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 third week of pro days.
March 17th Pro Days
- Southern Illinois tight end MyCole Pruitt is one of the more intriguing prospects in a weak crop of tight ends. Pruitt one of the top performers at the combine, and his pro day showed off his pass catching ability. A little undersized at 6’2 1/2 but a stout 255 pounds, Pruitt is very similar to Charles Clay in his ability to come out of the backfield in a H-Back type role and should be drafted in a similar position (6th round).
- California’s Chris Harper was one of the more significant snubs of the combine but was fantastic at his pro day in front of 29 NFL teams. The 6’2 WR ran a 4.49 40 and caught the ball incredibly well. Harper will be used in future drafts as a guy who didn’t get invited to the combine but was drafted and had a nice NFL career.
March 18th Pro Days
- Baylor’s Bryce Petty is in contention to be the third QB selected in the draft, and showed off in front of 26 teams. Petty completed 69 of 77 passes with 5 drops, while taking every snap from under center to show teams he could make that small but significant transition. With the NFL’s need for quarterbacks, Petty is going to come off the board in the second round.
- Boise State’s Jay Ayaji is known for his bruising running style but caught everything that was thrown to him at his pro day. He seems like a good fit for a team like San Diego, who could be in the running back market.
- Georgia’s combine superstar WR Chris Conley stood on his athletic numbers from the combine, for good reason, but caught the ball very well and completed his meteoric rise on draft boards.
- Running back Todd Gurley was at the pro day but did not workout due to his ACL injury.
- Michigan State cornerback Trae Waynes stood on his 4.31 40 time but improved his short shuttle from 4.39 to 4.19. Waynes also looked good during his workout and should be the first or second cornerback selected.
- Running back Jeremy Langford didn’t get an opportunity to showcase his hands while playing for the Spartans and surprised some by making some really nice catches.
March 19th Pro Days
- Missouri’s expected top 10 pick, pass rusher Shane Ray was the main attraction at the Tigers pro day, but his 40 time of 4.68 was significantly lower than the times of Vic Beasley, Dante Fowler Jr, and Randy Gregory. Combined with the emergence of Kentucky’s Bud Dupree, I wouldn’t be surprised if Ray is one of the biggest sliders on draft day.
- Teammate Markus Golden was the other bookend on the Missouri 4-3 defensive line but his future may be as a 3-4 pass rusher, weighing in at 260 pounds and posting a 4.66 40 time.
- Stanford’s offensive tackle Andrus Peat looked good during his pass blocking and agility drills. Peat looks the part but his film, especially against Utah, raises some eyebrows.
- WR Ty Montgomery needed a good 40 time to show teams he’s faster than a 4.55, and he delivered a 4.46.
- Old Dominon’s Taylor Heinicke is a huge sleeper in this years quarterback class. A little undersized at 6’0 3/8 but a ripped 215 pounds, the former Monarch quarterback did it all in front of NFL scouts. The main concern about Heinicke, besides height, was his arm strength and he was able to make every throw that was asked of him on Thursday. He may not go in the first four rounds, but he will make a roster and make a coaching staff look good.
- William and Mary’s WR Tre McBride stood on his combine 40 time and caught everything thrown to him at his pro day.
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