Pro Day Rewind: That's A Wrap

We wrap up the Pro Day season with a week that, while it had fewer workouts, also contained one of the biggest of the year—USC’s Pro Day.

I was fortunate enough to attend two last week—USC’s outstanding workout as well as the sometimes overlooked, but no less important, Hawaii Pro Day, which was held in Carson, California.

But before we talk about the big dogs and my Los Angeles trip, let’s talk about some of the other schools and workouts.

TUESDAY

UCLA: Head Coach Rick Neuheisel is a long way from stealing any luster from the Bruins’ crosstown rivals. There aren’t too many players who will go in the NFL Draft and even then, they're not likely to go early.

Running back Kahlil Bell is one player who hopes to crack the second day. Bell stood on most of his Combine numbers, though he ran the 40 and jumped both the vertical and broad jumps. He ran a 4.75 and a 4.76, jumped a 32 inch vertical and a 9’5” broad. He looked solid in position drills, and that may get him onto a team. From there, he’s going to have to put his nose down and earn his spot. I think he could stick as a backup, but that may also be his ceiling.

Defensive tackle Bringham Hartwell didn’t get any all-star invites or an invite to the NFL Scouting Combine, but he didn’t let that stop him from putting his best foot forward. Hartwell benched 225 pounds 36 times, one short of the top amount benched by a lineman at the Combine. He also ran the 40 in 5.14 seconds. Like Bell, Hartwell has a long way to go to get picked up in the Draft.

Unfortunately, Bruin quarterback Ben Olson was unable to workout due to a foot injury. Their other quarterback, Patrick Cowan, is still recovering from ACL surgery and only did position drills where he threw passes.

WEDNESDAY

USC: On Wednesday, I was happy to be one of the credentialed media attending USC’s Pro Day. It was the second year in a row I have been at USC for this event and as always, it was a well-run and exciting day. As you can imagine, it was heavily attended by NFL personnel, including Saints coach Sean Payton who, with his defensive staff, took a hard look at ‘The Triplets’ – Rey Maualuga, Clay Matthews and Brian Cushing. Also present was 49ers head coach Mike Singletary, Lions head coach Jim Schwartz (who was fresh off a trip to Georgia where he watched Matthew Stafford on Tuesday), Vikings coach Brad Childress and multiple members of teams like Arizona, Carolina and Seattle. Very few teams were absent though some, like Denver, did not make the trip.

The workouts we all witnessed were impressive across the board. Not only for the potential four first round picks – quarterback Mark Sanchez joined the aforementioned Triplets – but also folks like Safety Kevin Ellison, wide receiver Patrick Turner and oft-forgotten, but still solid linebacker Kaluka Maiava.

Still, any discussion about USC starts with Sanchez. After the excellent performances Matthew Stafford put on at Georgia’s Pro Day and for the Lions on March 31st, Sanchez had to have a fantastic day to remain in the conversation for top quarterback in the 2009 Draft.

He did not disappoint. Sanchez threw upwards of 80 passes over about 45 minutes, the majority of which were scripted. However, at the end of his workout he took requests from the Detroit Lions to throw a few different ways. The former Trojan responded beautifully and without hesitation. Sanchez threw long passes, short passes, passes on the run, passes with a three-step drop, a five-step drop, against the wind, with the wind, and across the wind. He threw with perfect accuracy, tremendous velocity, and with a sense of purpose that was palpable as you watched his workout.

Of course, you cannot put to rest the one big question mark about Sanchez at a Pro Day, and that’s experience. Still, after having seen him in person and watching tons of tape, I have become less and less worried that the experience (or lack thereof) is a huge problem. Sanchez has all the tools and the intangibles (leadership, personality and work ethic) to be a success in the NFL. Is he better than Stafford? It's debatable. But I think he could develop into a fantastic quarterback and given that he had dinner with Jacksonville quarterback coach Mike Shula and was closely watched by everyone during his workout, I’m not the only one. In the right system, or with a team who can bring him along slowly (for instance, if he sat behind David Garrard for a year), the sky is the limit for him.

The other story on Wednesday was the outstanding workouts by the linebacking trio of Cushing, Matthews and Maualuga. Of the three, perhaps the biggest impression was made by Matthews.

Matthews has had to fight his way through his college career. Starting as a walk-on, he eventually became an important part of the USC team, especially on special teams. But as of the Pro Day, we can stop focusing on the walk-on story and start discussing his NFL prospects, which looks to be bright.

Matthews looked great in drills, showing good smoothness and fluidity as well as solid ball skills. He caught the ball nicely in drills and overall had a great workout. He added a 4.57 in the 40 to his day and that's not too shabby. In an interview with Matthews, he told me he was on his way to a workout with Atlanta on Saturday, then flying to meet with Denver, Cleveland and Tennessee.

Cushing also had an outstanding day. Cushing, to me, is a safe pick...a guy whose versatility and consistency could make him a contributor from day one on any defense. Cushing looked explosive and quick in his position drills, though he was a tad stiff in the hips at times. He made some great catches as well, including an eye-popping effort during which he had to fully extend his body to make a great catch, then landed and ran out the rest of the drill without missing a beat.

The New Jersey native also ran a 4.70 in the 40, though I saw some times from scouts at 4.68 and a 4.75. In speaking with Cushing, I was also impressed with his decision to head back home and his reasoning that he wanted to go back to work with his high school coach whom he said, “…really made me the player I am today”.

While I think Maualuga might have more playmaking upside and Matthews more untapped potential, Cushing will enter the NFL as an impact player immediately, an outstanding linebacker I would not be shocked to see in Pro Bowls shortly.

The final linebacker of the trio was Maualuga. Maualuga pulled a muscle at the Combine during his first 40 and was unable to do any position drills in Indianapolis. That was very much on his mind Wednesday as he ran his 40 yard dash after he did all the other drills. He told me that he wanted to make sure scouts and coaches saw everything he couldn’t show them in Indianapolis.

Maualuga may not have had the dynamic day Matthews and Cush did, but that doesn’t mean he performed badly. While he looked a little stiff at times, I thought he had a very solid workout.

By the way, that 40 clocked in at a 4.69 according to my stopwatch and looked very respectable next to his 4.43 shuttle and 7.22 three-cone. There were some concerns that while rehabbing Maualuga might gain some weight, which is really all about questions people (mostly media) have about his attitude and work ethic.

I say just because the guy moves to the beat of his own drummer doesn't mean he can't march. Maualuga can flat out play. In my opinion, he's a guy who will need to adjust in the Pros—go less for the big play and more for the basics during his initial year in the league. It will be a few years before teams turn him loose, which is similar to another standout USC defensive player from back in the day by the name of Junior Seau.

Seau used to make huge plays at USC...and whiffed on them at times as well. I'm not saying El Rey is Seau, but he could be and if Seau could adjust, so could Maualuga. In the right system (perhaps one involving Mike Singletary?) I think he could develop into a monster. Maualuga mentioned visiting with Atlanta and having several other teams on tap for visits and workouts.

All three of the linebackers should go in the first round and with Sanchez, April 25th could be a huge day for USC.

Other players of note: Safety Kevin Ellison has been battling the perception he isn’t quick enough to be a safety at the next level and that he might have to convert to linebacker. That may still be some teams’ perception, but several scouts I heard talking about him felt his 4.70 in the 40 along with a 4.15 short shuttle, 7.32 cone, and solid position workout will keep him at the safety spot. With the Triplets at linebacker getting all the glory, it’s easy to forget Kaluka Maiava, but teams shouldn’t. Maiava had a solid positional workout, showing his athleticism and range, as well as running a 4.68. Finally, wide receiver Patrick Turner had an outstanding workout, shagging balls for Sanchez and improving his draft stock considerably. Turner, who started off by running a 4.63 in the 40, made some very nice catches, including a great one at the sideline where he tiptoed along the line to make sure he completed the catch in bounds. He ran good routes and while he may not be a high draft pick, he will find a home and get a chance to catch on in camp. I think Turner could become a very solid receiver going forward.

Overall, it was yet another in a long line of well-attended, well-executed, and successful Pro Days for USC.

Thursday

Hawaii: The second stop in this week’s Pro Day tour was down in Carson, California for the University of Hawaii’s workout. While not the size of USC's, the day was still a well-attended, well-run event with several players whom scouts were keenly interested in.

Held at the Home Depot Center, Hawaii’s Pro Day was attended by about 30 scouts from teams such as Carolina, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Minnesota, Seattle and both New York teams.

It was held at two different locations on the Home Depot Center property. The timing and workout portion was held on a small, side field covered in Field Turf with a small tent set up for lifting weights. The positional drills were held a short distance away on a field also used, so the signs said, for David Beckham’s soccer camp.

We started out in a small meeting room where UH head coach Greg McMackin and associate head coach Rich Miano showed the scouts some highlight videos featuring the various players who would soon be working out. After that, the players’ heights and weights were recorded and we adjourned outside for the vertical, broad jump, and timing drills.

Defensive lineman David Veikune was certainly one of the main attractions for scouts on Thursday. While he stood on most of the results of his Combine performance, he did re-run the 40-yard dash. He ran a 4.80/4.81 in the 40, with 10-yard and 20-yard splits of 1.64/1.71 and 2.82/2.78 respectively.

Veikune also did positional drills and since there is some question as to just where he will fit in at the pro level, he drilled as an outside linebacker and worked some coverage as well. The scouts wanted to take a hard look at his footwork which was another reason he worked out as a linebacker.

Veikune may have to make the switch to a linebacker, especially if he ends up in a 3-4 scheme. What he showed on Thursday had scouts saying he could indeed make the switch.
Scouts and teams are just going to try to find a way to get this playmaker on the field because on tape, all Veikune does is make plays. He’ll need to learn how to work out of a two-point stance, work in coverage and other things, but he’s smart enough and a hard enough worker to get the job done and still cause havoc in the backfield when they need him to.

Another player scouts were itching to see was cornerback Ryan Mouton. Mouton had pulled a hamstring at the Combine and was hoping to make an impression this time out.

He began his day on a very high note with an outstanding 11-foot broad jump. He chose to stand on his bench and vertical from the Combine and got set to run the 40.

Unfortunately, he pulled up lame again in the 40 on Pro Day. Mouton said later he felt it at about the 20-yard mark and was clearly in pain when he crossed the finish line. Still, he ran an impressive 40 time (especially considering). Various scouts had him at anywhere from 4.42 to 4.48. I had him timed at 4.46.

And he did that while clearly pulling up in the last leg. Imagine how he might have timed had it not happened.

The injury looked worse than it turned out to be, as he sat in the corner of the practice area for some time. Still, he was out for the day and there were more than a few disappointed scouts and that tells me he was—and likely still is—very much on the radars of several teams. In fact, he already has a meeting with Jacksonville according to the Honolulu Advertiser.

Several other players are worth talking about as well. Defensive lineman Josh Leonard benched a fantastic 41 times, ran a 4.97 in the 40, had a 31 1/2 vertical and looked solid in drills. Another Leonard, linebacker Adam Leonard, had a so-so 40, but that was due, in part, to some bad starts.

As I saw in San Jose State with corner Coye Francies, once you stumble a few times, it can get in your head. It certainly affected Leonard and probably contributed to his slower than expected 40 time. But his film and other drills will keep him hopping and he will have the chance to show his stuff at team visits and private workouts. He looked good in position drills, so while the 40 time might drop him, how far is a subject for debate.

Finally, I want to talk about long snapper Jake Ingram. That’s right, I’m writing about a long snapper, and I loved what I saw in Ingram.

Ingram was a guy the staff talked about during the film session as a perfectionist and a hard worker—the first guy at practice and the last one to leave. The tenacity and hard work paid off as Ingram did every drill he could, ran a 4.90/4.86 in the 40, showed a 30 1/2 vertical, a 9'9" broad jump, benched 18 times and ran a 4.59 short shuttle.

I wasn't the only one impressed. I saw Bengals special teams coach Darrin Simmons talking at length, and a lot of it was shop talk. Of course, a snapper has to do more than snap the ball so teams will take a long look at a guy like Ingram to make sure he can cover and block. Ingram looked good whenever he was asked to do something and came off as personable and as a nose-to-the-grindstone type of guy.

It's not often I spend much time talking about long snappers, but Ingram had a very solid day.

And so ended another road trip and the final Pro Day. Now the hard part comes for analysts and scouts— to take every scrap of info from Pro Days, the Combine, and tons of game film then rank where each and every player goes on their big boards.

Photo Credit: Long Photography, College Press Box (USC)

Pro Day Rewind: Week Four

A very busy week has passed us and there was a tremendous amount of news and notes to sift through, so I’ve taken the liberty of boiling it down for your perusal once again. We’ll of course hit the louder points (Andre Smith, Pat White) but there was also a lot of noise made by players in a more positive light.
Let’s take a look at the week that was.

Alabama: While the press has mostly been talking about Andre Smith’s divisive Pro Day, he wasn’t the only one working out who made an impression. For example, take safety Rashad Johnson. The 5'11, 200-pound former walk-on continued to generate heat after his solid Scouting Combine workout with some excellent positional drills. Johnson kept his general workout numbers from the Combine but that didn’t stop scouts from leaving with his name on their tongues.

Also making their mark were quarterback John Parker Wilson and center Antoine Caldwell, both of whom stayed with their Combine numbers while running positional drills. Wilson showed some good touch and strength in his throws while Caldwell really shined in his drills. Two tight ends of note also worked out, doing both workout and positional drills. Travis McCall was slower in his 40 and shorter in his vert than Nick Walker, but was faster in both the shuttle and three-cone drills by about three-tenths of a second in both, and lifted 20 bench press reps to Walker’s 14.

Smith continues to add to the concern in some corners that he lacks the attitude and work ethic necessary to excel in the NFL. On one hand, he had lackluster numbers in many of the workout drills—slow 40 times, an unimpressive 19 lifts in the bench press, and mediocre shuttle and cone times. He took his shirt off and looked physically overweight, not cut at all, and flabby. On the other hand, reports are he did very well in positional drills and some teams–most notably the San Francisco 49rs who pick tenth–reportedly came away impressed.

Smith will likely need to prove himself yet again in individual workouts over the next few weeks.

Boston College: The Boston College Eagles welcomed representatives from 15 NFL teams to Alumni Field last week, and the folks who showed up got another look at why B. J. Raji is the top defensive tackle in the 2009 Draft and one of the marquee defensive linemen overall. Raji stood on his Combine numbers but looked agile and deadly in his positional drills, gliding across the turf with a smoothness which belied his 6’ 2”, 337-pound frame.

Fellow defensive tackle Ron Brace also had a good workout, running the 40 again and improving his time from the 5.4 he ran in Indy to something in the 5.0 to 5.2 range. While not as athletic and nimble as Raji, Brace also did well in positional drills and should fetch a spot somewhere in the second round. Both tackles looked very good and shouldn’t last past the first day of the Draft.

Thirty-six other players attended the Pro Day, including linebacker Brian Toal. Toal had missed his whole senior year of play due to a broken leg and was happy to be able to show off for scouts, since the lack of playing time limits their ability to watch him on film. He did everything scouts asked of him, including offensive and special teams work, along with defensive drills. Toal’s biggest question marks may come from teams who are worried about his injury-plagued career at BC, but Toal functioned at 100 percent and certainly made it known that he was willing to do whatever it takes.

Ohio State: Multiple players from the Ohio State Buckeyes were looking to set their draft status right. Chris Wells, James Laurinaitis and Malcolm Jenkins all had questions post-Combine, while wide receiver Brian Robiskie was looking to prove that his Combine performance was no fluke. Twenty-nine teams came by to watch the workout, so the pressure was certainly on for all involved.

OSU’s track is known for being very fast, so much so that scouts have said that one needs to add anywhere from .07 to .1 of a second to times. Still, Wells’ 4.34 and 4.46 were an improvement over his combine times. Of course, one of the biggest knocks against Wells has been durability, but he looked in fine shape and has clearly been working very hard to not only shave off seconds of his 40 time, but make sure he is sharp in all aspects of his game.

Unfortunately, the same improvements were not evident in some of the other Buckeye athletes. Jenkins ran a 4.46 and a 4.53, which left both observers and Jenkins feeling as if he is likely to convert to safety at the pro level. On a positive note, Jenkins seemed to accept this and appears to be willing to make the switch in order to make a team.

Laurinaitis also lacked a vast improvement in his 40 time, running a 4.68 and a 4.78. Laurinaitis has battled questions this off-season about whether he had topped out during his early college career, with people pointing to his mediocre senior year. There seem to be some splits amongst analysts as to whether the former Buckeye linebacker can achieve what was originally expected of him at the pro level. Unfortunately, he was unable to answer those questions on this day.

Robiskie ran a 4.47 in his 40 and performed well enough throughout the day to continue intriguing scouts, solidifying his position as a potential second round pick.

Oregon: Almost two dozen teams (as well as six coaches) were represented at and around Autzen Stadium as former Duck players turned out for their chance to make an impression.

Several players stood out from the crowd. Safety Patrick Chung was impressive in position drills, though he let his Combine numbers stand for everything else. DE/LB prospect Nick Reed, who was not invited to the Combine, gave people second thoughts about that omission. His workout drills stacked up very favorably next to some of the numbers others at his position put up at the Scouting Combine. His 40 times (one with the wind, one against) would have ranked him fourth among the defensive linemen and sixth among linebackers. His 4.28 short shuttle would have been second best and his 6.96 three cone would have placed him third in the defensive line group (Stats thanks to GoDucks.com). While workout numbers aren’t everything, these were certainly worth noting and scouts came away impressed. Reed is open to a transition to linebacker, and other college defensive linemen have made the change successfully.

Other players who stood out were running back Jeremiah Johnson—who improved on his Combine 40 times with a 4.57 and a 4.61—and wide receiver Jaison Williams, who blew his Combine numbers away with a 4.47 in the 40 (4.63 at the Combine), a 6.94 three cone (7.37 at the Combine), and improved his vertical by an inch, bringing it to 36.5. Williams’ problem, however, has been his inconsistency and while he looked fine in drills, he will need to prove he can be relied upon if he is to make it in the NFL.

Maryland: Along with 50 scouts at Maryland’s Pro Day were quite a few receiver coaches, all there to see what former Terrapin wide out Darrius Heyward-Bey could do in position drills. Heyward-Bey performed admirably, looking smooth and confident running his drills. Heyward-Bey chose to let his outstanding Combine numbers stand.

Auburn: Every NFL team was present for Auburn’s Pro Day, and while there was a big barbecue afterwards, I’m pretty sure they were there for the players. Cornerback Jerraud Powers looked very good in positional drills and ran 4.43 and 4.45 40s, which vastly improved his time from the Combine. Defensive lineman Sen’Derrick Marks did well in his position drills and added several drills he didn’t do in the Combine, such as the bench press (16 reps) shuttle and three cone.

West Virginia: The biggest draw here was, of course, Pat White, whose coach announced he would not be running wide receiver drills prior to the workout. White had said he would be doing pass routes early, then wide out drills upon request. However, many scouts left after he threw and there appears to be confusion as to whether he was really available, but nobody asked if he was really interested in those drills. White once again looked sharp throwing the ball and stood on his results from the Scouting Combine for his running and weight drills.

Some other Pro Days worth noting:

Fresno State: As reported early last week, quarterback prospect Tom Brandstater did not work out for scouts due to a torn lat muscle. He has set up a private workout on April 11th. Meanwhile, tight end Bear Pascoe improved on all his Scouting Combine numbers and continued to look good to scouts.

Oklahoma State: Tight end Brandon Pettigrew had to tell everyone he couldn’t work out, but also let the scouts know his agent would set up a time in a few weeks to make up for it. Aside from that, high winds made it nearly impossible for players to do positional drills and all other drills were done indoors on a rubber track. Defensive back Jacob Lacey was the standout of those who did drills, his highlights included a 4.50 and 4.45 in the 40 and a 41-inch vertical jump.

Arizona: The marquee player here was of course Eben Britton, who drew eight offensive line coaches among the crowd of 50 scouts. Britton continued to look good in position drills and looks to be a first day–maybe a first round–selection. Also standing out was quarterback Willie Tuitama. Tuitama, who was not invited to the Combine, reportedly threw the ball very well in positional drills and could be an intriguing late-round pick or street free agent. A Wildcat who really opened new eyes to his ability was safety Nate Ness, who ran a 4.46 and a 4.49 in the 40, had a 36-inch vertical jump and certainly made scouts take a look at him after being somewhat unknown outside of Tucson prior to this Pro Day.


Kansas State: Quarterback Josh Freeman attracted a bunch of quarterback coaches to the March 14th Pro Day, including ones from Tampa Bay, Detroit, Minnesota, St. Louis and Seattle. Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer will be on hand Monday with a board to diagram plays and new Head Coach Rex Ryan and GM Mike Tannenbaum will be on hand for a private workout Tuesday, while Jacksonville QB Coach Mike Shula will come by on March 23. Freeman looked accurate and on point during positional drills and it’s clear he is drawing interest from many teams.

Oregon State: Cornerback Keenan Lewis came to Corvalis 17 pounds lighter than he weighed in Indianapolis. Apparently, prior to the Combine, Lewis was taking Creatine to increase his weight. While his 40 time remained the same, Lewis improved his vertical by five inches (to 38.5), his broad jump by seven inches (to 10'10"), ran a 4.42 in the short shuttle and a 6.89 in the three cone, both of which he chose not to do in Indianapolis.

Purdue: Twenty-three teams were represented, including Seahawks D-line coach Dan Quinn. Quinn was definitely here to get another look at defensive tackle Alex Magee, who kept his bench press numbers from Indy, but re-ran everything else, dropping his 40 time to 4.82 and 4.85, his shuttle to 4.42 and performing well in positional drills. Quarterback Curtis Painter showed off his arm in positional drills, but still looks to be a project at the next level.

Northwestern: While there were several players to watch here, most intriguing was the presence of linebacker coaches from the Eagles and Bucs who came to see Western Illinois' Jason Williams, who had worked out at W. Illinois’ Pro Day on a wooden gym floor. On a decent surface, Williams turned in sharp 40 times of 4.49 and 4.44. Of the Northwestern players there, wide receiver and special teams player Eric Peterman stood out with his 4.48 and 4.50 40 times and a nice 31 inch vertical.

Abilene Christian: The story here continues to be wide receiver Johnny Knox, who drew a trio of receivers coaches. In all, 15 teams showed up and were not disappointed. Knox not only has incredible speed, but can catch the ball and looked rock solid in his position drills.

Texas Tech: Michael Crabtree was, of course, sidelined because of his recent foot surgery. Quarterback Graham Harrell, once a Heisman hopeful, continues to slide on draft boards. While he did run a 4.95 in the 40, Harrell had some issues in his position drill and struggled with some of his throws. On a sad note, offensive tackle Rylan Reed was having a great Pro Day (41 bench reps!) when he injured his knee on his first 40 run. Reed had to be taken to a hospital and the NFL Draft Bible join many others in wishing him a speedy recovery.

Nebraska-Omaha: Twenty teams came to the Pro Day and were treated to an outstanding effort by tight end Zach Miller. Miller ran a 4.53 and a 4.54 in the 40, had a 37.0 vertical, a 10 foot 4 inch broad jump and just crushed his positional drills despite a torn tendon in his hand. He certainly left scouts talking.
Last week's Pro Days could fill 50 pages, and the same is true of this week's. Here are just a few of the Pro Days and athletes worth noting in the coming week.

LSU kicks things off on Monday as several players will vie for the scouts’ attention. Tyson Jackson is one of the top defensive ends in the draft and could lock a first round slot up with a solid performance. Meanwhile, wide receiver Demetrius Byrd will try to move up draft boards and show that his hands and route running are not the problems some think they are.

On Tuesday, Cal-Poly puts on its Pro Day and of course Ramses Barden, the big Division II stud, will attempt to keep his status heating up and show he knows how to use that towering height.

Pittsburgh has their Pro Day and everyone wants to see if LeSean McCoy can respond to Chris Wells’ performance last week and hold off UConn’s Donald Brown for the third running back spot. Linebacker Scott McKillop has told the NFL Draft Bible that he will likely stand on most of his Combine numbers and do only the positional drills.

In North Carolina, Hakeem Nicks is a guy to watch, but fellow wide receivers Brooks Foster and Brandon Tate can also make a move on scouts’ note sheets with good position drill workouts.

On Wednesday, I’m hoping to see Zack Follett and Alex Mack with my own eyes at California’s Pro Day in Berkley. Follett plays like a beast and I am really looking forward to watching his position drills to see if he can match the aggressiveness he plays with on the field. Mack has shown me pretty much all he has to on film as well, but I’m anxious to see what he does in person. Position drills are very telling as are scout reactions just after a player participates.

Meanwhile, Florida Gator wide receiver Percy Harvin will work out in the hopes that he could overtake guys like Jeremy Maclin and Darrius Heyward-Bey for the number two receiver slot. It’s possible that whomever ends up number two could go first as there is a chance Michael Crabtree will fall a little to the Raiders, who are known to avoid receivers lacking in 40 times.

Penn State had several players run well at the Combine, but aside from Derrick Williams, none of them is sure to be drafted. So while Williams is likely to go late round two, guys like Deon Butler and Jordan Norwood will need to kill their drills to prove there is more to them than pure speed. Defensive end Aaron Maybin has something to prove and a faster timed speed would help and Maurice Evans has some work to do as well.

On Thursday, Georgia hosts its Pro Day and scouts will be there in full force to see several potential top draft picks. Matthew Stafford didn’t work out at the Combine so his position drill will make him the biggest person of interest for most team officials. Stafford won’t easily drop in most people’s estimations. Running back Knowshon Moreno has been going back and forth with Chris Wells in many analysts’ rankings and after Wells burned up a fast track, scouts will want to see how Moreno responds.

Missouri hosts its second Pro Day as well and will feature some offensive studs themselves. Quarterback Chase Daniel has to overcome questions about his height as well as concern about his working out of the spread so frequently. Receiver Jeremy Maclin has shot to the top ranks of the wide receivers and is another wide out who could jump ahead of Crabtree if the situation is right on draft day. A solid workout would bolster his case that with Crabtree hurt, it’s safer to go another way. Tight end Chase Coffman could help his cause with some speed and some solid positional drills.

Finally, on Friday, we have another Pro Day I hope to see with my own eyes—San Jose State. Players like defensive end Jarron Gilbert and cornerbacks Coye Francies and Christopher Owens aren’t as well known as their counterparts at the bigger schools, but they may make just as much of an impact. It will be intriguing to see which teams make the trip out to San Jose and who gets the most attention.

Of course, that’s not nearly everything...not even close. Each week will bring many more players to our attention and every Monday at the Pro Day Rewind, we’ll make sure you know who made the biggest impact during the previous week and what might be the next name on your lips by week’s end.

Photo Credit: Collegiate Images, SEC Sports Media, College Press Box (Boston College, Maryland, Oklahoma St., Kansas St., Texas Tech, Penn St.), WVU Sports Communication, Purdue University Sports Information, Mizzou Media Relations