NFL Combine 2015: Remaining Workout Schedule and Day 4 Predictions

The 2015 NFL Scouting Combine really began to heat up Friday. Offensive linemen, tight ends and specialists took the field for workouts, and the long-awaited press conference with Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston was held.

One surprising name that stood out from the rest was Oregon tackle Jake Fisher. At 6'6" and 300 pounds, he displayed natural athleticism and finished as a top performer in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, three-cone drill and 20-yard shuttle. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller tweeted his opinion:

The tight end everyone was watching was Minnesota's Maxx Williams. The 6'4", 249-pound Williams showed a great deal of athletic ability, putting together a solid performance that included a 4.78-second 40-yard dash and 34.5" vertical jump while looking fluid in positional drills and catching the football. 

Perhaps the biggest news from the day came from Winston's press conference. He showed a great deal of confidence while at the podium and gave us all something to look forward to Saturday.

Let's take a look at the combine's remaining workout schedule and rattle off a few predictions for what will transpire during Day 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium.

2015 NFL Scouting Combine Information

Date	Time (ET)	Workouts	TV
Sat., Feb. 21	9 a.m.	RB, QB, WR	NFLN
Sun., Feb. 22	9 a.m.	LB, DL	NFLN
Mon., Feb. 23	9 a.m.	DB	NFLN

All combine dates and times courtesy of NFL.com.

Live Stream: NFL Now

Online Coverage: NFL.com

Mobile: NFL Mobile

Day 4 Predictions

Running Back

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Running backs have seemingly decreased in value recently, as not a single player from the position has been selected in the draft's first round over the past two years. This year, the likes of Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon and Georgia's Todd Gurley aim to change that trend.

All eyes Saturday will be on Gordon, as Gurley won't be participating in Indianapolis due to his recovery from a torn ACL. Interestingly enough, the running back refused to allow his surgically repaired knee to be examined by doctors at the combine, according to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. Once his knee heals enough to have it checked out, we'll have a better idea of his status.

So back to Gordon. At 6'1" and 215 pounds, he certainly has the size of an NFL running back, although some would argue he doesn't have a well-rounded skill set. Gordon is an impressive runner, combining agility, speed and strength to be a tremendous force with the ball in his hands. However, he isn't an experienced receiver, and due to Wisconsin's run-first mentality, he may lack in pass protection as well.

Gordon has a great chance to go in the first round of the draft, and during a press conference, via Bob McGinn of the Journal Sentinel, he spoke of his drive to show he can produce in all aspects of the game:

"

[Improving as a receiver] was real important. Not just to boost my NFL stock but to help our team in a different way. I didn't get as many opportunities as other people. I know that. There's still some questions about me being able to catch the ball. I know that, too. But the opportunities I got, I did my best to show people that I can catch the ball and people can count on me in the passing game.

"

Expect Gordon to run a respectable 40-yard dash Saturday—perhaps somewhere in the vicinity of 4.45 seconds—while showing enough athletic ability to impress scouts during his positional drills. Catching passes won't be quite as crucial as many would think, as some teams that need a running back will be looking to add a player like Gordon simply due to his production and size.

Gordon won't light up the combine, but he'll put on enough of a show to warrant consideration in the latter half of the first round.

Quarterback

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Winston and Marcus Mariota will be the most-watched players Saturday, as both quarterbacks have made the decision to throw at the combine. Winston is thought to be more ready for the NFL, as his experience in Florida State's pro-style offense should keep development to a minimum; however, in his press conference, Mariota was confident in his own ability, via Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com.

When asked about his inexperience making NFL throws, Mariota responded, "That's other people's opinions. ... All it takes is for one team to believe in me. ... Any motivation starts with some type of doubt. As an athlete, I've built my motivation over the years as well, but a lot of that stuff you have to put in the past and not worry about that.''

He'll get a chance to begin proving his doubters wrong Saturday.

As for Winston, he'll be throwing on a shoulder that was recently tested for weakness. He touched on the topic during his press conference, via ESPN's Chris Mortensen, saying, "I had an MRI [on Thursday], just like everyone else. I've been playing football for, since I was 4 years old, and my shoulder has been fine."

Which player has the advantage? Let's start with their measurables, courtesy of NFL Network:

Both players certainly have the right size for the NFL—perhaps Mariota's bigger hands gives him the slight nod in this category. But they both still need to go out there, participate in all of the drills and make all of the throws.

Expect both quarterbacks to perform well in Indianapolis. They each have the opportunity to showcase their strong arms, footwork and athleticism. Mariota will likely come away with a more impressive overall workout due to his great athletic ability; however, Winston will show he's a polished passer and will likely remain No. 1 on most big boards.

Wide Receivers

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The depth of this year's wide receiver class is enormous, and standing out from the crowd will be a difficult task for all prospects. Alabama's Amari Cooper comes in as the top-ranked player on most big boards, but while he's polished, he doesn't have the size of Kevin White or Dorial Green-Beckham.

Watching those three work out will be highly entertaining; however, let's shift our focus to anther tier of wide receivers. These players may not wind up being first-round selections, but they will be tremendous value picks in the second round and beyond due to their blazing speed and shiftiness. The prospects in question here are Miami's Phillip Dorsett, Auburn's Sammie Coates and Ohio State's Devin Smith.

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Dorsett is an intriguing player. His size of 5'10" and 183 pounds will probably make him a slot receiver in the NFL, but he's known for taking the top off defenses with great acceleration and top-end speed. He's certainly a player to watch in the 40-yard dash, and during his Friday media session, via Bryan Fischer of NFL.com, he confirmed the hype about his speed.

Said Dorsett, "I ran a lot of 40's at Miami, but it's all hand-timed. I ran a lot of 4.2's, but it's hand-timed, so it doesn't matter. Only thing that matters is what that clock says."

Chris Johnson's record of 4.24 seconds may be in jeopardy. It's difficult to predict Dorsett will beat Johnson's all-time mark, but don't be surprised if the quick wide receiver runs something around 4.27 seconds.

Coates topped Bruce Feldman's annual "Freaks" list in 2014. The 6'1", 212-pound wide receiver has a tremendous blend of size, speed and strength that makes him difficult to match up against on the football field. He already displayed his power in Indianapolis, as his 23 reps on the bench press tied for best among wide receivers. His show will continue Saturday.

According to Feldman, Coates has already been clocked at an average of 4.25 seconds in the 40-yard dash and has a vertical jump of 44 inches. If he can put up anything close to those numbers at the combine, his draft stock will likely skyrocket. Expect Coates to finish as a top performer in every drill.

Another speedster to watch is Smith. The former Buckeye made a living torching secondaries at Ohio State, and that speed will likely be on display once again at the combine. Smith has good size at 6'1" and 199 pounds and is dangerous in the open field.

While Smith is likely to run a sub-4.4-second 40-yard dash, his biggest challenge will come during positional drills. He doesn't have naturally soft hands and can catch against his chest at times. If he can run a clean gauntlet, he should solidify himself as at least a second-round prospect.