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These 2014 Pro Day Results are written by Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net. Check back for daily updates or follow Tony Pauline @TonyPauline. |
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2014 Pro Day Results: Thursday, April 7, 3:35 p.m.
By Tony Pauline, http://draftinsider.net/
Sources at today’s Notre Dame pro day, the final non-individual event on the calendar, said a trio of players stood out this morning, including two who were unable to work out at the combine.
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All eyes were on Kyle Rudolph and the junior tight end did not disappoint. Rudolph, whose season ended in October after he underwent surgery to repair an injured hamstring, ran 40 times which averaged in the low-4.8s. Some watches timed Rudolph as fast as 4.77. He later caught the ball exceptionally well. Rudolph now moves towards the draft as the top tight end and should be drafted in the first half of round two.
Running back Armando Allen, who had been recovering from a hip injury and was another Irish prospect who sat on the sidelines in Indianapolis, posted times as fast as 4.46 after tipping the scales at 202 pounds, three more than his combine weight. Allen should be picked in the later rounds of the draft. |
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2014 Pro Day Results: Wednesday, April 6, 2:19 p.m.
By Tony Pauline, http://draftinsider.net/
Today’s headliner is Villanova offensive lineman Ben Ijalana, who was unable to participate at the Senior Bowl or the combine after undergoing surgery on a sports hernia late in December.
Ijalana peformed well for the offensive line coaches in attendance, touching 27 inches in the vertical jump, 9-feet in the broad jump and running the 40 in times as fast as 5.12.
Ijalana also received good reviews for his position work during the drills segment. Several teams said they like the versatility of the small school lineman, who they project at both guard and tackle in the NFL.
Ijalana has received some first round mention recently but the initial half of the second round seems a better fit for the large blocker.
Doss caught the ball well during drills, running crisp routes and displaying great balance in his game. Throwing the ball to Doss during the workout was Hoosier senior passer Ben Chappell, who was on the money all morning.
Doss, projected as a third receiver at the next level, projects as a third- or fourth-round pick and would be a steal if he goes later than that.
Though still not 100 percent, Dowling’s 40 times were clocked as low as 4.34. His vertical jump was 38 inches and his broad jump was 10-8. Dowling also looked terrific in a variety of defensive back drills.
So where does Dowling fit in the draft? Physically he ranks as a top tier cornerback and his play in 2009, when he was fully healthy, was first-round caliber. He’s likely to slide out of the top 50 selections yet will be a steal if he gets his game back on track and plays to his level of ability.
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2014 Pro Day Results: Tuesday, April 5, 5:21 p.m.
By Tony Pauline, http://draftinsider.net/
Several running back coaches were on hand to watch Kansas State’s Daniel Thomas work out today. Thomas, who was unable to participate in the Senior Bowl and the combine due to hamstring issues, performed better than expected. His 40 times averaged 4.55, and were as fast as 4.50 on a number of watches. Scouts were concerned about his speed and today’s performance should quell those doubts. Thomas, who measured 6-feet, 230 pounds in Indianapolis, later looked good in position drills. While his ongoing hamstring issues will raise some red flags, today’s workout should be enough to cement Thomas as a top 100 choice.
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2014 Pro Day Results: Friday, April 1, 11:59 p.m.
By Tony Pauline, http://draftinsider.net/
The pro day for Da’Quan Bowers has ended and now the decision rests with NFL general managers and head coaches as to where he fits in at the top of the draft.
Bowers looked solid during position drills, displaying good movement skills and flexibility. He showed a good degree of quickness throughout the session and was smooth on his feet. Bowers also looked winded at times, huffing and puffing his way through the workout.
Afterwards he addressed reporters, and Bowers admitted struggling with his conditioning while recovering from the knee surgery. Bowers told the crowd he was disappointed in his 40 time yet satisfied with his performances in the three cone and shuttle. Bowers pegged the North Carolina State game on Nov. 6 as the day he tore his meniscus.
Bowers, along with Tyron Smith of USC and a handful of other players, will travel to Indianapolis next week for the combine re-check. The annual re-check gives NFL teams another opportunity to re-examine players who were medically red-flagged during February’s combine.
During the South Carolina State pro day, offensive tackle Johnny Culbreath (6-5 and 321 pounds) posted 40 times as fast a 4.94 seconds and completed 27 reps on the bench. The left tackle prospect looked solid in position drills, displaying footwork and skills as a pass protector. He could squeak into the last few spots of the draft and at the very least Culbreath will be highly sought as a free agent.
In Nacogdoches, Texas, more than a dozen NFL teams had representatives on hand to watch Jabara Williams at the Stephen F. Austin pro day. The Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year did not disappoint as his marks included 40 times as fast as 4.54, a short shuttle time of 4.24 and 36.5 inches in the vertical jump. Measuring just under 6-2 and weighing 228 pounds, Williams was out of position at middle linebacker in college yet is getting a lot of consideration as a late round weak-side linebacker prospect.
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2014 Pro Day Results: Friday, April 1, 10:17 a.m.
By Tony Pauline, http://draftinsider.net/
The first day of April has one major pro day, and it’s a workout that could shape the top of the draft.
Getting the day started early, Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers already has finished the initial testing with results that were somewhat disappointing. Bowers measured 6-3� and 276 pounds. His broad jumps were between 9-feet, 2-inches and 9-feet, 6-inches with a vertical jump that touched 34.5 inches. Bowers’ 40 times ranged between 4.83 and 4.92 seconds. He did rebound with a solid three-cone time of 6.95 seconds. Bowers average times in the short shuttle clocked in the upper 4.4-second area with his fastest being 4.34.
For Bowers, the 40 time don’t stack up against some of the top defensive linemen who participated at the combine. By comparison, California’s Cameron Jordan ran in the mid-4.7s and weighs 11 pounds more than Bowers. But Bowers’ best three-cone and short-shuttle times were right in line with the upper echelon of performances by the defensive linemen at the combine.
The workout took place outdoors on a strip of field turf at Memorial Stadium. A large crowd was in attendance, including NFL general managers, head coaches, assistants and scouts.
Interest was hight to see Bowers today, after he only completed the bench press at the combine. He continues to recover from a minor surgical procedure performed on his knee in January to repair a torn meniscus.
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2014 Pro Day Results: Thursday, March 31, 5:31 p.m.
By Tony Pauline, http://draftinsider.net/
The Hawaii pro day at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., is finished. The workout took almost six hours as NFL prospects from the University of Hawaii plus local Los Angeles players that attended schools around the nation took part in the event.
All three receivers from Hawaii looked terrific and each established themselves as legitimate picks during different points of the draft’s seven rounds.
Greg Salas sat on his combine numbers and stood out in receiver drills. He showcased his outstanding route running and reliable hands. Salas is quickly moving up draft boards as a variety of teams feel he’ll be a good fit for their offensive system. Relatively unknown for much of the year, Salas could slide into the late part of round two.
Kealoha Pilares showed he’s lost nothing in his game after suffering a knee injury in the Hawaii Bowl last December. Pilares posted a vertical jump of 40.5 inches and broad jump which measured 10-feet, 5-inches. He then timed 4.45 in the 40 before showing reliable hands and solid route running throughout the workout. At the end of the day, scouts put Pilares through a battery of running back drills, the position he played his first two seasons at Hawaii. Pilares is now likely to be selected during the bottom third of the draft.
Rodney Bradley, not invited to the combine, proved he belongs at the next level. Bradley posted 4.50 in the 40 and looked just as good as his teammates catching the ball. Used as part of the starting receiver rotation for the Warriors, he’ll get consideration in the draft’s closing frames.
Finally, safety Mana Silva gave scouts something to think about. The Oregon State transfer, who totaled a nation-leading eight interceptions last season, was perceived as being too slow and unathletic for the NFL. His 40 time of 4.43 will make scouts rethink that opinion. Silva also looked effective in position drills. In a weak class of safeties in next month’s draft, Silva is just the kind of player who could slide into the late rounds.
Paea, who weighed 303 pounds at the combine, touched 31 inches in the vertical jump and clocked times which ranged from 5.14-ro-5.17 in the 40. He was then worked hard in position drills and stayed on the field until he had completed everything scouts asked of him.
It was a solid performance for Paea, considering the circumstances. He could slide into the late part of round one, though more than likely Paea will be chosen in the top half of the second frame, in large part due to the quality and depth of the defensive line position in this year’s draft.
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2014 Pro Day Dates:
Schedule to be posted here when available.
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