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THE SCOUT'S NOTEBOOK
WHO'S HOT; WHO'S NOT WITH TWO WEEKS TO GO UNTIL THE 2010 DRAFT
http://www.gbnreport.com/scoutsnotebook.htm
by Colin Lindsay, Editor and Publisher, Great Blue North Draft Report
April 7, 2010
There is just a hint of a buzz around the league that a number of teams have soured just a tad on the overall quality of the OT class at the top of the 2010 draft board. Of course, it could also just be some smoke blowing this way or that in the hopes one or more of those young OTs drop down and come into range for a team or teams deeper in the opening round. At the same time, though, there have always been issues with guys like TrentWilliams of Oklahoma and Rutgers' Anthony Davis. While he has uncommon straight-line speed for a 300-plus pounder, there have questions, for example, whether Williams has the overall agility to be more than a RT at the same level, while with Davis its been questions about his work ethic, weight control and maturity. Stay tuned...
Who's hot ... Whatever is happening among this year's elite OTs, nobody is hotter right now than Indiana OT Rodger Saffold who is reportedly moving up draft boards right across the league. Indeed, it wouldn't be a total shock if the rugged, athletic Saffold sneaks into the latter part of this year's opening round. At worst, with Saffold and Southern Cal's Charles Brown possibly available early in the second round, a number of teams looking at OTs with top 10 picks could gamble on taking a player at another position with their opening round pick with the intention of filling the LT slot with their early second round selection.
Given that most NFL teams now like to have two solid RBs to split carries many teams are looking for that complimentary back, that is if they don't already have a #1 guy, in the middle rounds. And one back geting plenty of attention these days in that regard is Montario Hardety of Tennessee. Hardesty was once a highly-regarded recruitt, but because of injuires and the numbers game at Tennessee, he didn't play much until he senior season. Finally healthy, though, Hardesty quietly had a very productive 2009 campaign in which he ran for over 1,300 yards and then capped it off with some solid performances in pre-draft workouts. Hardesty is a physical 225-pounder who can pound out the tough yards between the tackles, but with sub-4.5 speed also has the burst to make things happen when he gets a crease, although he doesn't have a lot of hip flexibity and isn't going to make people miss in the open field. For good measure, though, Hardesty is also a decent receiver and blocker and just doesn't put the ball on the ground. As a result, it wouldn't be a total surprise if Hardesty were the first back off the board after this year's Big 3 backs - C.J. Spiller of Clemson, Fresno State's Ryan Mathews and Cal's Jahvid Best - as early as the middle of the second round.
Wide receiver has never been considered a real strength this year especially at the top of the board with only Dez Bryant of Oklahoma State thought to be a lock to be taken in this year's opening round. There is some depth at the position, though, with a small army of WRs who should be taken on the second day of the draft. Joining that group of late has been former South Florida WR Carlton Mitchell who has an intriguing size/speed combination. Indeed, the 6-2, 200-pound Mitchell is a long strider with sub-4.5 speed - he's also a member of the USF track team - and that extra gear when the ball is in the air. Pro teams also figure that Mitchell's best football days are still ahead of him as he has gotten better each year at USF. Meanwhile, former Syracuse WR Mike Williams just won't go away. The former Orange wideout was almost uncoverable when he played at SU, but often didn't as he missed a full year because of academics and then abruptly quit the team late last season, something he has never really adequately explained to pro teams in pre-draft interviews. As NFL teams are want to do at this time of year, though, they have gone back to the tapes and what they see in Williams is a very talented receiver who was on pace t catch 85 passes last fall before he left the team, despite the fact he was virtually the only offensive threat that Syracuse had. Williams has also been a great red zone target and is a physical receiver who is a match-up problem for smaller DBs. Williams can also get deep, although he lacks sprinter speed - he rusn in the 4.50-4.55 range - but is a long strider who can make the tough catch in traffic, although he could run crisper routes. In the end, Williams could still be a second day pick despite the character concerns.
A pretty good case can be made that DT could be the best overall position at the 2010 draft. Ndamukong Suh of Nebraska and Oklahoma's Gerald McCoy, for example, are arguably the top two positional prospects in this year's draft field, if not the two best prospects period, while both Tennessee NT Dan Williams and Penn State DT Jared Odrick have both moved into the middle of the opening round. Meanwhile, there is tons, both literally and figuratively, at the position. The DT making the biggest move of late is Central Florida's Torrell Troup, another player who appears to have moved from the mid-to-later rounds into the second day mix. Troup is a squat, rock solid 315-pound NT type who isn't overly nimble or agile, but is very strong, plays low to the ground and is almost impossible to root off the line of scrimmage. There is also something of a growing buzz around Virginia DT Nate Collins, a very athletic 6-2, 290-pounder with sub-4.9 speed who several teams have actually worked out at LB.
Penn State MLB Sean Lee had been expected to be one of the top OLBs at the 2009 draft but ended up missing the 2008 season after tearing an ACL in spring practice. Lee was back on the field for the Nittany Lions last fall and had a decent year racking up 86 tackles despite missing three more games. At pre-draft testing, though, all signs pointed to the fact that Lee was indeed finally 100% again. Lee measured in at 6-2, 236 and ran the 40 in 4.7 seconds, while posting relatively quicker times in the agility drills, as well as a very athletic 37.5-inch vertcal leap. And if healthy, Lee is a prototype tackling machine with excellent instincts, sideline-to-sideline range and a great motor. Lee, who has also played extensivly on the outside, is also a good blitzer with 10 career sacks, while he gets good drops in coverage and breaks nicely on the ball when its in the air. As a result, Lee is looking more and more like a mid-second round option for teams looking for help at MLB who don't get Alabama's Rolando McClain in the opening round.
It seems just about every year there is a quality CB coming out of the small-school ranks and this year's pick is Akwasi Owusu-Ansah of DII Indiana (PA). Despite being slowed by a knee injury much of this off-season, Owusu-Ansah has intrigued pro personnel people which starts with exceptional measurables. Indeed, Owusu-Ansah is a big corner at 6-1, 207 with 4.32 speed. He also has long arms and excellent ball skills and picked off 10 passes over the past couple of years including 8 in 2008, but only had two last season as opposing teams looked elsewhere. Owusu-Ansah, though, isn't quite as quick or agile and isn't all that smooth in transition, but is a long strider who can make up ground in a hurry on the fly. He isn't neceassrily all that physical despite the fact he has good size and is a somewhat indifferent run defender. For good measure, Owusu-Ansah is also an accomplished return ace who had 5 return TDs in 2009. In the end, Owusu-Ansah should be a second pick based on physical potential alone, although he is still very raw. And while he is not known as a particularly aggressive tackler, Owusu-Ansah may also get some looks as a potential centerfielder type FS. Owusu-Ansah in fact is part of what looks like a bit of a stampede up draft boards across the league. Devin McCourty of Rutgers, another top cover corner who doubles as one of the country's best special teamers, appears to have moved into the first round mix for many teams, while Kareem Jackson of Alabama looks to have moved into the early second roudn territory. At the same time, Kevin Thomas of USC, UConn's Robert McClain and Nolan Carroll of Maryland each has moved into the early to mid-third day range.
Meanwhile, other players who have made, or continue to grow in esteem among pro personnel people include QBs Jonathan Crompton of Tennessee, Fordham's John Skelton, both of whom now appear to be late second or early third day prospects, along with Mike Kafka of Northwestern and Troy's Levi Brown; RB Deji Karim of Southern Illinois; Kenucky FB John Connor; UConn WR Marcus Easley; Missouri State TE Clay Harbour; DE Danny Batten of South Dakota State; DTs Al Woods of LSU and Kentucky's Corey Peters; Arizona State MLB Travis Goethel; OLB Simoni Lawrence of Minnesota; and safeties Myron Lewis of Vanderbilt and Robert Johnson of Utah.
Who's not ... The positive news about the 2010 draft class is that most of the recent movment tends to be up. That said, UCLA DT Brian Price may have seen his stock drop after the Bruins' pro day late last month. Price appeared to be out of shape and, given his past rep as being a player who was sometimes hard to motivate and took too many plays off, may have dropped behind fellow DTs Jared Odrick and Dan Williams in the second-tier group of DTs. As a result, it wouldn't be a shock if Price dropped into the middle of the second round later this month, however, DTs who can get into the backfield are hard to find so Price isn't going to fall much farther as no DT in college football got into opposing backfields more often than he did last year. Meanwhile, the story for Northwestern DE Corey Wootton follows the scrpt of that of Penn State LB Sean Lee to a certain degree. Wootton was considered to be a future top 10 type early in his career, but has been slow to come back from a torn ACL. And unlike Lee whose knee checked out at pre-draft medical tests, the sense one gets is that pro teams are concerned that Wootton's injury has not responded as well.
*********
WORKOUT WARRIORS: TOP 10 STARS OF THE PRO DY CIRCUIT
by Colin Lindsay, Editor and Publisher, Great Blue North Draft Report
April 5, 2010
The annual pro day tour by NFL personnel people has in the recent past been something of an afterthought in the wake of the scouting combine and all-star games.Not so this year however. On the one hand, there were an inordinate number of top prospects swho either didn't or weren't able to work out at the combine, so their pro day appearance constituted their primary exposure to NFL teams. At the same time, there were also what seemed to be an inordinate number of players who turned in especially athletic performances at their respective pro days. And while their pro day efforst may not have been enough guarantee that any of the players in the latter category will actually be drafted later this month, it did likely earn them some second and third looks from pro teams. That said, here is our listing of the Top 10 athletic perfomances over the course of this year's pro day schedule.
1. Kent State FB-TE-HB Jameson Konz was timed in the low-to-mid 4.4s in the 40, while posting a 46-inch vertical leap which would have the top figure for any position at the combine. For the record, the vesatile Konz, a 6-3, 235-pounder who actually started his KSU career as a LB, had 21 receptions this past fall.
2. Alabama-Birmingham WR Joe Webb, an athletic dual threat collegiate QB who passed for over 2,000 yards and ran for another 1,500 in his career, put up some outstanding numbers at the Blazers pro day as the 6-3, 226-pounder reportedly ran the 40 in the mid-4.4 range while recording leaps of 42.5 inches in the vertical and 11.5 inches in the broad jump, both of which would have been the top figure among wideouts at the combine. Webb also posted 21 reps in the bench press and ran under 4.0 seconds in the short shuttle which again would have been tops at the combine.
3. Southern Illinois RB Deji Karim, who rushed for almost 1,700 yards this past season wowed scouts when the compact 5-9, 210-pounder ran the 40 in the 4.4 range, had a very athletic 43VL, while posting a respectable 19 reps in the bench press.
4. Central Florida safety Michael Greco, another converted quarterback, opened some eyes at the UCF pro day when the 6-3, 217-pounder reportedly ran under 4.40 seconds in the 40, benched 225 pounds 22 times, and had a 41.5-inch vertical leap.
5. Illinois HB-WR-TE-FB Jeff Cumberland put up some outstanding numbers for a 6-5, 250-pounder as he ran a sub-4.5 40, while posting times of 4.36 in the short shuttle and 6.90 in the 3-cone drill, as well as a 35.5-inch vertical leap.
6. Unheralded William&Mary DT Sean Lissamore may have been the most impressive big guy at any pro day across the country. Lissamore measured in at a solid 6-3.5 and 298 pounds at the team's pro day, ran under 4.7 seconds for the 40; posted a 30-inch vertical while recording times of 4.55 in the short shuttle and 7.60 in the three-cone drill, both of which would have been among the top ten for DL at the combine; he also managed 26 bench press reps.
7. Arizona State MLB Travis Goethal helped himself with a solid day as he measured in at 6-2.5 and 238 pounds, ran the 40 in 4.60 seconds, while posting times of 4.22 in the short shuttle and 6.70 in the the 3-cone drill. For the record, both Goethal's 40 and 3-cone times would have been among the top 3 LBs at the combine, while he would have been close to the top 5 in the shuttle.
8. Minnesota CB Marcus Sherels who turned some heads with a sub-4.4 40 time - some teams reportedly had him running under 4.34 seconds) and vertical leap of 40 inches. For the record, Golden Gopher OLB Simoni Lawrence also had a very good day as the 6-0.5, 230-pounder ran the 40 in under 4.60 seconds, had a 10-7 broad jump, a 4.35 short shuttle and a 6.88 three-cone drill. He stood on his vertical jump time from the combine, and did position drills.
9. LSU has as many prospects for the 2010 draft as any program in the counrty, but the former Bayou Tiger that may have had the team's best pro day was unheralded WR Chris Mitchell who ran the 40 in the mid 4.4 range, posted a vertical leap of 36.5 inches and had times of 4.21 in the short shuttle and 6.76 in the 3-cone drill, both of which would have been among the top 10 figures for the position at the combine. Meanwhile, former LSU DT Al Woods impressed when the 307-pounder ran in the 5.00 flat range.
10. Kansas RB Jake Sharp put himself on the draft radar by running the 40 in under 4.45 seconds, while posting a 25-inch vertical leap, 10-4 broad jump, 4.06 short shuttle, 6.84 three-cone drill, and 19 bench press reps.
Honorable mentions: Penn State TE Mickey Shuler, who was not invited to the combine, also made some noise at the Nittany Lions' pro day as the 6-4, 250-pounder ran the 40 in around 4.65 seconds, had a 37.5-inch vertical jump; did 28 reps in the bench and posted times of 4.25 seconds in the short shuttle and a 6.70 in the 3-cone, each of which would have been among the leaders at the position at the combine. Fellow Penn State Andrew Quarless and LB Sean Lee also ran well posting times of 4.57 and 4.62 for the 40 respectively. Meanwhile, no 2010 draft prospect did more for himself during his school's pro day positional drills than Northwestern QB Mike Kafka who threw the ball extremely well at the Wildcats on-campus workout.
WHO'S HOT; WHO'S NOT WITH TWO WEEKS TO GO UNTIL THE 2010 DRAFT
http://www.gbnreport.com/scoutsnotebook.htm
by Colin Lindsay, Editor and Publisher, Great Blue North Draft Report
April 7, 2010
There is just a hint of a buzz around the league that a number of teams have soured just a tad on the overall quality of the OT class at the top of the 2010 draft board. Of course, it could also just be some smoke blowing this way or that in the hopes one or more of those young OTs drop down and come into range for a team or teams deeper in the opening round. At the same time, though, there have always been issues with guys like TrentWilliams of Oklahoma and Rutgers' Anthony Davis. While he has uncommon straight-line speed for a 300-plus pounder, there have questions, for example, whether Williams has the overall agility to be more than a RT at the same level, while with Davis its been questions about his work ethic, weight control and maturity. Stay tuned...
Who's hot ... Whatever is happening among this year's elite OTs, nobody is hotter right now than Indiana OT Rodger Saffold who is reportedly moving up draft boards right across the league. Indeed, it wouldn't be a total shock if the rugged, athletic Saffold sneaks into the latter part of this year's opening round. At worst, with Saffold and Southern Cal's Charles Brown possibly available early in the second round, a number of teams looking at OTs with top 10 picks could gamble on taking a player at another position with their opening round pick with the intention of filling the LT slot with their early second round selection.
Given that most NFL teams now like to have two solid RBs to split carries many teams are looking for that complimentary back, that is if they don't already have a #1 guy, in the middle rounds. And one back geting plenty of attention these days in that regard is Montario Hardety of Tennessee. Hardesty was once a highly-regarded recruitt, but because of injuires and the numbers game at Tennessee, he didn't play much until he senior season. Finally healthy, though, Hardesty quietly had a very productive 2009 campaign in which he ran for over 1,300 yards and then capped it off with some solid performances in pre-draft workouts. Hardesty is a physical 225-pounder who can pound out the tough yards between the tackles, but with sub-4.5 speed also has the burst to make things happen when he gets a crease, although he doesn't have a lot of hip flexibity and isn't going to make people miss in the open field. For good measure, though, Hardesty is also a decent receiver and blocker and just doesn't put the ball on the ground. As a result, it wouldn't be a total surprise if Hardesty were the first back off the board after this year's Big 3 backs - C.J. Spiller of Clemson, Fresno State's Ryan Mathews and Cal's Jahvid Best - as early as the middle of the second round.
Wide receiver has never been considered a real strength this year especially at the top of the board with only Dez Bryant of Oklahoma State thought to be a lock to be taken in this year's opening round. There is some depth at the position, though, with a small army of WRs who should be taken on the second day of the draft. Joining that group of late has been former South Florida WR Carlton Mitchell who has an intriguing size/speed combination. Indeed, the 6-2, 200-pound Mitchell is a long strider with sub-4.5 speed - he's also a member of the USF track team - and that extra gear when the ball is in the air. Pro teams also figure that Mitchell's best football days are still ahead of him as he has gotten better each year at USF. Meanwhile, former Syracuse WR Mike Williams just won't go away. The former Orange wideout was almost uncoverable when he played at SU, but often didn't as he missed a full year because of academics and then abruptly quit the team late last season, something he has never really adequately explained to pro teams in pre-draft interviews. As NFL teams are want to do at this time of year, though, they have gone back to the tapes and what they see in Williams is a very talented receiver who was on pace t catch 85 passes last fall before he left the team, despite the fact he was virtually the only offensive threat that Syracuse had. Williams has also been a great red zone target and is a physical receiver who is a match-up problem for smaller DBs. Williams can also get deep, although he lacks sprinter speed - he rusn in the 4.50-4.55 range - but is a long strider who can make the tough catch in traffic, although he could run crisper routes. In the end, Williams could still be a second day pick despite the character concerns.
A pretty good case can be made that DT could be the best overall position at the 2010 draft. Ndamukong Suh of Nebraska and Oklahoma's Gerald McCoy, for example, are arguably the top two positional prospects in this year's draft field, if not the two best prospects period, while both Tennessee NT Dan Williams and Penn State DT Jared Odrick have both moved into the middle of the opening round. Meanwhile, there is tons, both literally and figuratively, at the position. The DT making the biggest move of late is Central Florida's Torrell Troup, another player who appears to have moved from the mid-to-later rounds into the second day mix. Troup is a squat, rock solid 315-pound NT type who isn't overly nimble or agile, but is very strong, plays low to the ground and is almost impossible to root off the line of scrimmage. There is also something of a growing buzz around Virginia DT Nate Collins, a very athletic 6-2, 290-pounder with sub-4.9 speed who several teams have actually worked out at LB.
Penn State MLB Sean Lee had been expected to be one of the top OLBs at the 2009 draft but ended up missing the 2008 season after tearing an ACL in spring practice. Lee was back on the field for the Nittany Lions last fall and had a decent year racking up 86 tackles despite missing three more games. At pre-draft testing, though, all signs pointed to the fact that Lee was indeed finally 100% again. Lee measured in at 6-2, 236 and ran the 40 in 4.7 seconds, while posting relatively quicker times in the agility drills, as well as a very athletic 37.5-inch vertcal leap. And if healthy, Lee is a prototype tackling machine with excellent instincts, sideline-to-sideline range and a great motor. Lee, who has also played extensivly on the outside, is also a good blitzer with 10 career sacks, while he gets good drops in coverage and breaks nicely on the ball when its in the air. As a result, Lee is looking more and more like a mid-second round option for teams looking for help at MLB who don't get Alabama's Rolando McClain in the opening round.
It seems just about every year there is a quality CB coming out of the small-school ranks and this year's pick is Akwasi Owusu-Ansah of DII Indiana (PA). Despite being slowed by a knee injury much of this off-season, Owusu-Ansah has intrigued pro personnel people which starts with exceptional measurables. Indeed, Owusu-Ansah is a big corner at 6-1, 207 with 4.32 speed. He also has long arms and excellent ball skills and picked off 10 passes over the past couple of years including 8 in 2008, but only had two last season as opposing teams looked elsewhere. Owusu-Ansah, though, isn't quite as quick or agile and isn't all that smooth in transition, but is a long strider who can make up ground in a hurry on the fly. He isn't neceassrily all that physical despite the fact he has good size and is a somewhat indifferent run defender. For good measure, Owusu-Ansah is also an accomplished return ace who had 5 return TDs in 2009. In the end, Owusu-Ansah should be a second pick based on physical potential alone, although he is still very raw. And while he is not known as a particularly aggressive tackler, Owusu-Ansah may also get some looks as a potential centerfielder type FS. Owusu-Ansah in fact is part of what looks like a bit of a stampede up draft boards across the league. Devin McCourty of Rutgers, another top cover corner who doubles as one of the country's best special teamers, appears to have moved into the first round mix for many teams, while Kareem Jackson of Alabama looks to have moved into the early second roudn territory. At the same time, Kevin Thomas of USC, UConn's Robert McClain and Nolan Carroll of Maryland each has moved into the early to mid-third day range.
Meanwhile, other players who have made, or continue to grow in esteem among pro personnel people include QBs Jonathan Crompton of Tennessee, Fordham's John Skelton, both of whom now appear to be late second or early third day prospects, along with Mike Kafka of Northwestern and Troy's Levi Brown; RB Deji Karim of Southern Illinois; Kenucky FB John Connor; UConn WR Marcus Easley; Missouri State TE Clay Harbour; DE Danny Batten of South Dakota State; DTs Al Woods of LSU and Kentucky's Corey Peters; Arizona State MLB Travis Goethel; OLB Simoni Lawrence of Minnesota; and safeties Myron Lewis of Vanderbilt and Robert Johnson of Utah.
Who's not ... The positive news about the 2010 draft class is that most of the recent movment tends to be up. That said, UCLA DT Brian Price may have seen his stock drop after the Bruins' pro day late last month. Price appeared to be out of shape and, given his past rep as being a player who was sometimes hard to motivate and took too many plays off, may have dropped behind fellow DTs Jared Odrick and Dan Williams in the second-tier group of DTs. As a result, it wouldn't be a shock if Price dropped into the middle of the second round later this month, however, DTs who can get into the backfield are hard to find so Price isn't going to fall much farther as no DT in college football got into opposing backfields more often than he did last year. Meanwhile, the story for Northwestern DE Corey Wootton follows the scrpt of that of Penn State LB Sean Lee to a certain degree. Wootton was considered to be a future top 10 type early in his career, but has been slow to come back from a torn ACL. And unlike Lee whose knee checked out at pre-draft medical tests, the sense one gets is that pro teams are concerned that Wootton's injury has not responded as well.
*********
WORKOUT WARRIORS: TOP 10 STARS OF THE PRO DY CIRCUIT
by Colin Lindsay, Editor and Publisher, Great Blue North Draft Report
April 5, 2010
The annual pro day tour by NFL personnel people has in the recent past been something of an afterthought in the wake of the scouting combine and all-star games.Not so this year however. On the one hand, there were an inordinate number of top prospects swho either didn't or weren't able to work out at the combine, so their pro day appearance constituted their primary exposure to NFL teams. At the same time, there were also what seemed to be an inordinate number of players who turned in especially athletic performances at their respective pro days. And while their pro day efforst may not have been enough guarantee that any of the players in the latter category will actually be drafted later this month, it did likely earn them some second and third looks from pro teams. That said, here is our listing of the Top 10 athletic perfomances over the course of this year's pro day schedule.
1. Kent State FB-TE-HB Jameson Konz was timed in the low-to-mid 4.4s in the 40, while posting a 46-inch vertical leap which would have the top figure for any position at the combine. For the record, the vesatile Konz, a 6-3, 235-pounder who actually started his KSU career as a LB, had 21 receptions this past fall.
2. Alabama-Birmingham WR Joe Webb, an athletic dual threat collegiate QB who passed for over 2,000 yards and ran for another 1,500 in his career, put up some outstanding numbers at the Blazers pro day as the 6-3, 226-pounder reportedly ran the 40 in the mid-4.4 range while recording leaps of 42.5 inches in the vertical and 11.5 inches in the broad jump, both of which would have been the top figure among wideouts at the combine. Webb also posted 21 reps in the bench press and ran under 4.0 seconds in the short shuttle which again would have been tops at the combine.
3. Southern Illinois RB Deji Karim, who rushed for almost 1,700 yards this past season wowed scouts when the compact 5-9, 210-pounder ran the 40 in the 4.4 range, had a very athletic 43VL, while posting a respectable 19 reps in the bench press.
4. Central Florida safety Michael Greco, another converted quarterback, opened some eyes at the UCF pro day when the 6-3, 217-pounder reportedly ran under 4.40 seconds in the 40, benched 225 pounds 22 times, and had a 41.5-inch vertical leap.
5. Illinois HB-WR-TE-FB Jeff Cumberland put up some outstanding numbers for a 6-5, 250-pounder as he ran a sub-4.5 40, while posting times of 4.36 in the short shuttle and 6.90 in the 3-cone drill, as well as a 35.5-inch vertical leap.
6. Unheralded William&Mary DT Sean Lissamore may have been the most impressive big guy at any pro day across the country. Lissamore measured in at a solid 6-3.5 and 298 pounds at the team's pro day, ran under 4.7 seconds for the 40; posted a 30-inch vertical while recording times of 4.55 in the short shuttle and 7.60 in the three-cone drill, both of which would have been among the top ten for DL at the combine; he also managed 26 bench press reps.
7. Arizona State MLB Travis Goethal helped himself with a solid day as he measured in at 6-2.5 and 238 pounds, ran the 40 in 4.60 seconds, while posting times of 4.22 in the short shuttle and 6.70 in the the 3-cone drill. For the record, both Goethal's 40 and 3-cone times would have been among the top 3 LBs at the combine, while he would have been close to the top 5 in the shuttle.
8. Minnesota CB Marcus Sherels who turned some heads with a sub-4.4 40 time - some teams reportedly had him running under 4.34 seconds) and vertical leap of 40 inches. For the record, Golden Gopher OLB Simoni Lawrence also had a very good day as the 6-0.5, 230-pounder ran the 40 in under 4.60 seconds, had a 10-7 broad jump, a 4.35 short shuttle and a 6.88 three-cone drill. He stood on his vertical jump time from the combine, and did position drills.
9. LSU has as many prospects for the 2010 draft as any program in the counrty, but the former Bayou Tiger that may have had the team's best pro day was unheralded WR Chris Mitchell who ran the 40 in the mid 4.4 range, posted a vertical leap of 36.5 inches and had times of 4.21 in the short shuttle and 6.76 in the 3-cone drill, both of which would have been among the top 10 figures for the position at the combine. Meanwhile, former LSU DT Al Woods impressed when the 307-pounder ran in the 5.00 flat range.
10. Kansas RB Jake Sharp put himself on the draft radar by running the 40 in under 4.45 seconds, while posting a 25-inch vertical leap, 10-4 broad jump, 4.06 short shuttle, 6.84 three-cone drill, and 19 bench press reps.
Honorable mentions: Penn State TE Mickey Shuler, who was not invited to the combine, also made some noise at the Nittany Lions' pro day as the 6-4, 250-pounder ran the 40 in around 4.65 seconds, had a 37.5-inch vertical jump; did 28 reps in the bench and posted times of 4.25 seconds in the short shuttle and a 6.70 in the 3-cone, each of which would have been among the leaders at the position at the combine. Fellow Penn State Andrew Quarless and LB Sean Lee also ran well posting times of 4.57 and 4.62 for the 40 respectively. Meanwhile, no 2010 draft prospect did more for himself during his school's pro day positional drills than Northwestern QB Mike Kafka who threw the ball extremely well at the Wildcats on-campus workout.
