only had 11 reps in the BP. |
| HOUSTON (March 24): You know your status is on the rise when pro teams send coaches to check out your pro. You know you’re really hot when they also take you to dinner. That’s the case for Houston CB Will Jackson who was wined and dined by Pittsburgh the night before the Cougars’ pro day in a party that included Steelers’ GM Kevin Colbert, head coach Mike Tomlin, and secondary coach Carnell Lake. Jackson, who blitzed a 4.37 40 clocking at the combine, chose to stand on that time, but did run the shuttles which he passed on in Indianapolis. Jackson timed a very quick 6.86 seconds in the 3-cone, which would have been a top 5 time at the position at the combine, while his short shuttle time of 4.32 was not that impressive. Meanwhile, junior WR Demarcus Ayers, ran the 40 in a reported 4.60, down from 4.72 at the combine but even that isn’t really great. Ayers, though, did run a pretty good time of 6.91 in the 3-cone drill. Among Cougars not at the combine, MLB Elandron Roberts had a really solid day, although he is still probably not much more than a late rounder or free agent candidate. Roberts isn’t that big at 5-11.5, 234, but he managed 25 reps on the bench press followed by a 36-inch vertical jump and a broad jump of 10 feet. Roberts then ran a very good time of 4.60 in the 40-yard dash and posted times of 4.26 in the short shuttle and 7.20 in the three-cone drill; all his numbers would have been among the better scores for MLBs in Indianapolis. WR Kenneth Farrow also had some impressive numbers as he had a vertical jump of 38 inches and a broad jump of 10-2. He too clocked a time of 4.60 in the 40-yard dash before posting a very quick times of 4.14 in the short shuttle and 6.95 in the three-cone drill. |
| UTAH (March 24): As many as 28 NFL teams and two from the Canadian league were at the Utes’ pro day where star RB Devontae Booker was again unable to workout. Booker, who has been sidelined since late November after undergoing surgery for an MCL injury, reportedly plans to workout privately in 2-3 weeks. Meanwhile, CB Tevin Carter, who did not run at the combine reportedly ran an unofficial 4.53 40. |
| NORTH DAKOTA STATE (March 24): Because of bad weather, as many as 14 teams weren’t able to make it North Dakota State earlier today to watch QB Carson Wentz’ pro day. They missed a show. Of course, every team gets a tape of the workout so nothing really lost, but Wentz certainly looked the part of a near elite QB prospect who should be the first QB picked this coming April. NFL.com’s Gil Brandt, for example, called Wentz’ workout ‘one of the best ever, while the league is suddenly abuzz with whispers about comparability to Andrew Luck and Cam Newton. Wentz went through a 65-pass scripted workout that had only three balls hit the ground and on two of those the ball went off the intended receivers fingertips. At the end of the formal workout, Wentz threw another half dozen or so passes after after Cleveland assistant Pep Hamilton sprayed the ball with water as he did with Cal’s Jared Goff last week. In fact a couple of those latter passes came out funny, but overall Wentz appeared to get more on the ball than Goff, whose lack of handsize has been questioned. Even more impressive than the overall accuracy were Wentz’ movement skills and ability to throw off his back. Indeed, just about every throw Wentz made today was off some kind of movement. He also displayed a very quick, easy, compact delivery. In the end the only knock on Wentz’ day was that maybe he put a little too much air on some of his long throws. Ironically, the only NFL head coach to make it to Fargo today was Cleveland’s Hue Jackson whose Browns are expected to target Wentz with the second pick in the this year’s draft. |
| DUKE (March 23): There were probably times during his tenure at Duke when TE Braxton Deaver wondered if he’d ever even get to a pro day. Deaver has been at Duke for 6 years after the NCAA granted him a 6th year of eligibility following two ACL tears. And Deaver did not appear to leave anything on the field at the Blue Devils’ pro day as the 6-4, 246-pounder ran the 40 in a respectable 4.76 seconds, put up 26 reps in the BP, had a 31.5″ vertical and a 9-2 broad jump. |
| SYRACUSE (March 23): The big question at the SU pro day, where 24 teams had reps , was can anyone here play TE. Well actually the question was could either QB Terrel Hunt or DE Ron Thompson could make the switch to TE. On the other hand, no one was asking whether CB Julian Whigham had any TE in him after he posted an athletic 38″ vertical and broad jumped 10-8. |
| PURDUE (March 23): The Boilermakers really didn’t have anyone working out likely to be drafted, however, WR Danny Anthrop (6-0, 193) could be something of a late-round or free agent sleeper. Anthrop, a two-time state 100M finalist as a prepster, looked like an emerging big-play threat early in his career, but struggled this past fall after tearing an ACL late in 2014. However, Anthrop looked to have regained an edge at the team’s pro day when he ran in the 4.40 range. Meanwhile, CB Frankie Williams was timed in 4.50 in the 40 and put up 19 reps in the BP. |
| TEXAS (March 23): Every NFL team save for Cincinnati had reps at the Longhorns’ pro day. However, the Bengals probably didn’t miss much. It was interesting though that junior DT Hassan Ridgeway reportedly ran the 3-cone drill in 7.33 seconds. That’s almost a full second faster than he managed at the combine; it also appears that it would have been the best time for DTs at the combine. Go figure. In fact, the rebuilding Longhorns don’t have many legit prospects for the upcoming draft, but did have several athletic performances at their pro day. CB Duke Johnson (5-10, 184), who was 5th on the team in tackles with 58 and second with 5 pass break-ups, for example, ran the 40 in 4,45 seconds, while he also had a 34.5″ vertical, a 10-1 broad jump, 17 reps in the BP, and times of 4.21 in the short shuttle and 6.72 in the 3-cone drill. In fact, the latter time would have been one of the fastest at the combine for the position while the others were all solid, middle-of-the-road numbers. Meanwhile, WR Marcus Johnson (6-1, 205) ran the 40 in the low 4.4 range and had a 37″ vertical and 22 reps in the BP (which would ahve been the top figure for WRs at the combine), while DE Shiro Davis (6-3, 267) had a 4.75 40-clocking while posting 29 reps in the BP and 34.5″ in the vertical; neither was very productive in college though. |
| SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (March 23): Unofficially, as many as 30 teams were at the USC pro day where one of the main talking points of the day was whether Su’a Cravens is a better prospect at OLB or safety. According to Cravens more teams are looking at him at safety; however, his pro day numbers speak more to OLB for the former Trojan star. Working out at 220 pounds – he played at everywhere from 215 to 235 during his USC years – Cravens, who did not run at the combine, was clocked in LB-like 4.65 seconds. Meanwhile, stumpy DT Antwaun Woods, who also did not run at the combine, ran a quick 5.07 40 for a 320-pounder. |
| LOUISIANA TECH (March 22): All 32 teams were represented at the Tech pro day where the program has as many as three top 100 prospects in DT Vernon Butler, RB Kenneth Dixon and QB Jeff Driskel. And none of the three did anything to hurt their grades at the team’s pro day, although Butler was the only that did more than positional drills. At the same time, though, a couple of former Bulldog DBs steeped up and caught the eye of pro teams. In fact, SS Kentrell Brice (5-11S.5, 206) posted what is likely the top vertical of anybody this spring as he leapt 43 inches and then went out and added an 11-1 long jump and 21 reps in the BP. For good measure, Brice also ran in the sub-4.45 range in to. Meanwhile, CB Adairus Barnes (5-11, 180) also had an impressive vertical jump (41.5″), along with a 10-6 broad jump and 14 reps in the BP. Barnes also had pretty good times in both the short shuttle (4.08) and 3-cone (6.79), but his 40 time in the mid-4.5 range was only average. |
| FLORIDA (March 22): All 32 teams represented at the Gators’ pro day where CB Vernon Hargreaves elected to sit on his combine numbers, but reportedly looked all the part of a top 10 prospect in the positional drills. Similar story for DE Jonathan Bullard; on the other hand, none of WR Demarcus Robinson, RB Kelvin Taylor nor S Keanu Neal were able to significantly improve on the somewhat disappointing 40 times in Indianapolis as none was able to get under the 4.6 mark. MLB Antonio Morrison was also at the combine, but couldn’t participate in the on-field drills because of illness. Morrison, though, was just happy to be able to run at all at the Gators’ pro day as he is still trying to come back from a devastating 2014 knee injury. Unfortunately, it looks like Morrison still has a long way to go after he runs in the 5.1-plus territory. TE Jake McGee also did not run as well as he had hoped as he timed in the 4.8-plus range at the Gators’ pro day. McGee, who measured in at (6-5.5, 250) also had a 28.5 vertical, a 9-6 long jump, and shuttle times of 4.60 in the SS and 7.26 in the 3C, none of which would have been among the leaders at the position at the combine. In fact, the most promising player at the UF pro day not at the combine was guest participant WR Andy Jones of Jacksonville. Jones measured in at 6-1, 211, ran in the mid-4.5 range in the 40, posted a very athletic 40.5″ vertical and decent shuttle times of 4.32 in the SS and then 7.02 in the 3C. |
| LOUISIANA-MONROE (March 21): No one from ULM is likely to be drafted this year, but CB Trey Caldwell, who was timed in under 4.40 seconds in the 40, could get some free agent interest. Same for WR Rashon Creaser, who only ran in the 4.60 range at the team’s pro day, but may have been slowed after tweaking a hamstring running under 4.5 seconds at one of the regioanl combines. Meanwhile. RB DeVontae McNeal only ran in the 4.65 range, but showed impressive strength with 28 reps in the BP. |
| MONTANA (March 21): Decent crowd out at the Montana pro day primarily to see DE Tyrone Holmes who led all FCS edge rushers with 18 sacks in 2015 but still wasn’t invited to the combine. And Holmes (6-2, 253) made the case that somebody in Indianapolis erred as he ran in the mid-4.6 range, had a 37.5 vertical, a 9-5 broad jump, 28 reps in the BP and shuttle times of 4.28 seconds in the SS and 7.10 in the three-cone drill, all of which would have been top end numbers for the position at the combine. |
| SOUTH FLORIDA (March 21): USF likely won’t have anyone drafted at the upcoming draft but could have several intriguing free agent types including DE Eric Lee. Lee certainly looks the part; he’s 6-3, 254 with the athleticism to get looks at both defensive end and linebacker. Lee ran under 4.60 seconds in the 40 and posted a solid 24 reps in the bench press. Meanwhile, TE Sean Price (6-3, 245), USF’s career leader at the position with 75 catches, ran the 40 in the mid-4.7 range, had 22 reps in the BP and a 30-inch vertical. |
| CAMPBELL (March 21): Hands up all those that know where Campbell University is located. answer: Blues creek, N.C. Moving on; hands up all those that know the name of the Campbell teams! Anyone … they are the most eloquently named the Fighting Camels! Final trick question: When was the last time that a player from Campbell was drafted. Trick question because Campbell has never ever had anyone drafted. In fact, it does not appear that Campbell has even ever had anybody even been in an NFL camp. So it was a bit of a surprise that 19 teams sent reps to the Fighting Camels’ first ever pro day. The answer is pretty simple though: all of a sudden Campbell has not one, but two legit NFL pro prospects in DE Ugonna Awuruonye and DT Greg Milhouse. Neither was at the combine, but both made up for it at the team’s pro day. The 6-1, 295 pound (with 32.25 inch arms) Milhouse ran the 40 in under 4.90 seconds while he had a 9-3 broad jump and 26 reps in the bench press. Awuruonye measured in at 6-5, 253 with a rangy 83-inch wingspan. He also showed violent hands in bag drills. |
| IOWA (March 21): All 32 NFL teams – and presumably more than one from the CFL – were on hand at the Iowa where scouts saw a true #1 worthy workout. That was by WR Tevaun Smith (6-0.5, 205), the top-rated prospect for this year’s Canadian league draft who ran the 40 in around 4.40 seconds, had leaps of 38″ in the vertical and 10-2 in the long jump, managed 13 reps in the BP and posted times of 4.26 seconds in the short shuttle and 7.13 in the 3-cone drill. All of those would have been at least middle of the pack among receivers at the combine, while the 40 and the vertical would have been among the leaders. The ironic thing is that outing could actually cost Smith at the CFL draft as those numbers make it likely that he’ll be in an NFL training camp in one way or another next fall and CFL teams tend to shy away from players who could be in the NFL awhile with their early picks. RB Jordan Canzeri also had a strong workout; running at somewhat undersized 5-7.5, 190, Canzeri ran the 40 in 4.43 seconds, with a very quick 10-yard split under 1.50 seconds, as reported by the school. Canzeri also had a very good 3-cone time of 6.55 seconds and a decent SS clocking of 4.08; he also posted a 34.5″ vertical, a 9-4 long jump and 20 reps in the BP which is pretty good for a little guy. Meanwhile, TE Henry Krieger Coble, one of the more surprising omissions from the combine, measured in at 6-3, 249 and was clocked in the 40 in 4.76 seconds, but managed just 10 reps in the BP; he also had times of 4.32 in the SS and 7.10 in the 3-C, while he had a 9-2 broad jump and 33″ vertical, each of which would have been at least near the middle of the TE pack in Indianapolis. OG Jordan Walsh (6-2, 315) also ran well for a big ugly with a couple of 5.15 second 40 clockings. |
| CALIFORNIA (March 18): By all accounts, junior QB Jared Goff had a very good good pro day outing earlier today, but a few too many balls hit the ground for it to be described as really special or elite. Goff, a potential top 5 prospect for the upcoming draft, went through a brisk 69-pass scripted workout that certainly should not do anything to hurt his draft status. Goff showed nice light feet moving around in the pocket as well as nice touch throwing on the move. Goff also a has quick, smooth compact delivery and throws with almost exquisite touch and accuracy on underneath routes. He also throws a very catchable ball and appeared to be especially comfortable on slant routes. At the same time, though, Goff clearly lacks the arm strength of some of the recent elite QB prospects and needed a little extra mustard on the longer throws resulting in a number of incompletions against air. Interestingly, an assistant coach from Cleveland, which has the 2nd pick overall in this year’s draft, had Goff throw another half dozen or so passes after his he completed his scripted program, but with a wet ball as the Browns play in a lot of poor weather conditions. If nothing else is tends to indicate that there is in fact at least some concern in Cleveland about Goff’s relatively small which were measured at 9″ at the combine and 9 1/8″ at his pro day. Go figure. It also should be noted that Goff’s accuracy did drop off noticeably throwing those wet balls. While Goff was the featured attraction, several of his receivers also had impressive days. There were reportds, for example, that WR Bryce Treggs’ 40-yard dash time was under 4.4, but even if it was in the more likely range of 4.45, that’s very good. Treggs also had a 34″ vertical, a 10-2 broad jump, while running the 3-cone drill in 6.93 cone drill; he also put up up 16 reps of 225 pounds in the bench press, all of which would have been average to good scores at the combine. TE Steve Anderson also had a strong day as he timed posted a hand time of 4.60 in the 40-yard dash and 4.13 in the short shuttle (4.13) that would have been the best mark by a tight end at the combine. Meanwhile, 220-pound WR Darius Powe ran in the 4.55 range (once adjusted) and had a 10-0 long jump, while DE Kyle Kragen also had a strong day with a time of 4.83 in the 40-yard, a 37” vertical jump and a time of 4.25 in the short shuttle. |
| AKRON (March 18): As many as 22 teams, including a large contingent from Cleveland, were at the Akron workout. And Zips’ LB Jatavis Brown showed that the buzzworthy performance he put on at the Houston regional combine a few weeks back was no fluke. The 5-11 222-pound Brown reportedly ran somewhere in the 4.40 range for the 40-yard dash, posted 33 reps in the bench press which would have been tops at the position at the combine, while leaps in both the vertical and long jumps which would have been among the leaders in Indianapolis. The question for scouts is whether Brown, who was not invited to the combine despite being named the MAC DPOY this past season is a small LB or a big safety. |
| GEORGIA TECH (March 18): As many as 29 teams had reps at the Georgia Tech pro day where unheralded CB Chris Milton (5-10, 197) generated some buzz when he was credited with a 4.37 40 clocking at the pro day workout. Milton also had leaps of 34″ in the vertical and 10-3 in the long jump, had 13 reps in the BP and ran the short shuttle in 4.40. In fact, other than his 40-time, Milton’s other numbers were either average or somewhat below average, while his SS time was downright slow for a corner. Meanwhile, RB Synjyn Davis (6-0, 221) had a decent day as he was timed in a reported 4.51 seconds in the 40, had a 32.5 vertical and 10-4 long jump; managed 24 reps in the BP and timed the short shuttle in 4.25 seconds. Of those figures, Davis’ 40-time and short shuttle clockings, along with his bench press and long jump would all have been among the top half of backs at the combine, although his vertical would have been lower end. Meanwhile, FB Pat Skov (6-0, 232) also did well compared with his counterparts at the combine as he timed the short shuttle in 4.32 seconds, posted 31 reps in the BP and had a 30.5″ vertical, although he did not run the 40 after tweaking a hamstring. In contrast, FS Jamal Golden (5-10, 197) did not impress after he ran the 40 in 4.62 seconds, had a SS time of 4.39, jumps of 34″ in the vertical and 9-10 in the long jump while posting only 9 reps in the BP. also of note, DT Adam Gotsis, who did not participate at all in the combine as he is rehabbing from a torn ACL surgery, did the BP at the Tech pro day where he had a decent 23 reps. |
| NAVY (March 18): As many as 20 NFL teams had reps at the Navy pro day with most there to see QB-turned RB or receiver Keenan Reynolds, the 5th place finisher in the Heisman balloting this year who then somehow didn’t get an invite to the combine. And Reynolds, who measured in at 5-11, 205, got off to a good start as he posted leaps of 37.5″ in the vertical and 10-0 in the standing long jump, both of which would have ranked among the best posted by skill position players at the combine; Reynolds also managAKRON (ed 15 reps in the bench press. Reynolds then ran the 40 in an unofficial 4.56 seconds which may be ‘officially’ over 4.6, but that is probably pretty much was expected. Unfortunately, Reynolds tweaked a hammy on his 40 run and was unable to participate in the shuttle drills or positional activities. Meanwhile, FB Chris Swain (6-1, 245), who some scouts believe may actually be a better prospect than Reynolds bench pressed 225 pounds 23 times then ran the 40-yard dash in an unofficial 4.67 seconds. |
| VIRGINIA TECH (March 17): Big story at the Va Tech pro day was that star CB Kendall Fuller was again not able to workout. Fuller, who is considered to be a second-round prospect for the upcoming draft – with some first round upside if he is healthy – underwent micro-fracture surgery in September and hasn’t played since including missing the combine. And its a little ominous that Fuller has not set a date for a private workout prior to the draft. DT Luther Maddy, who also wasn’t able to work out today after undergoing knee surgery after the combine has scheduled a private workout at Tech on April 19th. Of former Hokies who did work out today, TE Ryan Malleck ran a 4.76 40 after passing on the event at the combine. |
| CENTRAL MICHIGAN (March 17): Pretty good turn out at the CMU pro day where SS Kavon Frazier finally got to workout aftre missing the combine with a stress fracture in his foot. And Frazier (6-0, 215) didn’t disappoint as he ran the 40 in the 4.56 seconds, had a very athletic 40″ vertical and 10-8 standing long jump, both of which would have been among the leaders at the combine; he also had a good 3-come time of 6.88 and a not-quite-so-good short shuttle of 4.40 seconds. A couple of other former Chippewas that could get free agent looks include stumpy (6-1, 302) C Nick Beamish who had 25 reps in the BP, but slower times on the track including a 40-clocking that barely broke the 5.6 mark. Same story for DE/OLB Blake Serpa (6-2, 247) who also had 25 reps in the BP, but a 4.85 40 time. |
| PENN STATE (March 17): All but one NFL team was at the PSU pro day where QB Christian Hackenberg was the featured attraction. And Hackenberg, once the top-rated prospect overall in the 2016 draft class, reportedly threw the ball very well as he went through a scripted workout involving 60 passes. Whether its enough to keep in the second-day mix for the upcoming draft, though, remains to be seen. Meanwhile, several former Nittany Lions not at the combine turned in athletic performances at the PSU pro day. FS Jordan Lucas (5-11, 203), who missed the combine with an injury, ran the 4.45 seconds, had a 38″ vertical, a 10-10 long jump, along with times with 4.21 seconds in the short shuttle and a very quick 6.64 seconds in the 3-cone drill. Meanwhile, RB Brandon Williams (6-2, 228) for example, reportedly ran the 40 in under 4.45 seconds while posting a 39″ vertical and 10-7 standing long jump. Johnson also had 22 reps in the BP and had shuttle times 0f 4.20 seconds in the short shuttle and 6.68 in the 3-cone. All would have been among the top times at the position at the combine. TE Kyle Carter (6-3.5, 243) ran a 4.64 40, with a 35.5 vertical and 10-2 in the long jump, along with shuttle times of 4.39 in the SS and 7.02 in the 3-cone. Both Carter’s leaps would have been among gthe top 2-3 for TEs at the combine, but his shuttle times were nothing special as were his 13 reps in the BP. Among other Nittany Lions, CB Trevor Williams (5-11, 191) also ran a 4.45 40 with a 35.5″ vertical and shuttle times of 4.19 in the SS and 6.75 in the 3-cone. |
| STANFORD (March 17): By most accounts Cardinal QB Kevin Hogan threw the ball better at the team’s pro day than he did at the combine as he went threw a scripted 60-pass workout; according to reports Hogan has cleaned up some of the mechanical stuff that plagued him throughout his career including reducing his throwing motion. The consensus though seems to be that Hogan is still a third day prospect. |
| TEMPLE (March 16): Former Owls’ C Kyle Friend (6-1, 295) managed 41 reps in the bench press at the Temple pro day which would have beaten the top figure (34) at the combine by 7; Friend also was timed in the 5.1 range for the 40 at the Owls’ pro day while he also had a 28.5″ vertical and 8-6 long jump. Meanwhile, WR Robby Anderson, who also didn’t get a combine invire, reportedly ran his 40s in under 4.4 seconds while posting a 36.5″ vertical and 10-8 standing long jump, both of which would have been in the upper half of receivers in Indianapolis. |
| MICHIGAN STATE (March 16): No surprise that all 32 NFL teams were represented at the Spartans’ workout, although there was much else to report. QB Connor Cook reportedly threw the ball very well with good velocity and accuracy and then answered a lot of questions about why he hadn’t been elected a team captain this past season. For the most part, though, the Spartans’ best prospects either sat on their combine numbers or duplicated them at the pro day. However, 5TDE Lawrence Thomas did run the shuttles which he passed on at Indianapolis and posted pretty good times of 4.55 in the SS and 7.55 in the 3-cone for a big guy. Meanwhile, among Spartans not at the combine, OG Donovan Clark had a decent day as the 6-4, 312-pounder ran the 40 in the low to mid 5.2 range and had 26 reps in the BP. |
| BAYLOR (March 16): Still trying to make full sense of what’s going on at the Baylor pro day earlier today. Star WR Corey Coleman had an official clocking of 4.37 seconds for the 40, despite the fact he has been rehabbing from sports hernia surgery and still may not be 100%. Coleman may actually have been hoping to run closer to 4.3 but that’s still a very good time that should keep him in the conversation for the top receiver off the board on april 28th. More importantly, perhaps for Coleman he reportedly caught the ball very well in positional drills and looked comfortable running the full NFL route tree, something he wasn’t asked to do much in the wacky wide-open Baylor offense. Meanwhile, CB Xavien Howard gave NFL personnel people something to chew on when he ran in the 4.4 range for the 40, significantly better than his official combine time of 4.58. DT Andrew Billings also ran better at the BU pro day (4.92) than at the combine (5.05) sand reportedly looked good in positional drills. |
| GEORGIA (March 16): There was a big turnout at the UGA pro day including several GMs and head coaches including Bill Belichick of the Patriots. And many were there to get another look at OLB Leonard Floyd who was unable to complete his day at the combine after tweaking a hamstring in while running the 40. Unfortunately, Floyd ended up 0-2 as he dropped out of the UGA activities with what was reported as an upset stomach, although he did run the two shuttles in middle of the road times of 4.32 in the SS and 7.18 in the 3-cone. RB Keith Marshall, who blew away the combine with a 4.31, but didn’t run the shuttles in Indianapolis, had times of 4.25 in the short shuttle and 6.98 in the 3-cone, pretty good numbers that suggests that he may in fact be more than just a straight-ahead sprinter. OLB John Jenkins, who also did not run the shuttles in Indy, had decent times of 4.32 in the SS and 7.41 in the 3-cone. eanwhile, MLB Jake Ganus, the Dawgs’ leading tackler (by a wide margin in 2016 after transferring from the defunct UAB program) but was not invited to the combine was credited with a 40-time in the 4.8 while his other numbers (9-foot-5 in the broad jump, a 30.5-inch vertical jump, 15 reps in the bench press) would have been middle-of-the-pack at the position at the combine. DE/5T Sterling Bailey (6-4, 281) reportedly around 5-flat for the 40 and posted a 30.5 inches on his vertical leap, while posting times of 4.58 in the SS and 7.39 in the 3-cone, while wide-body NT Chris Mayes (6-3.5, 350) had a pretty good 40-time (for such a big guy) in the low-to-mid 5.2 range. |
| YOUNGSTOWN STATE (March 15): YSU probably doesn’t have anyone who is close to being drafted but had some athletic performances at their pro day. CB Kenneth Durden ran the 40 in under 4.50 seconds, had a 39.5″ vertical, while running the 3-cone drill in 6.85 seconds. WR Andre Stubbs, the team’s leading receiver ran in the 4.6 range, had a 33″ vertical and a pretty good 3-cone clocking of 7.01 seconds. At the same time, YSU’s #2 receiver Andre Williams was even more athletic as he ran the 40 in the mid-4.5 range and had a 38.5″ vertical, while OLB Terrell Williams ran in the 4.7 range, had a 36.5″ vertical and managed 31 reps in the BP. |
| UCLA (March 15): In the end, UCLA LB Myles Jack did not run the 40 at the Bruins’ pro day this afternoon. Apparently, jack, a top 5 prospect for the 2016 draft who has been sidelined since September after undergoing season-ending surgery to repair a torn MCL, was advised by the school’s athletic training staff not to staff until he’s closer t0 100% recovered. Jack had indicated last week that he had been cleared to run so all 32 teams had reps at the UCLA pro day, including as many as 8 that had their GMs in L.A. along with what was reported as over 100 total scouts and coaches. Mack, though, indicated that in fact he’s only 80% of the way back and now plans to run at a private workout on April 1st. Mack, though, didn’t exactly sit on his thumbs at the UCLA workout today. he did post a very impressive 40″ vertical that would have been in the top 10 among all positions; he also had a 10-4 standing long jump that would have been top 5 among LBs in Indianapolis. For good measure, Jack also reportedly looked very good in the positional drills, but did appear to tire at end of some. Meanwhile, fellow LB Aaron Wallace (6-2.5, 242), a surprise non-invite to the combine, had a good day as he ran the 40 in the 4.6 range, had a 36″ vertical, a 10-10 standing long jump, managed 25 reps in the BP, and posted times of 4.25 seconds in the short shuttle and 7.35 in the 3-cone. Other than the 3-cone, all of those numbers would have been among the top half of scores at the combine. WR Devin Fuller also had a strong day as he ran in the 4.4 range, posted a 36″ vertical, a 10-4 long jump and times of 4.25 in the short shuttle and 7.10 in the 3-cone, all of which would have been competitive at the combine. |
| MANITOBA (March 14): A total of 16 NFL teams and one from the CFL were represented at the first ever pro day held at Manitoba in Winnipeg. They were they to see DE David Onyemata, originally a student from Nigeria who had never even seen a football game until four years ago. And Onyemata may have earned himself a shot at some NFL money with a very solid performance. He measured in at 6-3, 300 with a 33.5″ arm length. Onyemata then ran the 40 in 5.06 seconds, posted 33 reps in the BP, which would have been among the leaders at all positions at the combine, had leaps of 33″ in the vertical and 9-10 in the standing long jump and posted times of 4.65 in the short shuttle and 7.25 in the 3-comne drill, each of which would have at least been in the top half of figures for defensive linemen in Indianapolis. |
| LSU (March 14): Normally we don’t get to excited about reports that so-and-so ‘ran faster at his pro day than at the combine.’ Usually when one looks a little deeper either the actual improvement is say from 4.86 to 4.78 which is simply likely due to differences in electronic versus hand-timing (and the new time isn’t all that good anyway) or everyone from the school is running faster than their combine times which again suggests something to do with either the timing or the track. However, LSU reported that OLB Deion Jones ran a couple of sub-4.4 40s at the Tigers’ pro day this afternoon. That’s a full 2-tenths faster than his official combine clocking of 4.59. We reserve judgement upon confirmation, but even if Jones cut a tenth of his Indy time, that’s fast for a LB. Meanwhile, FS Jalen Mills also ran ‘faster’ than his somewhat disappointing time of 4.61 at the combine running in the 4.5 range according to the LSU results. It was more of the same after the ‘official’ workout at LSU when CB Rashard Robinson worked out privately for NFL teams. and it was more of the same as the school reported he ran the 40 in 4.3 seconds, two-tents faster than his disappointing combine time. Maybe they should re-measure the track. Fact is that the LSU was very young in 2015 and don’t have a lot of draft eligible seniors. Among those that worked out at the LSU pro day but were not at the combine, LB Lamar Louis (5-10.5, 224) ran well with an unofficial 40 clocking in the 4.6 range; he also had a 33.5″ vertical and 9-5 broad jump, 26 BP reps and times of 4.53 in the short shuttle and 7.23 in the 3-comne drill, all of which were roughly average for LBs at the combine. DT Quentin Thomas (6-3, 317) ran well with a 40 clocking in the low 5.0 range, while he managed 18 reps in the bench press, along with a 28.5″ vertical and times of 5.07 in the short shuttle and 8.17 in the 43-cone drill. However, almost all of those numbers would have been near the bottom of the defensive linemen in Indianapolis. |
| OHIO STATE (March 11): It was billed as the pro day of the year and the Buckeyes workout lived up to expectations as the over 130 NFL personnel people were reportedly on hand to watch as many as a half dozen first-round prospects worked out. Included in the crowd at OSU were NFL head coaches Marvin Lewis from Cincinnati, Mike Tomlin from Pittsburgh, Sean Payton of New Orleans and Mike Zimmer of Minnesota. No Buckeye appeared to help himself more than RB Zeke Elliott who stood on his numbers from the combine, but was very smooth and fluid catching the ball. Meanwhile, QB Cardale Jones showed plenty of arm strength in the passing drills but wasn’t always all that accurate. A couple of notable former Bucks did run for the first time after sitting out the on-field portion of the combine. FS Vonn Bell posted a solid-enough (for a safety) 40-clocking in the mid-to-high 4.5 range; Bell’s vertical of 30.5″ though wasn’t all great. On the other hand, TE Nick Vannett, one of the top 2-3 prospects at the position this year, had to be disappointed with a 40-clocking that likely didn’t break the 4.9 mark. Among former Buckeyes not at the combine, G/T Chase Farris (6-4, 295) ran in the mid-5.2 range with a 26.5″ vertical and 22 reps in the bench press. Lastly, for the record, DE Joey Bosa went to dinner with team officials from San Diego the evening prior to the OSU pro day indicating at least some interest from the Chargers. |
| TEXAS TECH (March 11): For awhile the buzz around the Tech workout was that those on hand were witness to history after several early reports suggested that WR/KR Jakeem Grant had actually run the 40 in the low 4.1 range, which would have been the fastest 40 clocking ever. In the end, though, Grant was credited with a 4.34 time which is still very fast, but still a full tenth off Chris Johnson’s ‘official’ record of 4.24. Grant also posted a very quick 3.95 clocking in the short shuttle which would have been the fastest time among receivers – and the third overall – at the combine. Grant also posted a 36.5″ vertical and a 9-9 long jump while he had a respectable 15 reps in the bench. The kicker for Grant, though, is he’s very small at under 5-6 and 165 pounds. Meanwhile, MLB Micah Awe (6-0, 232) had an athletic outing as he ran the 40 in the mid-to-high 4.5 range, while posting a 39″ vertical and a 10-7 standing long jump. DE Branden Jackson (6-4, 268) didn’t run as well with a 40-clocking that barely cracked the 5-flat mark. |
| OREGON (March 10): An estimated 24 teams were at the Oregon pro day where scouts finally got a look at the Ducks’ WR/RB Byron Marshall who was limited to the bench press at the combine because he wasn’t fully medically cleared after missing much of the past season with a serious leg injury. Hard to know though what they made of Marshall’s numbers at the Ducks’ pro day. Marshall’s times of around 4.6 seconds in the 40 were average at best as were his shuttle times of 4.28 in the short shuttle and 6.95 in the three-cone drill; same for his 9-3 mark in the broad jump. Once the got to the positional drills, Marshall, the only player in Pac-12 history to rush for 1,000 yards in one season (2013) and compile 1,000 yards receiving in another (2014) participating in wide receiver, running back and returner position drills. Meanwhile, star Oregon DT DeForest Buckner largely stood on his combine numbers and did positional drills. Fellow DT Alex Balducci put up 25 reps on the bench press, posted a broad jump of 9-5″ (which was actually farther than Marshall’s mark) and ran the 40-yard dash in under 5.10. At the same time, DE/OLB Christian French ran the 40 in mid-to-high 4.7 seconds after posting a time of 7.28 in the three-cone drill. On the other side of the ball, C/G Matt Pierson pushed up the bench press 24 times and ran the 40 in the 5.35 range. Underrated ILB Joe Walker had a good day posting a very athletic 10-4 standing long jump along with quick times in the low 4.6 range in the 40. |
| WASHINGTON STATE (March 10): Just over half of NFL teams had reps at the WSU workout where underrated WR Dominique Williams had a pretty good day. Williams, who had 75 receptions for over 1,000 yards in 2015, measured in at a good-sized 6-2.5 and 198 pounds; he also ran in the 4.4 range (at least according to his agent) while he posted a 40.5″ vertical and 10-5″ in the standing long jump, along with times of 4.24 seconds in short shuttle and 6.80 in the 3-cone drill, although neither of those times would have been much above the average for the position at the combine. Same for the fact that Williams managed only 11 reps in the BP. Meanwhile, OLB Kache Palacio (6-1, 237) ran in the 4.8 range with a 34″ vertical and a 9-11 standing long jump, but did 21 reps in the BP. |
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MISSISSIPPI STATE (March 10): All but two teams – Arizona and Seattle were the delinquents – were represented at the Mississippi State pro day where QB Dak Prescott and DT Chris Jones were the featured players. Both, though, stood primarily on their combine performances. At the same time, several other Mississippi State players did try and improve on their combine outings including WR De’Runnya Wilson who ran a very slow 4.85 40 in Indianapolis. Wilson did reportedly run a little quicker at 4.78 but that’s still a virtual sun dial time for a receiver. Meanwhile, NFL teams are intrigued by former Lithuanian discus thrower T.K. Kieras who only took up playing DE in 2014. Kieras measured in at 6-3, 271 pounds and ran the 40 in the 4.7 range, while posting a 35″ vertical and 24 reps in the BP. While not bad though those were not the out-of-the-park numbers that some scouts were hoping to see. |
| ILLINOIS (March 10): All 32 teams were at the Illini pro day where they were greeted by a familiar face in former long-time NFL head coach Lovie Smith who has just taken over the program. And while no one from Illinois is going to be drafted all that early this coming April, the Illini have some interesting depth including safety Clayton Fejedelem and OG Ted Karras, both of whom were disappointed not have been invited to the combine, but had solid pro days. Fejedelem, for example, ran a very good (for a safety) sub-4.55 while posting an athletic 40.5″ vertical and 20 reps in the BP, both of which would have been among the top 5 figures at the position at the combine. Meanwhile, the 6-4, 307 Karras posted 32 reps in the bench press, which would have been among the top numbers at the combine at any position, while he ran in the 5.30 range for the 40 and 8.15 seconds in the 3-cone drill (which isn’t fast even by OL standards). CB V’Angelo Bentley also ha a pretty good workout with a 4.50 40 and a 38.5″ vertical. |
| CLEMSON (March 10): According to the school, as many as 100 NFL personnel people from all 32 clubs were at the Clemson pro day. The big draw was CB Mackensie Alexander, one of the top 2-3 rated corners in this year’s draft who was unable to run at the combine because of a hamstring injury suffered during the national championship game. Early reports were that Alexander clocked a very fast 4.40 in his 40-yard run, although later reports had him closer to the “4.5 range.” AlexaIllinoisnder was also credited with a 37.5-inch vertical and a 10-1 standing long jump, along with a 7.17 clocking in the 3-cone drill. For the record, Alexander’s vertical would have been among the leaders at the combine, while his broad jump was about average. On the other hand, Alexander’s 3-cone time would have been one of the slower times for CBs in Indianapolis. Among former Tigers who were not at the combine at all, RB Zac Brooks reportedly ran under 4.4 for the 40, while posting a 36″ vertical, a 10-9 long jump, 18 reps in the bench press and shuttle times of 4.38 in the SS and 7.11 in the 3-cone drill. All were very representative for backs at the combine. On the other hand, DE/OLB/ST Travis Blanks was probably just a little disappointed with his numbers as the school reported him as running the 40 in just 4.90, while he had just 14 reps in the BP, a 26-inch vertical and a 7.7 3-cone clocking. |
| COLORADO STATE (March 9): Not sure what to make of the 40 times at the CSU pro day but was are guessing they were anywhere from 0.8-1.0 seconds slower than adjusted electronic times. As such, it appears TE Kivon Cartwright probably ran in the 4.75 range and had a 34.5-inch vertical, while LB Cory James ran in the 4.65-4.70 range. In fact, James who also had a 35-inch vertical could be a bit of of a sleeper; he was a very productive edge rusher earlier in his career but switched inside this past season to help the team out. |
| MARSHALL (March 9): Relatively good turnout for the Herd’s pro day as 20 teams were represented, double the usual number for Marshall. RB Devon Marshall, a FB-sized back ran a FB-like hand-timed 4.63 40 with a 33″ vertical. Pro scouts will also have to go back to the tape to recheck OLB DJ Hunter who put on an athletic performance; indeed, the school reported he ran a 4.40 40 with a 39.5″ vertical and 10-10 long jump and 14 reps in the BP. The issue with Hunter is that he’s not big (5-1, 212) even for a safety but he can run and has the potential to be a good special teamer. Meanwhile, both WRs Davonte Allen and DeAndre Reeves ran in the mid-to-high 4.5 range; Allen added a 37″ vertical, while Reeves had a 34″ vertical and a better 10-5 standing broad jump. MLB Evan McKelvey posted a slowish 40 likely close to 4.9 seconds once adjusted and was limited the rest of the day by a strained groin. Back-up CB Keith Baxter also ran well with a reported 40 time of 4.40 seconds, although he never played that fast. |
| OKLAHOMA (March 9): All 32 NFL teams were represented at the OU pro day where they got a chance to see MLB Dom Alexander and CB Zack Sanchez work out after they passed on the combine because of injuries. Sanchez reportedly ran the 40 in just under 4.5 seconds. On the other hand, the 224-pound who needs to be really quick wasn’t particularly. Alexander ran the 40 in the mid-4.75 range, while his shuttle times of 4.59 in the SS and 7.81 in the 3-cone, both of which would have been near the bottom of the position at the combine. Meanwhile, C Ty Darlington had a pretty good workout as he timed under 5.10 in the 40, while he had times of 4.75 seconds in the short shuttle and 8.08 in the 3-cone. WR Durron Neal ran just under 4.6 seconds in the 40. At the same time, NFL teams may have a tough call to make on athletic OLB Frank Shannon, a one-time rising player who was forced to sit out the entire 2014 season while he underwent a Title IX sexual assault investigation. Shannon returned this fall and had a strong pro day as the 6-1, 235-pounder ran the 40 in the around 4.75 seconds, while he posted a very athletic 39-inch vertical, along with a 10-2 long jump and 20 reps in the BP; Shannon also had times of 4.48 in the short shuttle and 7,48 in the 3-cone drill, although neither would have been that fast at the combine. |
| RUTGERS (March 9): NFL people who showed up at the RU pro date were hoping to see WR Leonte Carroo run routes and catch the ball were disappointed as he was forced to sit out because of a nagging ankle injury. Instead Carroo will hold a private pro day on March 31st. Meanwhile, OT Keith Lumpkin, who had hoped to be invited to the combine, measured in at 6-7, 320 and managed 23 reps in the bench press while posting times of 4.76 in the SS and 7.74 in the 3-cone drill, both of which would have been competitive in Indy. However, Lumpkin opted not to run the 40. Maybe RB Paul James should have done the same after he clocked a slow 4.73; worse for James he was only able to post an anemic 4 reps in the BP. On the other hand, OLB Quentin Gause had a pretty good day as the 6-0, 232-pounder ran the 40 in the mid-4.7 range, while he had a 36″ vertical, 23 reps in the bench and competitive times of 4.15 seconds in the short shuttle and 7.00 in the 3-cone. |
| WISCONSIN (March 9): Not a whole lot going at the Badgers’ pro day, although pro teams remain intrigued by 6-6, 230-pound Tanner McEvoy, who played at QB, FS, TE and WR this fall; along the way he picked off 6 passes which may have teams thinking defense would get his first look. Unfortunately, McEvoy couldn’t run at the pro day because of a sore leg. Meanwhile, underrated WR Alex Erickson ran well posting a 4.45 40 along with 34.5 inch vertical. |
| LOUISVILLE (March 9): Rising DT Sheldon Rankins was the main focus at the Cardinals’ pro day and while he stood on his combine numbers reportedly did nothing to slow his mo during the positional drills where he reportedly showed plenty of explosion and athleticism. Meanwhile, the Cards’ top prospect not at the combine appears to be LB James Burgess (6-0, 236) who reportedly ran the 40 in the low to mid 4.6 range, while he had leaps of 32.5″ in the vertical and 10-1 in the standing long jump, posted 21 reps in the BP, and had very good times of 4.47 seconds in the short shuttle and 7.06 in the 3-cone drill. |
| ALABAMA (March 9): Every NFL team was represented at the national champs pro day, however, the fact that it fell on the same day as the start of the new NFL season and free agency may have kept many senior execs home yesterday. Still, head coaches Bill Belichick of the Patriots and the Colts’ Chuck Pagano both made the trip to Tuscaloosa along with GMs Doug Whaley of Buffalo and Ryan Grigson of the Colts. and in fact former defensive co-ordinator Belichick reportedly ran the LB drills at the Tide workout. For the most part, Alabama’s top prospects sat on their combine numbers. RB Derrick Henry did participate in receiving drills and reportedly was solid running routes and catching the ball. LB Reggie Ragland did the bench press which he skipped in Indianapolis because of a shoulder issue. However, Ragland only managed 13 BP reps which would have put him at the lower end of LBs at the combine, although the shoulder may have still been an issue. QB Jake Coker, who is still smarting from not being invited to the combine, measured in at 6-5.5, 244, but opted not to run because he still has a couple of screws in a foot that only come out next week; instead, Coker went through a scripted series of 50 passes or so and reportedly threw the ball well. Of other former Tide players not at the combine, safety Geno Matias-Smith (6-0, 193) ran the 40 in the low 4.6 range, once adjusted for electronic timing, while he posted 31.5-inch vertical leap and a 9-3″ standing long jump, neither of which was especially notable. Meanwhile, OLB Dillon Lee ran the 40 in the low 4.8 range, had a 31-inch vertical jump, posted a 9-5″ broad jump, had times of 4.34 in the 20-yard short shuttle and and a three-cone time of 7.11 seconds, while posting 20 reps in the BP. Unfortunately, back-up DB and special teams ace Brad Sylve could not workout as he tore an achilles warming up for the event. |
| MFORD (March 8): No, it is not a misprint that a total of 53 scouts from 30 NFL and 2 CFL teams attended the FCS Samford pro day earlier today. Of course, most were in town for tomorrow’s Alabama workout; still NFL teams were happy enough to get another look at Samford CB James Bradberry, who built on his solid combine as he reportedly looked smooth in positional drills. It as also tough for NFL types to miss 329-pound DT Michael Pierce who reportedly ran the 40 in the 5-flat area while also posting 28 reps in the bench press. |
| NORTHWESTERN (March 8): All but one NFL team showed up for the NU pro day; ironically, though the players that made a name for themselves were from other schools. NFL teams, for example, would like to get a look at Ferris State QB Jason Vander Laan at TE. The 6-3.5, 243-pound Vander Laan, who has been described as a poor man’s Tim Tebow, won the past two Harlon Hill Awards as the best player in Division II player, but is a much better athlete than passer hence the shift to TE. Vander Laan ran the 40 in the 4.8 range at NU, while he had an impressive three-cone drill time of 6.73 seconds. Meanwhile, undersized (6-2, 208) Eastern Illinois LB Kamu Grugier-Hill, who likely will have to play SS at the next level, put on an athletic show as he ran the 40 in the low 4.4 area, while he also had a 38.5-inch vertical. |
| UCONN (March 8): Not too much to get excited about at the UConn pro day, although veteran reserve safety Junior Lee at least may have earned some free-agent consideration as a special teamer. The 6-0, 209-pound Lee ran the 40 in the 4.5 range, while he also recorded a 37-inch vertical, a 10-6-inch standing long jump, while posting 19 reps on the bench, each of which would have been among the top performers among defensive backs at the position. |
| KANSAS STATE (March 8): Representatives from 24 NFL teams, including offensive line coaches from Cincinnati, Detroit abnd the New York Jets were present for K-State’s pro day where star OG Cody Whitehair reportedly had an impressive workout doing positional drills at both C and OG. Meanwhile, CB Morgan Burns (5-10.5, 200), a kick return ace who many thought should have been at the combine, made the case that he should have been in Indianapolis when he ran the 40 in the 4.4 range; he also had a very impressive time of 6.60 in the three-cone drill, while his 21 reps in the BP would have second among DBs at the combine. However, his other numbers – a 32-inch vertical, a 9-2 broad jump and a short shuttle time of 4.2 seconds – were closer to average for the position at the combine. |
| OKLAHOMA STATE (March 8): Depending on who was counting, somewhere between 26 and 30 teams attended the Oklahoma State workout including Tampa Bay defensive line coach Jay Hayes and Oakland LB-coach Sal Sunseri. The star of the Cowboys’ workout was again DE Emmanual Ogbah who stood on his outstanding combine numbers, but participated in positional drills for both the defensive line and LBs. Meanwhile, CB Kevin Peterson, who may not have been quite 100% at the combine because of an ankle injury suffered at the Senior Bowl, was credited with a 4.56 40 clocking which isn’t all that good for a CB but was better than the dismal 4.66 he ran in Indianapolis. On the other hand, fellow CB Michael Hunter (6-0, 186), who was never that productive with the Cowboys, did show some impressive athleticism as his 40-yard dash (4.40), vertical jump (38.5”), 60-yard shuttle (11.27) and bench press (17 reps) results all would have ranked among the top-10 among defensive back at this year’s combine. At the same time, undersized (5-8, 185) possession receiver David Glidden logged a decent 4.52 in the 40-yard dash, but his 20-yard shuttle time of 4.30 was a little disappointing for a smaller inside receiver. |
| AUBURN (March 7): Representatives from all but one NFL team (Arizona) were at the Tigers pro day including a New England head coach Bill Belichick and Buffalo GM Doug Whaley. The big news at the Tigers’ pro day is that star LT Shon Coleman again was unable to workout as he continues to rehab from surgery to repair a torn MCL. Despite being a leukemia survivor, Coleman is considered to be a second-day prospect with some real upside, but the fact that he has had to sit out both the combine and his pro day can’t help his grade. And as of now there does not appear to be a private workout scheduled for Coleman. Meanwhile, MLB Cassanove McKinzy who did not run at the combine clocked a some pedestrian 40-time in the mid-4.8 range according to numbers released by the school. CB Blake Countess, who had hoped to be invited to the combine had a decent day; Countess, who measured in at 5-9 and 3/4 and 184 pounds, had one 40 clocking of 4.49 and managed 21 reps in the bench press which would have been among the leaders at the position at the combine. Countess also posted respectable leaps of 36.5″ in the vertical and 10-1 in the standing long jump. Among other Auburn players hoping for free agent tryouts, DE DaVonte Lamber (6-1.5, 278) ran a 4.90 40, while posting a 24.5″ vertical and 20 reps in the BP; LB Justin Garrett (6-1, 226) had a 4.73 40 clocking with a 31″ vertical and a solid 28 reps in the BP; C/G Devonte Danzey (6-2.5, 299) ran the 40 in a decent 5.10 clocking; while WR Melvin Ray (6-2, 208), had a 4.57 40 clocking along with leaps of 35.5″ in the vertical and 10-5 in the standing long. |
| KENTUCKY (March 4): Wildcats’ DT Cory Johnson(6.2.5, 298) had hoped to be invited to the combine so had to be a little disappointed when his pro day was cut short when he tweaked a muscle on his opening 40-yard run. However, Johnson did serve some notice when he timed in the low 5.0 range on that one run. He also had leaps of 27.5″ in the vertical and 9-5 in the standing broad; the long jump would have been somewhere in the middle of the pack in Indianapolis, while the vertical would have been at the lower end of those at the position at the combine. Meanwhile, DE Farrington Huguenin (6-4, 271) ran the 40 in the 4.9 range, had a 34-inch vertical and 10-2 broad jump; he also completed the short shuttle in 4.37 seconds and the three-cone in 7.29 second, while posting 25 reps on the bench press. |
| TROY (March 4): Roughly a dozen NFL and CFL teams had reps at the Troy pro day, although its likely no one from the program will be selected in this year’s draft. However, RB Brandon Burks (5-8.5, 208), who became just the eighth 1,000-yard rusher in Troy history this past season, could draw some free agent after posting some very good numbers. Burks posted an unofficial 40-time of 4.41 seconds as reported by the school, which probably translates to something in the 4.5 range once adjusted to electronic timing. Burks also posted 24 reps on the bench press and recorded a 37-inch vertical jump, both of which would have been among the top 5 at the position at the combine. As well, Burks’ time of 6.68 seconds in the three cone drill would have been the fastest among the backs at the combine. Meanwhile, undersized DE/OLB Tyler Roberts (6-1, 224) ran the 40 in the 4.7 range while posting a 36.5″ vertical and a decent 3-cone drill time of 6.88. Same for smallish WR Teddy Ruben (5-8, 173) and CB Lamarcus Farmer (5-9.5, 177). Ruben likely had an adjusted 40 time in the 4,65 range, while Farmer likely timed closer to 4.6. |
| ARIZONA STATE(March 4): QB Mike Bercovici, who kind of hoped to get a combine invite, measured in at 6-0.5, 206 and ran the 40 in just under 4.9 seconds. More importantly, Bercovici showed good arm strength in the passing drills, although the fact he is barely over 6-feet probably limits his draft upside. Bercovic threw about 45 passes to former teammates Devin Lucien (6-2, 195) and Gary Chambers (6-3, 211), but it does appear likely either ran under 4.6 seconds for the 40 once the clocks was adjusted. Interesting that OG Vi Teofilo threw up 43 reps in the bench press which would have been tops (by 9 reps) at the combine. Interesting because the official combine leader in the BP was his former ASU linemate Christian Westerman who had 34 reps in Indianapolis. |
| NORTHERN ARIZONA (March 4):Ten team were reportedly in Flagstaff to check out the Lumberjacks including Super Bowl finalists Denver and Carolina. The scouts in attendance, may have been a little disappointed, though, that two of NAU;’s best prospects – CB Marcus Alford and TE RJ Rickert – weren’t able to fully workout because of injuries. Strong-legged P/K Ryan Hawkins, who led all punters in the FCS ranks with a 46.0 average kick last fall, though, demonstrated plenty of leg strength as both a punter and kicker. |
| VANDERBILT (March 3): The Commodores got the annual pro day circuit off and running with 8 players working out. TE Steve Scheu, who many felt should have been invited to the combine, had a good day. Scheu reportedly was timed the 40 in the high-4.6 range; and given that that is likely a hand-timed clocking figure that his actual time is somewhere in the mid-4.7 range. Scheu also has 23 reps in the bench press. Meanwhile, FS R.J. Williamson reportedly ran even faster with an unofficial hand-timed 40 in the mid-to-high 4.4 range which likely translates to somewhere in the 4.55 range. Williamson, who was at the Shrine all-star game, also had a 35″ vertical and a 10-4 long jump. |
