Come on, if you believed Brandon Routh could do it, why not Barwin?
Here they are. You’re really going to enjoy this if you like reading phone books. Or if you just really like pro days. These are all the noteworthy pro day results from the past two weeks. It’s a lot of info, so the format will differ slightly than updates past, but it’s still awesome and you should read every last line of it.
Pitt — RB LeSean McCoy worked out for about 20-25 teams last Tuesday. He managed to weigh in at 204 pounds, up 6 from his sickly combine. He also mentioned that he was disappointed in his 4.48-4.53 range 40 times. Still fast enough to play football, LeSean. I think you’ll be a steal if you drop to the bottom half of round two.
Boise St — WR Jeremy Childs turned in an impressive 40 time in Idaho. His 4.47 is a full tenth of a second faster than what he ran at the combine. At around 6-00 196, he should get some later round looks.
Ohio — CB Mark Parson, already a fringe draftable prospect in my eyes, may have run himself into free agency. He posted a 4.57 40 at his pro day. Some sites were reporting that Parson could run in the 4.3 range. Not that great. Still he has good instincts, he just ignored them and decided to run slowly.
Penn State — By far one of the most impressive pro day showings by any school’s prospects. After a disasterous combine 40 brought on by an unknown ailment, WR Derrick Williams is back into second-third round consideration after blazing through a 4.37 40 time. Speed is what was going to get him drafted in the first place, and now he actually has a time that backs up that claim. DE/OLB Aaron Maybin was drinking the same water as Williams and ran a 4.59. He lacks experience, and will likely have to switch positions in the NFL, but he has amazing upside and is now back in top ten pick territory. Making his workout, which included a 40.5 inch VERT and a 10-10 BROAD, even more impressive was the fact that he has added an additional four pounds to his frame. He’s a freak now. Michael Johnson has some competition in the potential department. WR Jordan Norwood posted a 4.55 — still much slower than he looks on film. DE/OLB Maurice Evans sliced .24 seconds off of his combine 40 with a draft-worthy 4.75.
Illinois — CB Vontae Davis continued his quest to supplant Malcolm Jenkins as the top true corner in the draft. His 4.40 40 was a major step up (though it’s really impossible to differentiate from his combine 4.49, but it looks better on paper, and apparently that’s all the NFL is about), his 25 reps of 225 and 37.5 inch VERT were also testaments to his workout warrior stigma/attactive title. DE Will Davis put up 27 reps of 225, which is impressive, but his size (6-02 260) makes him small for a DE, and his 40 (4.86) makes him slow for a 3-4 rush linebacker.
Florida — WR Percy Harvin stood on his 4.41 combine 40. Of course, speed is not an issue here. It’s durability and route running that have scouts scratching their heads. I don’t see that those concerns outweigh Harvin’s playmaking ability or his natural knack for taking over a game. He should be a first rounder if you ask me. He also put up a 10-1 BROAD and a 37.5 inch VERT. TE Cornelius Ingram ran basically the same 40 time as the one he ran in Indy — a 4.69. He put up 21 reps of 225, which I always like to point out is more than Andre Smith did. He’s got an injury history as well, but Urban Meyer called him the “best natural pass catcher” he has ever seen. OTs Phil Trautwein and Jason Watkins put up 23 and 19 reps respectively.
Cal — C Alex Mack ran a 5.17 40. It was good to see him workout after a freak ankle injury that kept him sidelined at the combine. He’s still the top center by a good margin in my mind. TE Cameron Morrah was not all that productive in college, but he has great measurables that should get him picked up late. At 6-03 245 he ran a 4.61 40 and put up 24 reps on the bench. LB Worrell Williams is only 5-10 – 5-11, but he weighs 240 pounds and has good speed. His 4.75 40 will help his cause. His 23 reps and 35 inch VERT won’t hurt either. LB Zach Follett was pretty productive in college, and he is starting to back that up with some nice numbers. He stood on his combine 40 of 4.75, but put up 21 reps and had a 37 inch VERT. Fellow LB Anthony Felder posted a 4.76, put up 28 reps and had a 36 inch VERT.
Georgia — RB Knowshon Moreno posted another 4.60 40. I don’t care though. He is still the best back in this class, and he doesn’t need to be the Flash to consistenly rip off 7-10 yard gains. He also put up 25 reps and had a 35.5. VERT. WR Mohamed Massaquoi dropped his 40 to 4.51 and added a 10-7 BROAD. Not bad for a guy with good size and a great Senior year. DT Corvey Irvin put up 24 reps. DE Jarius Wynn ran a 4.94 40. The guy everyone wanted to see, QB Matt Stafford, looked a little shaky with his footwork but displayed awesome arm strength and accuracy. It should be noted that he completed more passes at his pro day than Matt Ryan did at the event that boosted his stock last year.
Missouri — WR Jeremy Maclin ran a 4.43, which is right on par with his 4.45, which is plenty fast enough to play. He’s go the skills, I’m just not sold on his polish. He also added a 10-0 BROAD and a 35.5 VERT. QB Chase Daniel ran a 4.79 40 and has 9.25 inch hands. Not bad size for a short guy.
Virginia Tech — CB Victor Harris redeemed himself with a 4.46 40 time. His 4.61 at the combine had him on his way to the fourth round, but he is a good corner and it’s nice to see that others will still view him that way after his new time.
Cincinnati — DE/OLB Connor Barwin ran a damn fast 40 at his pro day. Already viewed as a versatile athletic machine, running a 4.47 could get him into round one. He also put up 23 reps on the bench and posted a 41.5 inch VERT just for good measure. CB Mike Mickens hurt himself some with a 4.57 40. He has some injury concerns, and is faster than that on the field, but he is likely a third rounder now, though he has good height. At least he wasn’t quite as slow as fellow CB Deangelo Smith, who ran a 4.63. Ouch. G Trevor Canfield has 32 inch arms.
Vanderbilt — CB DJ Moore didn’t do himself any favors with his 4.57 pro day 40. He’s a solid second rounder with an extreme outside shot to go in round one if there is a run on corners. He’s a great football player and that can’t be measured by 40 times alone. He also posted a 39.5 inch VERT which should help when asked to cover receivers that are a bit taller than 5-09.
Stanford — At 6-06 277 pounds DE Pannell Egboh has the size to play end in a 3-4. With a 4.86 pro day 40, he now looks like he might have the speed to be successful there. His 26 reps on the bench and 35 inch VERT prove his athleticism and strength.
Cal Poly — WR Ramses Barden is unparalleled when it comes to size at his position. His unofficial 4.4 range pro day 40 was a huge step forward. Still, Barden struggles to use his size effectively when catching the ball, but he could develop into a serious red zone threat with time. He has always been a top performer, and his new 40 coupled with a 10-2 BROAD could make him dangerous.
Indiana — KR Marcus Thigpen was not quite as fast as advertised. He posted a 4.47.
North Carolina — WR Brooks Foster finally ran his 40, and did it well posting a 4.44. WR Hakeem Nicks stood on his combine numbers and unfortunately also stood on a scale which revealed that he has ballooned to 226 pounds. After such a great combine, it’s unfortunate that Nicks has added 14 pounds, which raises major red flags. OT Garrett Reynolds is a massive player at 6-08 309 pounds, but he only put up 19 reps on the bench. Still, that’s not all that bad considering he has 34.5 inch arms.
San Jose St — CB Coye Francies ran a 4.63 at his pro day. That’s gonna hurt him. Still, he’s a physical corner who could thrive in the right cover 2 system. CB Christopher Owen, on the other hand, looked great with a 4.44. He could end up going before Francies due to off the field issues. DE Jarron Gilbert continues to impress. His pool jumping youtube video got him started. A 4.80 40 is helping him finish.
Stephen F Austin — WR Dominique Edison is a big target at 6-02 196, and he ran a 4.42 at his pro day improving upon an already impressive 4.45 combine time. He is a solid late rounder who had major upside.
Iowa — RB Shonn Greene took a major step forward in his quest to re-reach the second round. His 4.55 40 was much better than his combine time, and he posted a 10-6 BROAD and a 39 inch VERT. He looks better on film everytime I watch him, and he has fresh legs after only one season as the go-to back. DE Mitch King ran another 4.89 40, but he is a hard worker who cant be measured by numbers on a page. He will be a nice 3-4 end for someone. CB Bradley Fletcher posted a 4.44 40
Tennessee — RB Arian Foster is only 215 pounds, which makes his 4.69 40 pretty awful. If he was as big as he was listed at UT, he might have a shot as a power back, but I am not high on this guy at all. He has really fallen off. WR Lucas Taylor had a great showing. He ran a megafast 4.36 with a 36 inch VERT and a 10-6 BROAD.
Clemson — RB James Davis may have himself back in 3rd-4th round consideration after a 4.43 pro day 40. With most of the top backs unable to post sub 4.5s, Davis will be attractive to someone earlier than he should be.
Texas — The only player who did anything of note here was DE Brian Orakpo who kept his combine 40. It’s worth mentioning though that he did 31 reps on the bench, had a 39.5 inch VERT, and had a 10-10 BROAD. CB Ryan Palmer ran a 4.58 40.
Connecticut — DE/OLB Cody Brown lit it up at his pro day, posting a 4.60 40. That’s .24 faster than what he did in Indy. He’s a solid second rounder to a team that needs a 4-3 end or a 3-4 rush LB. CB Darius Butler finally ran what we all expected with a 4.38 40. He also has a 43 inch VERT. He’s a first rounder.
Wake Forest — CB Alphonso Smith surprised me by sticking with his 4.56 combine 40 along with his other numbers. I am pretty sure he can do better than that. We may never know.
Ole Miss — DT Peria Jerry posted a 4.98 40 at his pro day. He’s a little undersized but has the quickness to wreak havoc in the backfield. OT Michael Oher ran a great 5.16 40. That helps. He also has 33.5 inch arms.
Rutgers — WR Kenny Britt ran a 4.47 40. He’s got good height, and some feel that he is a first rounder. I like him more in the top half of round two. He has some character issues. WR Tiquan Underwood stole the show, however. At 6-01 198 he ran a 4.36 40, had a 41.5 inch VERT, and a 10-9 BROAD.
Rice — TE James Casey ran a 4.79 40, nearly identical to his combine time, while WR Jarrett Dillard shaved .03 seconds off of his with a 4.50.
Northern Illinois — DE/OLB Larry English helped himself with a 4.70 40. That’s good news considering he is about 20 pounds lighter than he was listed at in college.
Mississippi St — S Derek Pegues needed a good 40 time at only 5-09 199 pounds, and his 4.54 was a full tenth of a second better than his combine run.
Houston — DE/OLB Phillip Hunt ran a little slower than expected. Drawing comparisons to Dwight Freeney, people expected a 4.60 at worst. He gave them a 4.75. Not bad, but not great at 6-01 250 pounds. OT Sebatian Vollmer continues to make a case as the best player not invited to the combine. At 6-08 312, his 32 reps on the bench and 5.13 40 time are equally impressive numbers.
Jackson St — CB Domonique Johnson ran another disappointing 40 time. His 4.52 was only .03 seconds better than his combine run. He has trouble with stiff hips, and could be falling to the later rounds.
Nevada — MLB Josh Mauga ran an impressive 40 of 4.61. He weighs around 241 pounds, so a good time was expected. Still, it was nice to see him recover well from a torn chest.
Temple — At 6-03 317 pounds, DT Terrance Knighton was pretty quick with a 4.93 40. That’s .25 seconds better than his combine time. He only put up 21 reps however.
Washington St — WR Brandon Gibson still hasn’t run a 40. I’m not nearly as high on him as some people are. He’s a real unknown.
Michigan St — RB Javon Ringer is bouncing back nicely from a forgettable combine that had him on his way to being…forgotten. He posted some unofficial 4.4 range 40s at his pro day. He’s not big, and I really worry about his durability after carrying a HUGE load in college. In the first 7 games as a senior, he went over 100 yards five times. In the last 6 he did it only twice. Sure the competition was better, but it’s not getting any worse in the NFL. He averaged less than 3 yards per carry in 3 of those last 6 games. Not good. S Otis Wiley ran a 4.64 40. Not good. He posted 9 reps on the bench. Also not good.
South Carolina — S Emanuel Cook helped himself some by running a 4.57 40; better than his 4.64 combine time. OT Jamon Meredith has 34.5 arms, which somehow allowed him to do 31 reps on the bench. Pretty good. CB Captain Munnerlyn ran a great 4.41 40. That’s huge considering at 5-09 he is not.
Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee — By far the most overrated prospect in the draft. Let’s check out what Ayers did during his “stellar” time at Tennessee. Most sacks in a season? Try four in his junior year. In fact, Ayers managed to accumulate a whopping career total of nine during his stay in Knoxville. Maybe it’s his measurables then. They’re not bad. He’s 6031 272 with a 4.89 combine 40 time. Not awful. He’s got nice bulk. But why, then, are so many projecting him to be picked in the top half of the first round as a pass rusher? Ayers’ rise in stock is completely due to one week, and more specifically one game, in Mobile at the Senior Bowl. I just don’t understand how an entire career can be overlooked in favor of one 60 minute period. I’m going out on a small limb here and saying that Ayers never develops as a pass rusher, and becomes the next in a long line of run stuffing DEs to bounce from team to team.
Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri — Maclin is not on this list because I doubt his talent. In fact, as a pure athlete, Maclin is near the top of this class. Maclin makes the docket due to the fact that so many people are starting to view him as a top ten pick, and worse — they think it’s a good idea. How many times has a speedy receiver been plucked at the top of round one and failed to produce? Remember Travis Taylor to the Ravens? How about Troy Williamson to the Vikings? Maclin played in a spread system in college that rarely asked him to run precise routes. In fact, most of the time Maclin ran five yard slants that he turned into big gains with his superiour athleticism. That won’t fly at the next level. Sure, Maclin has elite deep speed, and he can always contribute in the return game, but I see some serious bust potential here. The Mizzou wideout is worth a first round pick on the chance that he does develop like he could, but that slight frame and raw talent make him a poor decision so early in the draft.
Clint Sintim, LB, Virginia — Pretty simple here. Sintim was a productive college player who played in an NFL-friendly 3-4 defense as an end and a rush linebacker. Sounds like a pretty sure thing, right? Wrong. Sintim may have the speed and size and certainly the look of a dominant 3-4 linebacker, but like we’ve said before, measurables don’t make an NFL star. Watch some film of Sintim and you’ll see that he was most effective in a straight line to the quarterback. That’s great in obvious passing situations as a blitzer, but not when you’re asked to cover a shifty RB out of the backfield. Sintim has stiff hips and struggled mightily this offseason to dispel the doubts about his ability to change directions. A team looking for a pure speed rusher would likely have some success with him, but until he learns to move more fluidly he’ll be nothing more than a spot player.
Evander Hood, DT, Missouri — Sorry to dog on Missouri so bad. And I know I’ll take some heat for this one. Maybe deservedly so, but I’m sticking to my original opinion here. Hood put up five sacks as a Senior, which isn’t bad. But look who four of them came against. One against Baylor, one against Northwestern, and two against Buffalo. Not exactly an O line gauntlet. Hood has a quick first step, and he has the potential to be a disruptive force up front for a team like Indianapolis. But I don’t get all the talk about him being a first rounder. I know the DT class is especially weak this year, but shouldn’t that force teams to address other areas instead of reaching for a need. Football is a team sport, and no one player is accountable for all of a team’s struggles, but that was an awful defense that Hood was a part of. I just never saw that much out of him in the big games against quality opponents. Again, I promise I’ve got nothing against Missouri personally. And sorry for ending one of those sentences in a preposition.
Chris Wells, RB, Ohio St — This guy is not better than Knowshon Moreno. He may not be better than Donald Brown. Wells is a physical freak who dominated the college ranks with a superior blend of size and athleticism. That’s not enough in the NFL. Wells is more of a straight forward runner who lacks the ability to change directions as smoothly as some of the more successful NFL running backs. Sure, he’s no slouch, and if I’m wrong about him I’ll probably be wrong in a big way. But the way I see it, Wells has the look of so many Big Ten big backs who busted before him. Holy alliteration. Anyway, back to the point. Beanie appears to be another powerful guy who impressed with his pro day 40 and now has teams prepared to put all their eggs in one Beanie basket. If he ends up on a team with a smaller, quicker complementary back, he’s got a chance. If not, no way this guys makes it through a 16 game season unscathed. He rarely made it through 12.
Draft Zoo
2009 NFL Draft 