Bob Sacamano
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http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/story/11483935
The first significant mega-Pro Day occurred Tuesday and the results out of Georgia Tech, Auburn, Oklahoma, Colorado State and even tiny Central Washington created significant buzz.
The star of the day was clearly Georgia Tech defensive end Michael Johnson. The Yellow Jackets product, 6-feet-6 7/8 and 266 pounds, was clocked at 4.63 seconds in the 40-yard dash and impressed scouts with his agility in both defensive line and linebacker drills. Johnson is such a fluid athlete that one NFC scout in attendance said, "We knew he's athletic, but, wow. Someone is going to have quite a talent to work with there."
Listed at 6-feet-8 and 332 pounds, Phil Loadholt is moving up the draft boards. (Getty Images) Pessimists would point out that Johnson's weaknesses -- his inconsistent motor and marginal instincts -- were obviously hidden in these drills. It's a point that wasn't lost on the scout.
"You have to go back to the film with this kid, though," he said. "Why didn't he get 20 sacks with the way he moves?"
While dozens of scouts left Georgia Tech buzzing, an even larger crowd received a show out of cornerback Jerraud Powers at Auburn's Pro Day.
Representatives from all 32 teams were present at the Tigers' Pro Day, which featured intriguing junior defenders Sen'Derrick Marks and Powers. Marks, a 6-1 3/8, 301-pound defensive tackle, put up a disappointing 16 reps of 225 pounds. The news wasn't sour for Powers, however. While he can't do anything to change his 5-9, 187-pound frame, he was timed in the low 4.4s and showed great agility in position drills. Marks and Powers are earning middle-round grades from teams, with Marks slipping and Powers moving up.
Only a few months ago, Oklahoma's Pro Day was being previewed as the biggest event of the workout season, but the surprise returns of underclassmen Sam Bradford, Gerald McCoy and Jermaine Gresham made Tuesday a less scintillating experience for scouts. Regardless, the talent at OU was enough to draw representatives from at least 20 teams. The hottest name coming out of Norman is offensive tackle Phil Loadholt. A shade under 6-8 and 332 pounds, Loadholt looked surprisingly fluid in drills and had an impressive 26 repetitions of 225 pounds. Considering Loadholt tied with LSU guard Herman Johnson with the longest arms of this year's top prospects (36½ inches), his 26 reps is especially impressive and stood out in comparison to teammate Duke Robinson's 20. Loadholt has been moving up draft boards since the combine and only improved his status Tuesday. He is earning first-round grades from some clubs.
Two other Sooner prospects going in opposite directions are safety Nic Harris and wide receiver Juaquin Iglesias. Harris continued to prove to scouts that if he is to make the jump to the next level, he'll likely have to do it at linebacker. He timed in the mid-4.9s in the 40-yard dash at the combine as one of the week's real disappointments, and was unable to shave much time off of his runs Tuesday, timing out in the mid-4.8s.
Meanwhile, Iglesias elected only to run through receiver drills and stand on his workout numbers from the combine. He showcased his impressive agility in drills and caught the ball fluidly. Iglesias lacks the big name of some of this draft's other top receivers, but the senior is viewed by some scouts as among the elite slot prospects.
Impressive workouts were also put forth by a few sleeper prospects out west on the Colorado State and Central Washington campuses.
Running back Gartrell Johnson may have been the big name at the Colorado State Pro Day, but tight-end/h-back Kory Sperry was the most impressive athlete on the field. Sperry, like Iglesias, elected to stand on his combine performance, and moved smoothly through drills and caught the ball well. The 6-4 5/8, 244-pound Sperry reminds some scouts of Philadelphia Eagle free-agent tight end L.J. Smith. Scouts from the Seahawks and Chargers braved snowy mountain pass conditions to get to Central Washington University to see quarterback Mike Reilly and tight end Jared Bronson.
Reilly helped his stock by shaving nearly two-tenths of a second off of his 40-yard dash time from the combine. Reilly had been clocked at 4.92 in Indianapolis, but was timed in the low 4.7s Tuesday. As he was at the combine, Reilly was also accurate in the passing drills.
The intrigue only increases Wednesday, when scouts will be flocking to Tennessee, Maryland and Alabama -- where NFL teams will get their first look at Crimson Tide offensive tackle Andre Smith since he bolted the combine early.
Rob Rang is a Senior Analyst for NFLDraftScout.com, distributed by The Sports Xchange.
The first significant mega-Pro Day occurred Tuesday and the results out of Georgia Tech, Auburn, Oklahoma, Colorado State and even tiny Central Washington created significant buzz.
The star of the day was clearly Georgia Tech defensive end Michael Johnson. The Yellow Jackets product, 6-feet-6 7/8 and 266 pounds, was clocked at 4.63 seconds in the 40-yard dash and impressed scouts with his agility in both defensive line and linebacker drills. Johnson is such a fluid athlete that one NFC scout in attendance said, "We knew he's athletic, but, wow. Someone is going to have quite a talent to work with there."
"You have to go back to the film with this kid, though," he said. "Why didn't he get 20 sacks with the way he moves?"
While dozens of scouts left Georgia Tech buzzing, an even larger crowd received a show out of cornerback Jerraud Powers at Auburn's Pro Day.
Representatives from all 32 teams were present at the Tigers' Pro Day, which featured intriguing junior defenders Sen'Derrick Marks and Powers. Marks, a 6-1 3/8, 301-pound defensive tackle, put up a disappointing 16 reps of 225 pounds. The news wasn't sour for Powers, however. While he can't do anything to change his 5-9, 187-pound frame, he was timed in the low 4.4s and showed great agility in position drills. Marks and Powers are earning middle-round grades from teams, with Marks slipping and Powers moving up.
Only a few months ago, Oklahoma's Pro Day was being previewed as the biggest event of the workout season, but the surprise returns of underclassmen Sam Bradford, Gerald McCoy and Jermaine Gresham made Tuesday a less scintillating experience for scouts. Regardless, the talent at OU was enough to draw representatives from at least 20 teams. The hottest name coming out of Norman is offensive tackle Phil Loadholt. A shade under 6-8 and 332 pounds, Loadholt looked surprisingly fluid in drills and had an impressive 26 repetitions of 225 pounds. Considering Loadholt tied with LSU guard Herman Johnson with the longest arms of this year's top prospects (36½ inches), his 26 reps is especially impressive and stood out in comparison to teammate Duke Robinson's 20. Loadholt has been moving up draft boards since the combine and only improved his status Tuesday. He is earning first-round grades from some clubs.
Two other Sooner prospects going in opposite directions are safety Nic Harris and wide receiver Juaquin Iglesias. Harris continued to prove to scouts that if he is to make the jump to the next level, he'll likely have to do it at linebacker. He timed in the mid-4.9s in the 40-yard dash at the combine as one of the week's real disappointments, and was unable to shave much time off of his runs Tuesday, timing out in the mid-4.8s.
Meanwhile, Iglesias elected only to run through receiver drills and stand on his workout numbers from the combine. He showcased his impressive agility in drills and caught the ball fluidly. Iglesias lacks the big name of some of this draft's other top receivers, but the senior is viewed by some scouts as among the elite slot prospects.
Impressive workouts were also put forth by a few sleeper prospects out west on the Colorado State and Central Washington campuses.
Running back Gartrell Johnson may have been the big name at the Colorado State Pro Day, but tight-end/h-back Kory Sperry was the most impressive athlete on the field. Sperry, like Iglesias, elected to stand on his combine performance, and moved smoothly through drills and caught the ball well. The 6-4 5/8, 244-pound Sperry reminds some scouts of Philadelphia Eagle free-agent tight end L.J. Smith. Scouts from the Seahawks and Chargers braved snowy mountain pass conditions to get to Central Washington University to see quarterback Mike Reilly and tight end Jared Bronson.
Reilly helped his stock by shaving nearly two-tenths of a second off of his 40-yard dash time from the combine. Reilly had been clocked at 4.92 in Indianapolis, but was timed in the low 4.7s Tuesday. As he was at the combine, Reilly was also accurate in the passing drills.
The intrigue only increases Wednesday, when scouts will be flocking to Tennessee, Maryland and Alabama -- where NFL teams will get their first look at Crimson Tide offensive tackle Andre Smith since he bolted the combine early.
Rob Rang is a Senior Analyst for NFLDraftScout.com, distributed by The Sports Xchange.
:laugh2: Sorry but I want my NT to be strong and powerful..I don't want a kicker(USC) to put up more reps. Brace put up 31 reps