The focus of today’s pro day schedule was supposed to be on the Florida schools Florida State and Florida, but in the end Texas RB D’Onta Foreman may have stolen the show. Foreman led the nation in rushing yards per game – in fact by almost 30 yards per game – in 2016, but wasn’t getting much traction from pro scouts because of concerns about his long speed. However, Foreman may have put those concerns to rest when he reported ran the 40 in the 4.45 range at the Longhorns pro day today while running at 234 pounds. Even better perhaps for Foreman, he had a reported 7-flat time in the 3-cone drill which again is outstanding for such a big back. Meanwhile, former UT QB Tyrone Swoopes, who is being looked at by the NFL as a TE, had a decent 4.65 time in the 40 along with a 35-inch vertical, while veteran G/T Kent Perkins posted 35 reps in the bench press which would have been better than anybody at the combine.
Back in Florida, the big story at Florida perhaps was the fact that CB Teez Tabor actually ran slower at the Gators’ pro day than he did at the combine. Tabor, who had been considered to be a lock to be a first round pick until he ran over 4.62 seconds for the 40 in Indianapolis, struggled to a 4.75 clocking today. And while nobody ever considered Tabor to be a burner, those times are not going to help his final draft, especially with so many other really good corners out there. No such problems for Florida MLB Jarrad Davis, who did not run at the combine because of a lingering ankle injury, but reportedly ran under the 4.6 mark at the UF pro day today. Davis also had a very athletic 38.5-inch vertical and has NFL people again whispering ‘potential’ first-rounder about Davis. At the same time, safety Marcus Maye also helped himself after he missed most of the 2017 season with an injury; Maye reportedly ran in the mid-4.55 range.
Over at Florida State, DE Demarcus Walker, who finished second in the nation with 16 in 2016, but did not run at the combine, posted a respectable 40 time of 4.76 seconds, along with 20 reps. The problem for Walker is that he is kind of a tweener, at least for a 4-3, at 6-3, 281, but should get plenty of second-round interest as a 3-4 5T DE.
