Monday potential professional football players took the next step in making it to the NFL with their Pro Days work outs. Over the next five weeks prospects all over the country will do their best to impress general managers, coaches and scouts, many of whom didn’t get invited to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis two weekends ago.
Minnesota, Tennessee-Chattanooga, Troy, Virginia and Wake Forest started off the Pro Day schedule Monday, with tight end Maxx Williams putting on a show for 20 scouts, displaying why he chose to turn pro after his redshirt sophomore season. Williams shined in position drills and reportedly let his combine numbers in the 40-yard dash and jumps stand on their own. UT-C outside linebacker Davis Tull drew representatives from 22 teams to his workout in Chattanooga and this will be the only time they can see him in action before the draft. Tull is going in for surgery on a torn labrum Wednesday. Even with the injury, Tull put down a 4.57 40-yard dash at the combine.
Edge-rusher Eli Harold from Virginia also got a good look from 20 scouts Monday, trying to raise his stock by outperforming some of his combine workouts. Wake Forest cornerback Kevin Johnson only drew four scouts, but they were all from teams with need at defensive back.
Tuesday Auburn, Duquesne, James Madison, Northwestern, Pitt, Sam Houston State and Tuskegee hold their Pro Days. Auburn wideout Sammie Coates will likely get the most attention, but center Reese Dismukes can do a lot to move up from his second-round projection. Division II’s Tuskegee has an interesting prospect in 5-foot-11, 215-pound linebacker El’Malik Chinn who recorded 101 tackles, 5.5 for a loss, a sack, three pass defenses and one fumble recovery last season. Chinn probably projects more as a strong safety in the NFL so it will be interesting to see the results from his workout.
Three SEC schools hold their Pro Days on Wednesday, with Purdue joining Arkansas, Mississippi State and Texas A&M. FCS’ Weber State will also put on its prospect show, with eyes on 5-foot-11, 190-pound wide receiver Shaydon Kehano from Keneohe, Hawaii. Kehano caught 82 passes for 976 yards and eight touchdowns last season and, what may add value for him in the later rounds of the draft or as an undrafted free agent, he was the team’s punt returner averaging 9.3 yards per return.
As the month goes on, the number of teams working out each day picks up. UAB holds its final Pro Day ever on March 10. Wide receiver J.J. Nelson will get a chance to show off more of what he can do in pass catching drills after a tremendous combine performance where he laid down the fastest time of the event in the 40-yard days, a 4.28.
Alabama will hold its Pro Day on March 11 on the same day as USC, Wisconsin, Louisville and Oklahoma so scouting staffs will be stretched thin. On the opposite end of the spectrum, March 14 will see only one Pro Day at Prairie View A&M where senior linebacker Jerome Howard will likely draw the most attention. The 6-foot, 216-pound linebacker recorded 119 tackles, with 16 for a loss and 7.5 sacks last season.
March 19 will be the first chance Missouri defensive end Shane Ray will get a chance to work out for scouts as he was held out of the combine by his doctors.
Indiana will hold its Pro Day on March 30 but running back Tevin Coleman won’t participate. Instead, he’ll hold his own Pro Day on April 15. UConn’s Pro Day will be March 31, the same day as Florida State’s. UConn’s is interesting because defensive back Byron Jones set a new world record in the broad jump at the NFL combine, jumping 12-foot, 3 inches. Jones didn’t run because of a shoulder injury so March 31 will be the first chance scouts can see him lay down a 40-yard dash and do all the defensive back drills.
Florida State’s Pro Day will strain scouting resources then because of the sheer number of potential NFL players they’ll have on the field working out. Not only is Jameis Winston, likely the No. 1 pick, working out, but the Seminoles had the most players invited to the NFL combine and even those that didn’t make that list will get plenty of attention at their Pro Day.
The final Pro Day is scheduled for April 9 and UTEP will have that day all to itself.
The full schedule is below.
March 3
- Auburn
- Duquesne
- James Madison
- New Mexico State
- Northwestern
- Pittsburgh
- Sam Houston State
- Tuskegee
March 4
- Arkansas
- Mississippi State
- Purdue
- Texas A&M
- Weber State
March 5
- Arkansas (Monticello)
- Clemson
- Illinois
- Mississippi
- Nebraska
- New Mexico
- Utah State
March 6
- Appalachian State
- Arizona State
- Newberry
- Northern Illinois
- Southern Mississippi
March 9
- Ball State
- Grand Valley State
- Montana
- Northern Arizona
March 10
- Akron
- Alabama-Birmingham
- Arizona
- Army
- Harvard
- Kansas State
- Kent State
- Monmouth
- Samford
- Tennessee State
- UCLA
March 11
- Alabama
- Central Arkansas
- Cincinnati
- Colorado State
- Eastern Washington
- Emporia State
- Louisville
- Marshall
- Oklahoma
- Rice
- Rutgers
- South Florida
- USC
- Wisconsin
March 12
- Buffalo
- Delaware
- Fresno State
- Idaho
- Kentucky
- Miami (Ohio)
- Michigan
- Oklahoma State
- Oregon
- UNLV
- Washington State
- Wyoming
March 13
- Georgia State
- Georgia Tech
- Ohio State
- Oregon State
- West Virginia
March 14
- Prairie View A&M
March 16
- Bowling Green
- Idaho State
- Montana State
- Toledo
March 17
- California
- Eastern Michigan
- Richmond
- Southern Illinois
March 18
- Baylor
- Boise State
- Boston College
- Charleston Southern
- Georgia
- Louisiana-Monroe
- Memphis
- Michigan State
- San Jose State
- Virginia Tech
- Western Kentucky
March 19
- Hawaii
- Louisiana Tech
- Maine
- Missouri
- Penn State
- San Diego State
- Stanford
- Temple
- Western Michigan
- William and Mary
March 20
- Central Michigan
- Harding
- Valdosta State
March 23
- Georgia Southern
- Iowa
- North Carolina State
- Texas State
- Texas-San Antonio
March 24
- East Carolina
- Iowa State
- North Carolina
- Northern Iowa
- Northwestern State
- Ohio
- Texas
March 25
- Central Florida
- Duke
- Illinois State
- Kansas
- Louisiana-Lafayette
- Nevada
- SMU
- South Dakota State
- Southeastern Louisiana
- Tennessee
March 26
- Fordham
- Hobart
- Houston
- Middle Tennessee State
- North Dakota State
- North Texas
- Tulane
- Utah
March 27
- Brigham Young
- Louisiana State
- Missouri Western State
- Texas Christian
- Webber International
March 30
- Indiana
- Massachusetts
- South Alabama
March 31
- Connecticut
- Florida State
- Notre Dame
- Stephen F. Austin
- Yale
April 1
- Florida International
- Miami (Fla.)
- South Carolina
April 2
- Florida Atlantic
- Maryland
- Washington
April 7
- Florida
- Syracuse
April 9
- UTEP
April 15
- Indiana (RB Telvin Coleman)
