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 fifth week of pro days.
March 30th Pro Days
- One of the more intriguing players in the draft is Samford safety Jaquiski Tartt comes in at 6’1 3/8 and 218 pounds, and is known for his physical style near the line of scrimmage. At his pro day, Tartt ran the 40 in 4.53 and 4.47 seconds. He also moved around very well and showed good hands. He is expected to come off the board in the middle of the second round.
- South Alabama QB Brandon Bridge is very similar to last years developmental quarterback, Virginia Tech’s Logan Thomas. Bridge stands in at nearly 6’5 and 230 pounds and has a cannon for an arm. He just needs a lot of time to get experience.
- Fellow Jaguar, tight end Wes Saxton stood on his numbers from the combine, and looked very good in his workout.
- Indiana running back Tevin Coleman will host a personal pro day on April 15th.
March 31st Pro Days
- Connecticut cornerback Byron Jones tore up the combine, including a world standing long jump record. Jones looked good at his pro day, catching the ball really well. The one concern about Jones is that he missed the majority of last season with a shoulder injury and will need to shed the injury prone label that some have given him.
- Florida State’s pro day was attended by more than 150 representatives of all 32 NFL teams, and for good reason. The stars were out on Tuesday.
- Cornerback Ronald Darby stood on his combine numbers but had a good workout and showed a strong nose for tracking the ball in the air.
- Defensive tackle Mario Edwards Jr, weighed in nearly 20 pounds less than his listed playing weight at FSU (294 to 274), but had a good day and may have helped his stock a good deal.
- Center Cameron Erving struggled last season at tackle before really settling in and reinventing the Seminoles offensive line. He performed at both positions and looked good doing so.
- Defensive tackle Eddie Goldman also looked good during his pro day at 335 pounds. He could compete with Washington’s Danny Shelton and Texas’s Malcom Brown for the first defensive tackle selected.
- Quarterback Jameis Winston went through a 102 scripted play workout. Winston had his moments where he struggled, including leaving a WR into the ESPN set. However, he has all the physical tools that you would want in a QB and should be the number one pick by Tampa Bay.
April 1st Pro Days
- South Carolina guard A.J. Cann was excellent during his positional workout and has great phone-booth quickness. He’s also strong as an ox and will make a downhill rushing team very happy.
- Running back Mike Davis stood on his combine numbers and caught the ball incredibly well during his positional workout.
- Miami’s Phillip Dorsett blew through the 40 with times of 4.25 and 4.27. His speed has some teams salivating and I’ll be surprised if he lasts past the first round.
- Linebacker Denzel Perryman put up 30 reps on the bench press but pulled his hamstring during his 40 attempt and could not go during the positional drills.
- Tight end Clive Walford did not run, but went through the position drills and caught the ball really well. Wouldn’t be surprised if he came off the board in the second round.
- Offensive tackle Ereck Flowers dropped 5 pounds to improve his quickness and it showed. His dedication to the process will be important in his draft stock, and could sneak in the top 15 picks.
- Running back Duke Johnson is quietly moving up boards and has incredible balance and agility and could be a nice constolation prize from teams who miss on Melvin Gordon or Todd Gurley.
March 2nd Pro Days
- Maryland WR Stefon Diggs came in to College Park as a highly touted prospect, and after three injury prone but explosive years declared for the draft. At his pro day, Diggs showcased his speed and really impressed catching the ball. If he can stay healthy Diggs will make an immediate impact for a team.
- Washington defensive tackle Danny Shelton is a mountain of a man at 338 and he looked solid during his workout. He could go as high as number seven to Chicago.
- Linebacker/Safety Shaq Thompson did not run a 40, but had another good position workout. Thompson’s position may be up for debate but he’s a baller and will succeed wherever he’s playing.
- Cornerback Marcus Peters was the star of the workout though, he looked great moving around and has great hips and hands. His stock never really dropped too much after being dismissed from the team, and it could be on the rise after his performance today.
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