Thread: Pro Day Reports

Figured we could share pro day results here and report good or bad showings. I'll start with a blog post about Utah's Pro Day.

Smith, Kruger and others like pro day showings
Several of Utah's football stars, technically now former players, put themselves on display for more than 25-plus representatives from NFL teams Monday.

The most notable person in the crowd watching the players was Carolina Panthers GM Marty Hurney. Could there be another Ute headed for the Panthers? It could happen, particularly if Carolina makes some moves for a better draft position and Sean Smith is available. Course, the other possibility is that Paul Kruger could be there in the second/third rounds as many mock drafts have him.

Most of the other reps in attendance were area scouts who clocked, measured and judged the players for several hours. Among the onlookers were some former Utes, including Eric Weddle and Martail Burnett.

Both Smith and Kruger were happy with their showings. Smith ran a 4.43 in the 40 and Kruger was at a 4.8. Both said they were more comfortable Monday, as opposed to their experience at the combine.

"It's the same kind of atmosphere so I knew what to expect," Smith said. "I tried to help some of the other guys understand what we are going through."

Smith described his time training in Florida as "all work, a little play." He's down from his Utah playing weight of 214 to 209 and expects he'll go as a corner, not a safety.
"After the combine, that's what they're saying, that they're considering me a corner first," he said.

Kruger was happy with his performance and will stay in Utah until the draft, except when he is on the road for interviews and workouts. He has a visit with the Bills scheduled and is talking to Miami.
"I'm glad this part is over," he said. "There is a lot of pressure."

The other notable performance of the day was by corner Brice McCain, who ran a 4.24. With that kind of speed a team might take a chance on McCain.

Quarterback Brian Johnson, who has been working out in Park City along with Freddie Brown, Robert Conley and Bradon Godfrey, among others, threw for scouts with the goal of showing he could throw the long ball well.

Johnson knows he is an underdog, once again.
"I'm hoping to land on a team, but I know it's a grind and something I have to fight for," he said. "I have to prove myself."

Brown ran a 4.57 and was overall happy with his day.
"I think the training we did at altitude helped a lot," he said.

The player who had the worst day was defender Greg Newman, who injured his left hamstring warming up for the 40. He was obviously upset, but maybe he did enough in the earlier tests to entice a team to give him a good look.

Up next is spring practice, starting tomorrow. Hard to believe it's time for spring practice with the blizzard we're currently having!

http://blogs.sltrib.com/utes/2009/03...ke-pro-day.htm

The University of Utah pro day was held today in Salt Lake City, with 13 players working out and 21 NFL teams represented. Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Ron Meeks was among the attendees, as were defensive backfield coaches from the Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions and a defensive line coach from the Seattle Seahawks.

The pro day was held indoors on FieldTurf.

Many eyes were on CB Sean Smith and DE Paul Kruger, though Brice McCain might have stolen the show with his 40-yard dash times, which were faster than any cornerback’s time at the NFL combine.

McCain, who measured in at 5-foot-9 and 181 pounds, ran times of 4.33 and 4.34 seconds in the 40-yard dash. He had a 36 1/2-inch vertical and a 10-foot-3 broad jump. He did not do any lifting, but he looked very good in position drills.

Nicholls State’s Lardarius Webb turned in the fastest time for cornerbacks at the combine at 4.46 seconds.

Smith measured in at 6-3 1/2 and 209 pounds. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.47 and 4.49 seconds. He had a 32-inch vertical and a 9-5 broad jump. He participated in position drills but did not do any shuttle drills, save for the 60-yard shuttle.

Kruger, at 6-4 1/2 and 260 pounds, ran 40 times of 4.80 and 4.79. He had a 32-inch vertical leap and a 9-1 broad jump, and he did 22 repetitions of 225 pounds on the bench press. He did not participate in shuttle drills.

K Louie Sakoda and QB Brian Johnson were among other notable players working out.

Sakoda measured in at 5-8 3/4 and 174 pounds. He kicked off for interested teams but did not do any drills.

Johnson, at 6-0 5/8 and 211 pounds, ran the 40 in 4.88 and 4.89 seconds. He had a 28½-inch vertical and an 8-6 broad jump. He ran the three-cone drill in 4.41 seconds and the 20-yard shuttle in 7.09 seconds.

– Gil Brandt

http://blogs.nfl.com/2009/03/09/cb-m...-utah-pro-day/

There are a bunch of blog posts about various Pro Days that have taken place so far at NFL.com: http://blogs.nfl.com/category/pro-days/

There are already too many to post them all here, but here are a select few...

WACO, Texas — When you get on the main street leading into Baylor University, you immediately see the signs directing visitors to the football team’s pro-day workouts. That’s what happens when you have a top draft pick in your midst.

Representatives from 15 NFL teams attended today’s workout, including three offensive line coaches — Andy Hecht (Jacksonville), Paul Alexander (Cincinnati), and Mike Solari (Seattle). The main attraction was offensive tackle Jason Smith, projected to be a top-10 draft pick next month.

Smith was one of 12 players participating — 11 from Baylor and one player from nearby Mary Harden Baylor University. Baylor passed out a helpful information packet on its 11 players, complete with contact information for agents and where to reach the players on draft day.

Pro day was well organized. Players ran outdoors on grass. The overall event took a little over two hours, followed by extra time in which the three NFL line coaches worked out Smith and fellow Baylor OL Dan Gay.

Smith did position drills but stood on his combine numbers for the other drills. Gay participated at the combine but did everything Tuesday morning in hopes of improving his numbers.

Gay measured in at 6-foot-4 and 303 pounds. He ran the 40-yard dash in 5.48, running with the wind. He had a 24 ½-inch vertical jump, a 7-foot, 1 ½-inch broad jump, a 5.40-second short-shuttle run, a 8.47-second 3-cone drill, and he did 20 repetitions on the bench press.

All 15 NFL reps in attendance will be at Texas A&M’s pro day Wednesday morning.

The St. Louis Rams, who have the second overall pick in the draft, will be back in Waco on March 12 for a private workout with Smith.
Prospect updates

» Missouri WR Jeremy Maclin, who hurt his knee at the combine, has been cleared by Birmingham, Ala., specialist Dr. James Andrews to do all workouts.

» Ole Miss OT Michael Oher has changed agents, leaving Bus Cook and signing with James Sexton.

– Gil Brandt

http://blogs.nfl.com/2009/03/03/smit...ylors-pro-day/

Stephen McGee.

Remember this name because he could be a real sleeper in next month’s draft:

Certainly the 17 NFL scouts and one coach who showed up at Texas A&M’s pro day will remember the quarterback and his workout. The Aggies held their pro day on Wednesday, but it actually began with meet-and-greets Tuesday night at Wings-n-More in College Station, where scouts had an opportunity to conduct personal player interviews as well as ask questions of the A&M coaching staff.

The only non-scout at the pro day was Jaguars quarterbacks coach Mike Shula, who put McGee through QB drills. And let me tell you, McGee looked outstanding.

McGee, who ran the second-fastest 40 among quarterbacks at the combine (4.66), measured 6-2 7/8 and weighed 222 pounds, down 3 from his combine weigh-in.

Watch out for this kid on draft day.

Among the 14 players who worked out for scouts:

* Running back Mike Goodson (5-11 ¾, 212 pounds) ran the 40 in 4.43 and 4.47 seconds and did positional drills for the scouts. His 40 times might be inflated a little because A&M is one of three schools (Wisconsin and Ohio State are the others) to lay down a rubber surface over the top of their indoor field turf, which can result in quicker times. Goodson ran a 4.54 40 at the combine, the seventh-fastest among running backs in Indy two weeks ago.

* Defensive end Michael Bennett (6-2 7/8, 222) ran two 40s, both in 4.86 seconds, and had a vertical of 36.5 inches. The vertical jump event was conducted by A&M coaches.

* Punter Justin Brantly (6-3 3/8, 247 pounds) looked pretty good in his workout.

* Cornerback Danny Gorrer (5-11 5/8, 185 pounds) ran the 40 in 4.42 and 4.40 seconds, had a 35.5-inch vertical, a 9-foot 5-inch broad jump, and a 6.90-second 3-cone drill. He slipped in his short shuttle and no time was recorded.

– Gil Brandt

http://blogs.nfl.com/2009/03/04/aggi...as-am-pro-day/

There were 28 teams represented at Wisconsin’s pro day. The Badgers’ NFL prospects ran on FieldTurf. Wisconsin did not put a rubber matting across the field like it did last year.

Two position coaches — Carolina’s offensive line coach Dave Magazu and Jaguars tight ends coach Mike Tice — were in attendance. A total of 11 players worked out and they all ran position drills.

Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema spent a great deal of time answering questions prior to the workout and was very helpful.

* Running back P.J. Hill measured in at 5-foot-10 1/8, 218 pounds. It is the lighest he’s been since junior high school. He ran 4.65 and 4.63 in the 40-yard dash. He had a 37-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot 2-inch broad jump. He ran a 4.24 in the short shuttle and had a 7.09 in the three-cone drill. He had 16 bench press reps.

* Tight end Travis Beckum checked in at 6-2 3/4, 239 pounds. He ran a 4.61 and 4.63 in the 40-yard dash as well as recording a 9-foot 10-inch broad jump. He had a 38.5 inch vertical, a 4.10 short shuttle and a 7.05 three-cone drill. He did not lift.

* Guard Kraig Urbik came in at 6-5 3/8, 328 pounds. He ran 5.30 and 5.25 in the 40 and tallied a 4.75 second short shuttle. He did not run the three-cone drill. He put up a 25.5-inch vertical jump and an 8-foot 2-inch broad jump. He did not lift.

* Guard Andy Kemp was measured at 6-4 3/4, 306 pounds. He ran 5.35 and 5.38 in the 40 and had a 7-foot 11-inch broad jump. He also put up a 27.5-inch vertical jump and ran the short shuttle in 4.83 seconds.

* Defensive end Matt Shaungnessy checked in at 6-5 1/8, 263 pounds. He ran a 4.86 40, but did not do any other drills.

* Linebacker Jonathan Casillas is injured and did not work out, nor did linebacker DeAndre Levy. They will work out on April 2.

* OL Eric VandenHeuvel, who declined a combine invitation, has made the decision to attend medical school rather than pursue a career in the NFL.

– Gil Brandt

http://blogs.nfl.com/2009/03/04/wisc...t-runs-decent/

The scouts just love going to Missouri’s pro day. They get lunch, the people are ultra friendly and it’s just a great stop. This year there are also several Tigers prospects worth watching. The offensive stars — QB Chase Daniel, TE Chase Coffman and WR Jeremy Maclin — will work out March 19, but a number of the defensive players ran drills.

One player who performed really well was S William Moore. He looked good in his positional drills and was impressive overall. He measured in at 6-foot and a 1/2-inch, 221 pounds. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.51 and 4.49 seconds and the three-cone drill in 6.94 seconds. He also posted a 10-foot, 6-inch broad jump.

Defensive tackle Evander ‘Ziggy’ Hood kept his 40 time from the combine, but did do the other drills. He ran the short shuttle in 4.45 seconds and the three-cone drill in 7.32 seconds. He had 35 reps in the bench press, jumped 34 1/2 inches in the vertical and leaped 9-feet, 8-inches in the broad jump.

Defensive end Stryker Sulak kept all of his combine numbers and did position drills.

Linebacker Brock Christopher checked in at 6-1 5/8, 238 pounds. He ran the 40 in 4.92 and 4.93 seconds, the short shuttle in 4.34 seconds and the three-cone drill in 7.32 seconds, as well as having a 32-inch vertical jump, a 9-foot broad jump and 20 bench press reps.

– Gil Brandt

http://blogs.nfl.com/2009/03/05/miss...at-atmosphere/

He entered college as a 236-pound (with his clothes wet) freshman. He left a well-chiseled 290-pound NFL prospect.

And now TCU C Blake Schlueter, who was not invited to last month’s scouting combine, might just have gotten himself into the latter rounds of April’s NFL draft with a pro-day workout on Friday morning that really opened some eyes.

The 40 scouts from all 32 teams came to see a pair of combine invites, linebacker Jason Phillips and strong safety Stephen Hodge. They left talking about Schlueter.

Schlueter (6-2 3/8, 290 pounds) ran the 40-yard dash in 4.7 seconds, had a 35-inch vertical jump, a 9-foot-3-inch long jump, a 4.28-second short shuttle, and a 7.42-second three-cone drill.

He reminds me of Colts C Jeff Saturday when Saturday came out of North Carolina. Same body build, although Schlueter is a little faster. A pure athlete, everything you want out of a center … except maybe size.

I don’t know if a 290-pound guy can play center in the NFL, but he was 236 when he came to TCU and still has room to grow. Probably moved into the seventh round with his performance on Friday. The guy’s a football player.

Schlueter’s an interesting fellow, too. His position coach at TCU, Eddie Williamson, told me he’s from a one-stoplight town named Ganado, Texas. Williamson remembers visiting the area — he goes to every corner of Texas to recruit — in 1999 and asked if they had anyone with D-I potential. Everyone had the same answer: no, but there’s this kid in the ninth grade you should keep your eye on and follow.

That kid was Schlueter, who ended up committing to TCU very early and kept his promise to the university even though he had multiple offers by the time he was a senior. That says a lot about him, that he would honor his word in this day and age.

Friday’s pro day at TCU was run with precision. One of the most efficient and well-organized pro days I’ve seen. I don’t even know if the Pentagon is that well organized.

C.O. Brocato, the Tennessee Titans’ national supervisor of college scouting, orchestrated the event, and it took all of 1 hour and 50 minutes. Everyone was served breakfast by TCU’s End Zone Club, and we were off and running by 8 a.m. on the FieldTurf of TCU’s beautiful new indoor facility. By the way, 10 years ago the Horned Frogs’ facilities — when LaDainian Tomlinson was there — were probably in the bottom 10 percent; now they’re in top 10 percent, and coach Gary Patterson and a generous alumni should be thanked for that.

Among those in attendance were Chargers senior executive Randy Mueller, Panthers GM Marty Hurney, Steelers special assistant Joe Greene, Broncos scouting consultant Cornell Green and Deion Sanders, who brought eight prospects from his Prime U. training program to witness how the pro-day process works.

Thirteen players worked out, but Phillips wasn’t among them. The linebacker revealed for the first time that he has a torn meniscus, an injury he believes he suffered at the combine last month.

Hodge, who measured 5-foot-11 5/8 and weighed 233 pounds, only participated in the broad jump, in which he had a leap of 10-feet, 2 inches.

Linebacker Robert Henson (6-0 1/8, 240) ran the 40 in 4.7 seconds, had a 35-inch vertical jump, a 9-foot-11 long jump, a 4.62-second short shuttle and a 7.38-second three-cone drill. Henson, one of Sanders’ Prime U. guys, seems to have another drill down pat, the old schmooze drill. He walked around and introduced himself to all the scouts in attendance, much to Deion’s liking.

– Gil Brandt

http://blogs.nfl.com/2009/03/06/tcus...consideration/

Georgia Tech’s pro day took place today in Atlanta, and officials from 26 NFL teams attended. That included two head coaches — the Carolina Panthers’ John Fox and the Atlanta Falcons’ Mike Smith.

The players ran outdoors on a very low FieldTurf surface, which produced faster-than-normal times.

Georgia Tech DE Michael Johnson was one of the hottest names at the pro day. Johnson, who has been projected as high as a middle to late first-round pick in mock drafts, looked very good working out as a down lineman and a linebacker. He showed he could drop into coverage and play in space.

Johnson measured in at 6-foot-6 7/8 and 266 pounds, and he had 40-yard dash times of 4.61 and 4.64 seconds. He did 23 repetitions on the bench press at 225 pounds, and he turned in a time of 7.42 seconds in the three-cone drill. He did not participate in the vertical jump or the 20- or 60-yard shuttle.

An offensive line coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers helped work out Georgia Tech OT Andrew Gardner. The lineman, who measured 6-6 1/4 and 305 pounds, ran the 40 in 4.99 and 4.96 seconds. He had a 30 1/2-inch vertical, an 8-11 broad jump, a 4.70-second 20-yard shuttle time and a 7.51-second three-cone drill time. He decided not to participate in the bench press.

Other notable Georgia Tech players who attended the combine included:

» Jahi Word-Daniels: The cornerback, who measured in at 6-0 1/8 and 191 pounds, had 40 times of 4.59 and 4.64 seconds. He had a 38-inch vertical leap and a 6.83-second time in the three-cone drill, but he didn’t participate in any other drills because of a left groin problem.

» Vance Walker: The defensive tackle measured in at 6-1 5/8 and 304 pounds, but he didn’t participate in any drills because of a right hamstring injury.

» Darryl Richard: The defensive tackle, who came in at 6-2 1/2 and 297 pounds, didn’t run the 40-yard dash, but he did everything else. He had a 26-inch vertical and put up 19 reps on the bench press. He had an 8-1 broad jump and times of 8.14 seconds in the three-cone drill and 4.97 seconds in the 20-yard shuttle.

» Tony Clark: The safety, who’s also being looked at for special teams, measured in at 6-0 1/2 and 207 pounds. His times in the 40 were 4.53 and 4.58 seconds, and he put up 17 reps on the bench press. He had a 32 1/2-inch vertical leap and was clocked at 6.98 seconds in the three-cone drill. His times in the 20- and 60-yard shuttle drills were 4.28 and 9.10 seconds, respectively.

– Gil Brandt


Johnson's measurables are tough to overlook.... I still wouldnt touch him in the first 2 rounds.

Wish Walker wouldn't have a hamstring injury. Would have liked to see how he performed.

thread is stickied lets post all reports in this thread please..

McGee is a gem. I've been saying that whoever uses a 5th round pick on the kid will be glad they did.

Alabama’s Smith does not post stellar numbers
Posted: March 11th, 2009 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: Alabama, Andre Smith

Andre Smith, one of the top offensive tackle prospects in this year’s draft, said he was relying on Alabama’s pro day to make up for the disappearing act he put on at the combine. Well, his times were not overly impressive, but he did at least work out.

Smith measured in at 6-foot-4 ¼, 325 pounds and ran the 40-yard dash in 5.28 and 5.33 seconds. He had a 25-inch vertical, a 7-foot, 10-inch broad jump, a 7.88-second three-cone drill and 19 bench press reps at 225 pounds. His short shuttle time is still to come as are the times from his Alabama teammates.

To put Smith’s workout in perspective, he did not post a single number that would have placed him in the top performers at his position at the combine and many of his numbers were not even close to the top 10 at his position at the combine.

http://blogs.nfl.com/2009/03/11/earl...not-promising/


DB coaches come to see Western Michigan’s Delmas
Posted: March 11th, 2009 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: Delaware, Louis Delmas, Western Michigan

Here are a couple of pro day updates from yesterday and one from this morning:

Western Michigan
There were 21 NFL teams represented at Tuesday’s pro day. With safety Louis Delmas as the main attraction, there were defensive backfield coaches from Detroit, Jacksonville, Carolina and New Orleans. The Lions had DB coach Tim Walton and assist DB coach Deron Roberts on hand. The 15 prospects ran indoors on FieldTurf and did the vertical and long jumps in the weight room.

Delmas ran position drills as well as a 60-yard shuttle. Otherwise, he stood on his numbers from the combine.

Londen Fryar, a 5-foot-10 ¾, 195-pound CB, ran the 40 in 4.59 and 4.67 seconds, had a 35 ½-inch vertical jump, 10-foot long jump, 4.28 short shuttle, 6.81 three-cone drill and 17 reps in the bench press.

Jamarko Simmons, a 6-1 ¾, 231-pound WR, ran the 40 in 4.50 and 4.53 seconds, had a 33-inch vertical jump, 9-foot, 11-inch long jump, 4.39 short shuttle, 7.09 three-cone drill, and 19 reps in the bench press.

Delaware
Panthers GM Marty Hurney was among the representatives from six NFL teams at Tuesday’s pro day, which featured 10 prospects from Delaware, one from Delaware State and two from tiny Wesley University (including an intriguing return specialist). Players ran outdoors, with temperature in the low 40s and a light a wind.

Ronald Talley, a 6-3 ½, 282-pound DL who transferred to Delaware from Notre Dame, ran the 40 in 5.00 and 5.02, had a 32 ½-inch vertical jump, 9-foot, 4-inch long jump, 4.48 short shuttle, 7.47 three-cone drill, and 19 reps in the bench press.

Larry Beavers, a 5-10, 167-pound WR/KR from Wesley, ran the 40 in 4.37 and 4.43, had a 37-inch vertical jump, 10-foot, 1-inch long jump, 4.40 short shuttle, and 7.27 three-cone drill. Beavers was a phenomenal return specialist for Wesley — he had 10 career kickoff returns for touchdowns and three punt return TDs.

Central Washington
Central Washington’s contingent of two players at the combine doubled the number of players from the University of Miami (Fla.) at the combine — and they doubled the number of NFL scouts that came to see them at pro day. Due to heavy snow, there was just one NFL scout on hand — the one who happened to get to town the night before! Prospects ran on an indoor rubber track with spikes (fast), and did drills on the basketball court.

Mike Reilly, a 6-3, 212-pound QB, ran the 40 in 4.74 and 4.75, had a 32 ½-inch vertical jump, and 9-foot long jump.

Jared Bronson, a 6-3 7/8, 254-pound TE, stood on his 40 times at the combine, had a 33-inch vertical jump, 9-foot, 8-inch long jump, and 21 reps in the bench press.

– Gil Brandt

http://blogs.nfl.com/category/pro-days/

Big 'Dre could fall to us.

Im fine with Harris Although I wouldnt be upset if Denver drafted the best Tackle in the draft 2 years straight... esspecially if it was between him or rey.

Originally Posted by EMB6903

Im fine with Harris Although I wouldnt be upset if Denver drafted the best Tackle in the draft 2 years straight... esspecially if it was between him or rey.

Especially the caliber player Andre Smith is. The best run blocking tackle to come out in quite some time.