Campo attended CB Tyvon Branch pro day workout

WoodysGirl

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Seventeen NFL scouts and coaches were on hand at UConn football's day yesterday to watch the workouts of UConn's Tyvon Branch, Dan Davis, Danny Lansanah, Donald Thomas, Larry Taylor, Central Connecticut's Ryne Nutt and Middlebury College's Erik Woodring. Here is a rundown of the top prospects:

Tyvon Branch
Branch did not participate in any timed workouts, but instead worked solely on positional drills.

Branch's size and speed were more than evident at the NFL combine in Indianapolis when he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.31 seconds - the second fastest time of all combine participants - and pumped out an impressive 19 bench press reps, which was fifth among all cornerbacks.

To prepare for the combine, Branch worked out at Athletes Performance in California, where training specialists helped Branch maximize his upper body strength by having him do burnout bench sets with air machines. The staff also critiqued Branch's running form and showed him tape of how he could tighten it to elicit a better 40-yard dash time.

The impressive numbers he posted at the combine brought notable NFL personnel - including former Dallas Cowboys head coach Dave Campo, who now is the team's secondary coach - to Storrs to watch Branch participate in cornerback drills.

"I think my 40 time helped me the most," Branch said. "I think when people saw that number, they went back and looked at some film. And that's the key. If you don't have any film, you could be the best tester in the world, but you're not going anywhere."

Branch's size, athleticism, and versatility - he excels at covering and returning kicks - has him ranked as NFLdraftscout.com's No. 15 cornerback and No. 121 overall prospect and project him as a fourth-round selection.

LINK
 

tomson75

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Good to hear it. I'd love for the Cowboys to look real hard at him and Zack Bowman on day two.
 

Woods

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Isn't Campo originally from Conn?

I thought I remember reading that, but I'm not sure.

I really like that we're going over multiple Secondary players. Hopefully, we can seriously upgrade our DBs in April.
 

Bach

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Branch punched the time clock in 1.4 seconds, setting a rookie record.
 

theogt

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I'd like to know his 3-cone because his shuttle was pretty bad.
 

Woods

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theogt;2014571 said:
I'd like to know his 3-cone because his shuttle was pretty bad.

By the way, what do you think is the most comprehensive site for getting all the shuttle, 40 times, vertical, etc. for players entering the Draft?
 

WoodysGirl

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UConn's Thomas, Branch work out for NFL
NEILL OSTROUT nostrout@ctpost.com
Article Last Updated: 03/26/2008 11:19:23 PM EDT


STORRS — Sometimes technical jargon and obscure statistical rankings can complicate the description of a football player's NFL potential. In the case of UConn guard Donald Thomas, that doesn't seem to be a problem.
"Take a look at him," Giants assistant offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo said after putting Thomas through his paces Wednesday. "He looks how they're supposed to look."

The 6-foot-3, 305-pound Thomas, a West Haven native, appears to have NFL size and speed. He bench-pressed 225 pounds 28 times and ran the 40-yard dash in 5.0 seconds last month at the combine, among the best marks for any offensive linemen.

After impressing scouts in Indianapolis, Thomas and four other Huskies participated in a pro day Wednesday in the Shenkman Training Center. Scouts and coaches from 13 NFL teams were in attendance, including Dave Campo of the Dallas Cowboys and John Dorsey of the Green Bay Packers. Campo is a Connecticut native and former coach at the University of Bridgeport, and Dorsey is a former UConn linebacker.

For Thomas and cornerback Tyvon Branch, another Husky workout warrior who is in line to be selected in the middle of the NFL draft April 26-27, the day brought individual workouts.

DeGuglielmo drilled Thomas for some 20 minutes, watching him intently.

"He's an athletic kid. He moves well. He's a smart kid with a good personality," DeGuglielmo said. "He's everything you want in a lineman."

Thomas, who has met individually with the Cleveland


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Browns and has drawn interest from other teams, including the Jets, swears he doesn't know when his name will be called on draft day.
"I have no clue," Thomas said. "It's nerve-wracking, but coach tells me not to worry about it. You can't do anything about it. I've heard third round, I've heard fourth round, I've heard fifth round."

Thomas' performance certainly didn't hurt his chances.

"He worked hard today. He did a nice job," DeGuglielmo said. "He paid attention to detail, which is very important for us."

Branch is in a similar position to Thomas. His impressive numbers at the combine — Branch ran a blazing 4.31 in the 40 and did 19 repetitions in the bench press — may have moved him as high as the fourth round.

Carolina Panthers secondary coach Tim Lewis was in Storrs Wednesday to drill the 5-11, 200-pound Branch.

"We're trying to see if he can change directions and catch the ball," Lewis said.

It would seem Branch is much better at doing the former. He had three or four drops during his workout.

"I'm not really a drill guy," Branch said with a smile. "I'm more of a game-time player."

Branch, who has drawn some interest from NFL teams as a safety as well, is appealing because of his ability to return kicks.

Although he needs to work on his ball skills, Branch's off-field issues don't appear to be a hurdle for his suitors. He was arrested for possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle as a freshman when he and four of his teammates were involved in a pellet gun shooting in Willimantic.

"Everybody asks about it," Branch said. "I just told them what happened, told them I've learned from the situation."

http://www.connpost.com/sports/ci_8709816
 

FCBarca

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Later round pick, yeah.

Analysis

Positives: Athletic build. ... Good straight-line speed. ... Instinctive defender in coverage. ... At his best in zone coverage where he can track the action and read the quarterback's eyes. ... Good burst when the ball is thrown and shows the hands and tracking ability to make the tough interception. ... Supportive against the run, Branch isn't afraid to get his jersey dirty and is a reliable open-field tackler. ... Shows burst and rare top end speed to pull away from the pack as a return specialist. ... Returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in 2007 - both for 97 yards.


Negatives: Slight shoulders and small waste with little room for additional muscle mass, making the switch to safety - generally reserved for heavier players - a concern. ... Despite his good instincts and stopwatch speed, Branch lacks the flexible hips to turn and run without losing a step. ... Struggles out of breaks, making him a poor fit at the next level for a man coverage scheme.

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