By Scott Anderson
Pro days are a great chance for a player that either didn’t perform well at the combine or wasn’t even invited to show off their skills to NFL scouts. A pro day can either validate or diminish a players skills in the eyes of the public, just ask former Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgwater who went from top 5 to the last pick of the first round. Here are some quick notes on the first week of pro days.
March 2nd Pro Days
- Minnesota tight end Maxx Williams declared himself the best tight end and hoped that his combine performance proved it.
- Gopher teammate running back David Cobb will not attempt the 40 yard dash until April after hurting his quad during his attempt at the combine.
- Free safety Cedric Thompson may have worked himself into this draft class after a 4.28 second 20 yard short shuttle, and 40 times of 4.50 and 4.48.
- Virginia’s Eli Harold stood on his combine numbers but put his hand in the dirt for positional drills and looked good doing it. Harold showed good burst out of his stance and should be in play for a team like the Steelers in the early 20s.
- 22 NFL teams had personnel in attendance to watch Wake Forest’s CB Kevin Johnson perform positional drills. Johnson looked really good during the drills, and has worked himself into first round discussion.
March 3rd Pro Days
- Auburn’s Nick Marshall did it all, performing drills at quarterback, defensive back, and even caught some punts.
- WR Sammie Coates caught the ball very well and impressed on the deep ball.
- Running back Corey Grant stole the show with 40 times of 4.25 and 4.27
- Pittsburgh offensive lineman T.J. Clemmings looked very good at his pro day, showcasing what he can provide a team at right tackle.
March 4th Pro Days
– Texas A&M’s Cedric Ogbuehi is still recovering from a torn ACL but said that he will be full go for training camp and will begin running in two weeks.
- 29 teams came to Mississippi State’s pro day, where linebacker Benardrick McKinney stood on his combine numbers but showcased his talent in the positional drills.
- Defensive end Preston Smith reminded people of his former tight end days, showing off his hands and even worked in space as an outside linebacker.
- Arkansas defensive end Trey Flowers performed linebacker drills at his pro day and improved his 40 time from a 4.93 to a 4.83.
March 5th Pro Days
- Nebraska defensive end Randy Gregory increased his weight to 238 pounds and ran through all the linebacker drills to prove his value as a three down linebacker and what he can provide a team in pass coverage.
- Running back Ameer Abdullah improved his 40 time from 4.60 to the mid 4.4s. Abdullah may be working his way into the upper portion of the second round, and should be the third running back off the board behind Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon and Georgia’s Todd Gurley.
- Clemson’s Vic Beasley keeps killing the circuit, having another stellar performance in front of NFL personnel. Beasley held his own in the linebacker drills and is a lock to go in the top 15.
- Middle linebacker Stephone Anthony led Clemson in tackles last year and fits in either a 3-4 and 4-3 middle linebacker position. Anthony stood on his 4.56 40 time, and may be the next Tiger off the board after Beasley.
- Utah State linebacker Zach Vigil had 20 teams watching his performance on Thursday, and he delivered with a 4.64 40 and a good positional workout.
March 6th Pro Days
– All 32 teams attended Arizona State’s pro day to watch highly regarded wide receiver Jaelen Strong take the field. Strong delivered catching every pass in his 56 play workout. The 6’2 219 pounder looks to be a top 20 selection in the draft.
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