NFL Draft Questions Left to Be Answered at Remaining Pro Days

As the NFL offseason rolls on, we find ourselves in the midst of the tradition of college pro days. These are on-campus workouts that universities hold that allows NFL teams who are interested in particular players to watch them work in an very intimate setting, under an extremely controlled environment.

Fortunately, for many prospects the individual workouts are all NFL teams have to go on in terms of evaluation until they return to the film. Many players have a real shot to improve their draft stock with strong workouts, and conversely, could crush their stock if they fall flat. 

Here are five questions that should be answered in the coming weeks during these individual pro days. Strong performances could cement these players in very high draft spots. The talent is there for all these guys, but circumstances have made it such that the pro day is the biggest event of their offseason.

Unless specified, all player data courtesy of the college football secion of sportsreference.com

NFL combine data courtesy of the NFL.com combine pages.

Is Bryce Petty the Third Best Quarterback in the Draft?

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There is zero consensus among the league or draft media as to which quarterback will be the third quarterback off the board. Meanwhile everyone agrees in that some order Florida State’s James Winston and Oregon’s Marcus Mariota will both come off the board in the first round.

However, there are several quarterbacks in that second tier making a strong case to be that next pick off the board. One of those quarterbacks vying for that position is Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty. Petty racked up an unreal 8,055 yards passing and 61 touchdowns in two years as a starter.

But even with those gaudy numbers, there are legit questions about how Petty’s game will translate to the NFL. In an interview with Max Olson on ESPN.com, Petty addressed those concerns.

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We do have a knock for our offense and how it translates, but at the same time, man, to me it's all about the person. That's what I try to lobby. You can measure my height, weight and hand size, look at my film, but you can't measure work ethic and heart and desire to win and drive to be the best. I'm going to put in all the work I can to be the best. I'll bring a certain energy and passion about the game. I'm not worried about it at all. I'm excited. I know I'm going to take my bumps and bruises and get yelled at here and there, but that's part of the process. I'm going to give it my all and that's what I'm trying to lobby. If you're not with that or you're calling B.S., that's fine. Hopefully someone will take that and run with it.

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Even with an attitude that NFL teams have to love, Petty still needs to wow at his pro day on March 18, if he wants to move ahead of UCLA Brett Hundley. Handley has the athletic edge, but Petty is a much more polished passer. At his pro day, Petty would be well-served to try and better his 4.87 40-yard dash time and give NFL teams a better look at his ability to throw a more complete route tree than the Baylor offense showed.

Can Petty end up the third quarterback selected? Absolutely. Even with the concerns about how his game translates, his skill set is much safer than what Hundley has shown. So, if Petty is coming off the board that soon, could he sneak into the first round? That’s a stretch with the number of quarterback moves that have happened already in free agency. This could be a great thing for Petty if he can end up on a team that doesn’t need him on the field right away.

What Do You Do for an Encore, Chris Conley?

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One of the real stars of the NFL combine was Georgia wide receiver Chris Conley. All he did was show up at Indianapolis at 6’2” and 213 pounds and absolutely crush the drills. His 4.35 40-yard dash, 18 reps on bench press 45-inch vertical jump and 139-inch broad jump were among the top marks for any wide receiver.

Conley’s performance put him squarely on the radar of any NFL team. It also sent any team looking for a wide receiver running to some Georgia game tape to see if his game approaches the show he put on at the combine. What most teams found was a wide receiver that lacks polish in his route tree and minimal physicality at the line of scrimmage as well as fighting for the football.

These gaps in Conley’s game make his pro day vital if he wants to maintain his momentum from the combine. CBSsports.com currently has Conley at No. 158 overall prospect on the heels of his combine performance. That’s a number to watch as Conley’s skills will be put on full display on March 18.

There’s no way that Conley is going to run. Why would he? No, he’ll sit on his numbers from the combine, but should go through a full workout. Without real defense, the areas Conley can really impress NFL teams would be in his pad level through his routes and more calm to his feet. On film, Conley wastes too many steps in his routes and getting up to speed. If Conley wants to keep his name relevant in a crowded class, this pro day will be crucial.

Can Shane Ray Gain Ground on the Field?

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Often times, players can lose ground during the offseason by no fault of their own. That appears to be the case with Missouri defensive end/outside linebacker Shane Ray. Ray was unable to work out at the combine due to a toe injury, and that was the worst thing that could happen.

While Ray stood by, guys like Clemson’s Vic Beasley and Florida’s Dante Fowler Jr., put on a show at the combine. With the fluid nature of the draft, that means many mock drafts supplanted Ray with one of these players at the top of the first round, and gives Ray something to work for.

The film on Ray is tremendous. His first step and ability to turn the corner is special. Ray set single-season Missouri records with 14.5 sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss in 2014. His talent was never in question, and even being a no-show at the combine, his place in the top half of the first round is secure.

Nevertheless, Ray needs a big pro day if he wants to stay in the mix to be the first or second edge player off the board. Fowler and Beasley ran impressive 40-yard dash times, and hopefully Ray is ready to match or top what they did. As much as everyone likes to diminish the value of these triangle numbers, there’s little doubt they matter to the league or they would not continue to do it.

IS P.J. Williams a First-Round Pick?

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For all the depth of this cornerback class, it is just dying for another first-round prospect or two. Right now, the only cornerback that has secured a first-round pick is Michigan State cornerback Trae Waynes. And the way he did it was by running a ridiculous 4.31 40-yard dash at the combine. Once that happened, his spot as the top cornerback was cemented.

The question then becomes, “who is the next best cornerback in the draft?” and how high could they be drafted? One player that looked the part was Florida State cornerback P.J. Williams. However, a lackluster combine put his ability to even be a first-round pick into question.

On March 31, when the NFL depends on Tallahassee, Williams can mend fences with a blazing 40 time, and impress scouts by cleaning up his technique. Williams’ film was up and down, so using the drills at the combine to show he is capable of more polish in his backpedal as well proving his hips can flit and get up to speed in a hurry. Williams, at his best, is as good as any cornerback in this draft. No better place to show it than at his pro day.

Is Tevin Coleman the Third Running Back off the Board?

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Much like Williams, Indiana running back Tevin Coleman is staring up at the top spot at his position with no real shot to attain it. So like Williams, the best Coleman can hope to is to move up as far as possible on team’s boards and try and secure as high a pick as possible.

Coleman was one of the most productive running backs in all of college football in 2014 with 2,036 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns. Unfortunately, playing for Indiana means you don’t get a lot of publicity on a national scale.

And also unfortunately, because Coleman opted for surgery on an injured toe, he has yet to work out for teams this offseason. First Coleman missed the combine, and will also miss the team’s official pro day on March 30.

However, NFL teams are going to get a closer look at this 5’11”, 206-pound ball of violence and speed. Coleman will have a personal pro day on April 15, where he will be able to show the league he is healthy and would be ready to go at the start of the season.

That’s the reality of Coleman’s draft stock. A great pro day by Coleman would go a long way toward making him the third running back off the board. A strong workout, including a fast 40, in addition to a clean bill of health could help Coleman move way right in behind Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon and Georgia’s Todd Gurley.