ESPN Scouts, Inc: Latest Draft Buzz

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The pro-day schedule is finally winding down. However, with on-campus workouts remaining at marquee programs such as Arizona State, Tennessee, Purdue and USC, there's still crucial information to be gathered. Last week, the two most critical pro-day workouts took place at Auburn and Georgia.

Auburn (March 23)
Wide receivers Devin Aromashodu, Ben Obomanu and Anthony Mix all participated in significant portions of the workout, despite having completed most of the drills at the combine one month earlier. Obomanu (6-foot-0½, 205 pounds) was the standout, impressing NFL brass with his performance in the 40-yard dash (4.43 and 4.45 seconds), short shuttle (4.42 seconds), three-cone drill (6.97 seconds) and vertical jump (41 inches).

Mix (6-4, 235) also posted solid results in the short shuttle (4.44) and three-cone drill (7.17), especially for his massive size. Aromashodu took part only in the position drills but flashed reliable hands and good body control. Aromashodu has a chance to sneak into the draft's first day, while Obomanu and Mix grade out as fourth- and sixth-round prospects, respectively.

DE/OLB Stanley McClover, a possible second-round prospect, and OLB Travis Williams, an undersized Day 2 prospect, improved their stock with solid showings. McClover's best time in the 40-yard dash (4.61) was nearly a tenth of a second better than his combine time. Williams improved his combine results in the 40-yard dash (4.66) and 225-pound bench press (20 reps).

OT Marcus McNeill had a solid showing in the position drills but was unable to improve his combine time in the short shuttle, as he ran his only attempt in 5.05 seconds.

DT Tommy Jackson is a much better football player than athlete. He kept most of his results from the combine but was able to improve his time in the 40-yard dash (5.12) and three-cone drill (7.69). Expect Jackson to come off the board in the middle of Day 2.

Georgia (March 23)
Safety Greg Blue was the big winner at Georgia's pro day. After failing to impress at the combine, Blue took the extra month to improve his speed, and he also gained four pounds (220). He ran both his 40-yard dash attempts in the 4.5-second area. Blue also turned in solid times in the short shuttle (4.27) and in the three-cone drill (7.07) after not taking part in either activity at the combine.

While Blue's best chance to make it as a starter in the NFL will be at weakside LB in an undersized defensive scheme, he was able to get his agility and speed results to a level considered decent enough for a big strong safety.

Cornerbacks Demario Minter and Tim Jennings, both considered fringe Day 1 prospects, had mixed workouts. Minter had a strong overall performance and helped himself most by running the 40-yard dash in the 4.4-second area. Jennings ran shockingly slow times in the short shuttle (4.32) and long shuttle (11.71), especially for such a diminutive (5-8, 184) corner.

QB D.J. Shockley took part only in the position drills and kept all of his test results from the combine. While Shockley's passing performance was far superior to what he displayed at the Senior Bowl and combine, it was still somewhat disappointing that Shockley did not work out at other offensive skill positions or as a return specialist.

First-round TE prospect Leonard Pope kept all of his results from the combine, but he did participate in the position drills. Pope impressed, showing soft hands and excellent athleticism for his size (6-7, 256).

Guard Max Jean-Gilles, a second-round prospect, also kept all of his combine results except for the bench press. Jean-Gilles was able to improve on his combine score (27 reps) by posting 31 reps.

Other Pro Days

Minnesota RB Laurence Maroney (6-0, 215) had a solid showing at his pro day on March 23. Maroney ran the 40-yard dash once and was timed in the area of 4.4. He tweaked his hamstring on the first attempt, which is why he did not run a second time.

It was the same hamstring injury that kept Maroney from participating at Minnesota's initial pro day on March 6. As a result, Maroney did not run a short shuttle or three-cone drill, but he did put up solid numbers in the vertical jump (35½), broad jump (10-3) and the 225-pound bench press (21 reps).

While Maroney's workout was far from flawless, it did put some pressure on Memphis RB DeAngelo Williams, who is in competition with Maroney and USC's LenDale White to be the next running back selected after USC's Reggie Bush. Williams answered the challenge with an even better all-around workout than expected.

Williams (5-9, 207 pounds) answered questions about his top-end speed by running one 40-yard dash attempt with the wind in the low 4.4s range, and another against the wind in the high 4.4s. Williams also turned in strong performances in the short shuttle (4.10), long shuttle (10.58), three-cone drill (6.53), vertical jump (34½) and broad jump (10-9). In addition, Williams displayed soft hands and smooth route-running skills during a passing drill session.

Bush is widely considered the premier prospect in the 2006 class, so it comes as no surprise that the team owning the top overall selection has begun to aggressively court him. Rumors are floating around that the Texans are already discussing potential parameters for a predraft deal with Bush and his agent, Joel Segal.

Texans owner Bob McNair, GM Charley Casserly and head coach Gary Kubiak are reportedly scheduled to take Bush out to dinner Saturday, the night before USC's pro day. Bush is then scheduled to visit Houston for more discussions and possibly an additional workout April 6.

There have been other important pro day workouts for some prospects from smaller schools. Here is the latest news from around the country:

Ryan Gilbert, RB, Houston
Gilbert, a late-round prospect, was not able to work out at Houston's pro day (March 27) because he is still recovering from a knee injury that required surgery.

Dave Anderson, WR, Colorado State
Anderson, a mid-to-late-round prospect, kept most of his times from the combine, but he was able to improve his 40-yard dash by running two attempts in the high 4.5s. QB Justin Holland was not invited to the combine but increased his chances of being drafted by putting on a solid passing performance. Holland ran two 40-yard dashes in the high 4.9 area and posted solid results in the short shuttle (4.44) and vertical jump (29).

Travis Lulay, QB, Montana State
Lulay is an intriguing late-round prospect who was able to build on a solid combine showing with an even more impressive pro-day workout. Lulay ran his two 40-yard dash attempts in the low 4.7s. He also notched impressive results in the short shuttle (4.06), three-cone drill (6.79) and vertical jump (37½). Lulay was a bit erratic at times, but he displays a strong arm and enough athletic ability to warrant late-round consideration as a developmental project.

Cornell Brockington, RB, Connecticut
Brockington is a fringe late-round draft prospect who was unable to impress scouts with his pro-day workout. The undersized running back ran the 40-yard dash in the high 4.5s while also posting just decent results in the short shuttle (4.19), three-cone drill (7.20) and vertical jump (32½).

Remaining Pro Days

March 29: Arizona State (2nd), Central Florida (2nd), New Mexico State, Tennessee (2nd) and Utah
March 30: Carson-Newman and Stephen F. Austin
March 31: Louisiana Tech (2nd) and Purdue (2nd)
April 2: Southern Cal

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