I don’t put a ton of stock into Pro Days. All I care about is 40 times for players who didn’t run at The Combine, seeing quarterbacks throw who didn’t run at The Combine, and weigh ins. If a player runs a 4.4 at his combine and then a 4.5 at his Pro Day, I don’t much, if any, stock into it because Pro Day 40 times are known for being a bit shotty. I only use Pro Day 40 times if the player didn’t run at his Combine and even then I take it with a grain of salt.
WR David Gettis- Baylor UP
Yes, I don’t put much into 40 times, but Gettis showed nice consistency running a 4.39 after running a 4.47 at The Combine. Pretty impressive when you consider he’s 6-3 216. He also has a 10’4″ broad jump. He didn’t do much on the field last year, or ever for that matter, but Al Davis could still be interested in the 3rd. For alive owners, he’s a 6th or 7th round prospect. But he wasn’t even on my radar before his Pro Day.
S Jordan Lake- Baylor DOWN
Lake wasn’t invited to The Combine so he needed a big day to get drafted. A 4.79 at 6-1 (1 inch shorter than listed) 209 with a mere 30 inch vertical didn’t do him any favors. I’d be surprised if he got drafted.
WR Naaman Roosevelt – Buffalo DOWN
I still would draft him if given the chance, but a 4.60 at 6-0 189 doesn’t help him. He could have trouble getting drafted now, after a down year last year, but I like his hands and his upside. He could be a decent slot guy at the next level.
QB John Skelton- Fordham UP
Having never gotten the chance to see him play at Fordham, getting to watch Skelton throw at his Combine was pretty impressive. I have heard the hype around him, but was conservative in my grading of him, a small school kid, until I actually say what he had. The only thing he appeared to struggle with was deep accuracy, but he has a huge arm and showed nice touch and footwork on his short throws.
TE Colin Peek- Alabama DOWN
He’s a great blocker, but weighing in at just 252 pounds hurts and so does running a 4.93 40. He also only benched 19 reps of 225. He needed a good Pro Day to keep his status as the top blocking tight end in the class, with guys like Mike Hoomanawanui and Nate Byham impressing at the Senior Bowl and Combine. Peek did not do that and he could slip as a result. That slip could be pretty significant given his position as a run blocking tight end. That could be a 2 round slip.
CB Brian Burney- Colorado UP
Put himself on the map with a 4.38 40 at 5-11 202 and a 39 inch vertical. I don’t think he’ll be much at the next level, but he has upside and you can do a lot worse than that in the 7th round. Most likely he’ll go undrafted and get an invite to camp and a chance to win a 4th cornerback job.
DE Alex Daniels- Cincinnati UP
A good job of putting on weight, 265 pounds, and still being fast, 4.55. However, I have to take that with a grain of salt. Something seemed up with Cincinnati’s 40 times at their Pro Day. Gilyard ran a whole .1 faster than at his combine, Ricardo Matthews ran a 4.80 at 6-2 290 and Aaron Webster ran a 4.48 at 6-1 207. Something seemed up with those. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time. All that being said, I’ll increase his stock a little. He should be a solid nickel rusher in the NFL.
OT Anthony Davis– Rutgers DOWN
How can I lower his stock if he didn’t do anything? Well simply that, he did nothing. He didn’t show up to his Pro Day, canceling at the last minute (Andre Smith anyone?). He needed to be in shape for his Pro Day after showing up out of shape to The Combine, but he didn’t even show up to the Pro Day, probably because he was even more out of shape. This show he lacks commitment (bailing at the last minute) and work ethic (being out of shape). Neither of those things are good for an offensive lineman. This guy might as well have BUST stamped across his forehead.
RB Keith Totson- Oklahoma State UP
Normally I don’t pay much attention to improved 40 times, but Totson also lost 7 pounds, from 212 to 205, and as a result of that ran a tenth of a second faster. I like the work ethic and discipline so I’ll move him back up a little.
C Kevin Matthews- Texas A&M UP
Football is in his blood (his dad is Hall of Fame center Bruce Matthews) and he looked the part of Bruce Matthews’s son at his Pro Day looking really good in positional drills. In a weak center class, Matthews could get himself drafted.
CB Jordan Pugh- Texas A&M UP
Already a very intriguing late round prospect in my eyes, as one of the most underrated cornerbacks in the Big 12, Pugh really caught my eye with a 4.44 40 at 5-10 196. I’m hoping others took notice too. He looked good in positional drills too, but that didn’t surprise me as much as the time.
RB Deji Karim- Southern Illinois UP
One thing I do like about Pro Days, watching guys I’ve never heard of. Southern Illinois’ Deji Karim had 1694 yards on a 7.4 YPC and 18 touchdowns last year, albeit for a small school, and then he came out and ran a 4.37 at 5-9 210 and then looked very good in his positional drills. He’s an interesting late round prospect with his combination of size, speed, and production. He also caught 17 passes last year, another plus.
CB Rafael Priest– TCU DOWN
Didn’t run because of his foot injury. He’s still a favorite sleeper of mine, but I was expecting his foot to be healed by now.
G Brandon Carter- Texas Tech UP
This is what I like to see. Ran a poor 5.36 at his Combine, so he lost 10 pounds and then ran a 5.24. A 5.24 at 6-6 319 isn’t overly impressive, and for an offensive lineman 40 times barely matter, but I love the dedication and commitment to football. Overall he has lost about 30 pounds in the last 2 years, showing good dedication to get into shape and stop being overweight.
RLB Jan Jorgensen- BYU DOWN
Yikes! Already undersized at 256, Jorgensen ran a 4.93 at his Pro Day. With only 6.5 sacks last year and a poor size/speed combination, he’s a long shot to get drafted.
CB Traye Simmons- Minnesota DOWN
Ran a 4.58 at 5-9 180. No scout wants to see that, me included, especially for someone on the fringe of being drafted. He still has some things I like that he brings to the table, but I don’t see it as enough.
CB Devin Ross- Arizona DOWN
Basically the same story as Simmons, but worse with a 4.63 (after a 4.56 at his Combine) at 5-10 183. He could still get drafted, but the thing I liked most about him, seeing him last year, was his fluidity and athletic upside. Not anymore.
TE Scott Sicko- New Hampshire UP
I love him as a late round sleeper out of small school New Hampshire, but he had some issues with size in the past, being about 240 at New Hampshire. He was 251 at his Pro Day (plenty big) and still ran a 4.53 with a 35 inch vertical and looked comfortable in the drills playing with that weight.
RLB Thaddeus Gibson- Ohio State UP
Normally I don’t pay much attention to improved 40 times, but I will take notice if there is a significant increase or decrease for someone. Gibson is a 243 pound pass rusher who has to play rush linebacker because of his size, so the 4.71 he ran at The Combine, though not too far off from his projected time of mid to late 4.6, was not good enough for even early Day 3 consideration. Now, after his 4.58 40 time, I can see him more fitting that role as a rush linebacker in the NFL and for that reason, he could be a 5th or even a 4th rounder given the need for athletic fluid rush linebackers to play the 3-4. I do still have some concerns about his ability to switch positions and his production on the field last year wasn’t great. He had have 45 tackles and 13 tackles for loss, but only 4 sacks.
CB Akwasi Owusu-Ansah- Indiana of Pennsylvania UP
First of all, how did his parents name him, hit random keys on a keyboard (or typewriter, considering his birth date)? Second of all, there’s an Indiana in Pennsylvania? What? All that aside, AOA is a very athletic cornerback with good speed and amazing kick returning ability. His 4.31 40 time, a major improvement over his 4.43 from the Combine, shows more of that amazing speed we were expecting from him. He could get drafted in the 4th on upside and he’s certainly one of the more intriguing small school mid round prospects. He averaged 29.7 yards per return on kick returns last year and 12.5 yards per return on punt returns. He also scored 5 special team touchdowns
S Morgan Burnett- Georgia Tech UP
Burnett didn’t work out at the Combine, so he needed a strong Pro Day. A 4.42 40 at 6-1 209 and a 39.5 inch vertical show his athletic potential. He could be a late 1st round or early 2nd round pick in any other year, but this is one of the strongest safety classes in the last ten years so he could fall to the late 2nd. Still, these measurables but him in the running, in a big way, with Nate Allen and Chad Jones to be the 4th safety off the board.
CB Joe Haden– Florida UP
Turns out that 4.57 40 from his Combine was a result of a sore back. Haden ran a 4.43 40 at his Pro Day, in the rain nonetheless, so I’ll move him back to his Pre-Combine status. He’s still, by far, my top cornerback.
MLB Brandon Spikes– Florida DOWN
He had looked slow this year in games, but I was waiting to see him run a 40 before I called him slow because he has run 4.6s in the past. I thought the projected 4.75 was outrageous. Turns out it was, outrageously low that is. Spikes ran a 5.03 at Florida’s Pro Day. He was regarded as slow and complacent before his Pro Day and he certainly did nothing but back either of those things up. He’s now solely a 3-4 middle linebacker and could slip out of the 2nd day all together. No one wants a middle linebacker that slow and complacent. He has upside, but he no longer appears to care.
QB Tim Tebow– Florida UP
He didn’t look great in terms of throwing delivery at his Pro Day, but he certainly, mechanically looked a ton better than he did in the Senior Bowl and all last season. In fact, the work he has made on his throw is a huge testament to his amazing work ethic and love of the sport. He’s still a project and far from a finished project, but he has good upside and I think he has the work ethic to fulfill it. I don’t see why some places regard him as less than a 2nd round prospect.
CB Donovan Warren- Michigan DOWN
Didn’t look great at his Pro Day, running a 4.62 and struggled in drills some as well. I still am very high on him and his shutdown skills, but it doesn’t look like a lot of people agree with me.
RLB Jason Worilds- Virginia Tech UP
I rarely care when a player runs a faster 40 at his Pro Day than his Combine, but Worilds’ 4.47 makes me take notice. He ran a very solid 4.61 at his Combine, but a 4.47 at 6-1 254 puts him on a completely different level. He didn’t do much last year, but he has experience playing rush linebacker and has amazing athleticism. His athleticism is right behind that of Jason Pierre Paul and Sergio Kindle and his production was only slightly less than either of there’s. He could sneak into the 2nd round, but, like Kindle and JPP, I have him ranked lower than he could go because I like to see a player actually produce on the college level before I use a pick in the first 3 rounds on him.
DE Greg Hardy– Mississippi UP
I think he saved his stock and may have put himself back into day two consideration at his Pro Day. He lost about 8 pounds (now at 277) and ran 4.79, .08 seconds faster. He’s still talented and some teams may take this improvement and the lost weight as a sign of good things to come. I still have my doubts, but this helps.
WR Freddie Barnes- Bowling Green DOWN
Yikes! 4.67 40. 30.5 inch vertical. 8 foot 11 inch broad jump. He’s got good hands and he caught a metric shitton of balls (yes, that is a legit unit of measurement) last year, but he was doing it in an offense that bloated stats and he just did not look athletic at all at his Pro Day. He’s going to find the NFL very difficult. I can’t see him making the transition.
TE Rob Gronkowski– Arizona UP
There were rumors that, after back surgery that caused him to miss all of last season, he was still not healthy. I think he proved that wrong because, simply put, you can’t run a 4.65 at 6-6 258 with a bad back. The injury, and the rust that comes along with not playing a whole year because of injury, are still issues, but this guy could have been a first rounder if he had a good year this year and there’s no doubting he could be a steal for a team in the 2nd round. I think he’s clearly the 2nd best tight end in this draft class, at least in my mind, because of Dennis Pitta’s lack of elite athleticism and upside and Aaron Hernandez’s small frame and inability to run block.
QB Sam Bradford– Oklahoma UP
Bradford looked great in his Pro Day, showing the stronger arm that it was predicted he would have when he showed up 15-20 pounds heavier to The Combine. The Rams have not announced him as the #1 pick, saying they are going to wait until his private workout with them on the 19th, but I would be very surprised if he wasn’t the pick and they didn’t have a contract in place with him before draft day on the 22nd.
WR Dez Bryant– Oklahoma State NEUTRAL
Bryant’s measurables and workout in the positional drills, especially after basically a year off of football, were really impressive considering he was wearing brand new cleats that had not been broken in before. However, when you consider that the reason he did not have cleats is because he “forgot,” it’s hard to consider this pro day a success. He is known for having mental lapses on the field, and dropped a few catchable balls today, so forgetting something as important as your cleats cancels out the good that the strong workout did, especially when it’s something as important of your Pro Day after being suspended a whole year for something stupid. He really did not seem to get the importance of this day.
TE Fendi Onobun- Houston UP
A 4.45 40 at 6-6 252? Onobun should just buy a house in Oakland now as Al Davis is going to be targeting him in the late rounds. Who cares that the former Arizona basketball forward only caught 2 passes in his college career? a 4.45 at 6-6 252! In all seriousness, Onobun is a huge risk of a late round pick and has almost no football experience, but you can definitely see the upside. Most likely he’ll be undrafted if Al Davis chooses to pass on him, but could sign with a team and try to make their week 1 roster.
WR Carlton Mitchell- South Florida UP
Followed up a 4.49 at 6-3 215 at The Combine with a 4.40 on his Pro Day and he also looked to have good hands in the drills. He didn’t produce at an elite level in college, but he’s full of physical upside and merits a look in the 5th. Al Davis is going to have a hard time choosing between him and David Gettis (6-3 216 4.39) in the 3rd/4th round range. Mitchell is better than Gettis though, as he did have 40 catches for 706 yards and 4 catches last year.
S Michael Greco- Central Florida UP
He’s very raw and didn’t produce much last year but if a 4.31 at 6-3 230 can get Taylor Mays drafted in the first, than a 4.40 at 6-3 224 can get this raw strong safety drafted in the late rounds. Al Davis doesn’t need safeties this year, but he may consider Greco anyway.
DT Vince Oghobaase– Duke UP
A 5.29 forty was just the start, after a 5.43 at The Combine, but Oghobaase looked much healthier today than he did a month ago. He’s a first round talent when healthy, the issue is, with his injuries, past and present, he’s probably a 4th rounder.
K Garrett Lindholm- Tarleton State UP
Where is Tarleton State? Who cares! Level of competition doesn’t matter with kickers. If you can kick, you can kick anywhere. Lindholm nailed a 64 yarded last year and then went out on his Pro Day and nailed 3 of 4 from SIXTY PLUS YARDS!!! I normally am against drafting a kicker in the first 5 rounds, but this Sebastian Janikowski clone is an exception. Teams like the Bengals, Ravens, and Falcons, who desperately need kicking help, will consider him in the 5th and make him the first kicker off the board, even before highly hyped Alabama kicker Leigh Tiffin.
DT/3-4 DE Jay Ross- East Carolina DOWN
I don’t get this decision. Ross played all of his college career at 315-320 pounds. He played fine and could have been a nose tackle in the NFL and gotten drafted about 2 rounds earlier than if he had not been viewed as a nose tackle prospect. The weigh was not hampering his agility. Yet, he still decided to drop 13 pounds, to 302, which is not nose tackle size. It helped his 40 time, 4.99, but losing the ability to play that coveted position hurts his stock. Instead of 4th round range, he’s looking at 5th or 6th. I drop him from a late 3rd round prospect to a 5th.
NT Linval Joseph- East Carolina UP
Joseph was smart enough not to lose very much weight, dropping only to a very fit 319. He still has the size to play nose tackle. However, he was still able to drpp his already impressive 5.09 to 4.93. He proved himself to be one of the most agile big men in the country last year and is now clearly my #4 nose tackle. That could sneak him into round 2.
S Quentin Scott- Northern Iowa UP
What is with all of these incredibly athletic safety? Scott, who was nicknamed Taylor Mays by his teammates, but on an amazing show for all 2 of the scouts that came to watch Northern Iowa’s Pro Day with a 4.40 40 at 6-4 224. He is, according to many reports, a very hard hitter who isn’t completely inept in coverage so he could get drafted in the late rounds as a project. At first glance, he seems like a Michael Mitchell type player and he came out of nowhere to go in the 2nd round and it turns out multiple teams had 2nd or 3rd round grades on him. Keep on your eye on this kid.
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