Texas Football: What We Learned from Longhorns' 2015 Pro Day
The group workout phase is over for the Longhorns' 2015 NFL draft hopefuls, who took the field on Tuesday for the program's annual pro day. Overall, there were few surprises.
Malcom Brown, Jordan Hicks, Quandre Diggs and even Malcolm Brown were in pretty good standing since participating in the combine. They each did what they had to and solidified their positions.
John Harris and Jaxon Shipley weren't invited to Indianapolis this season, but they would have fit in with their performances on Tuesday. Texas' leading receivers from last season each showed well, and they should at least end up in a training camp this offseason.
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Unfortunately, Cedric Reed has an uphill battle before he can say the same thing about his NFL future.
Malcom Brown Locked Into the First Round
Long considered a first-round talent, Malcom Brown looked the part on Tuesday, and it would be a shock to see him fall out of the top 25 picks.
Brown had position coaches from the Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals putting him through the wringer on Tuesday. Kris Kocurek of the Lions told HornsDigest's Chip Brown he's been impressed with Brown's consistent effort both on the field and in these workouts:
"He worked really hard during the workout, especially as a single guy at his position. Usually in these Pro Days there are a couple guys at his position working with him, so he'll get a little rest.
So for him to push through with three different coaches making demands on him was impressive. You can tell he's a hard worker.
"
The Lions need a replacement for departed free agent Ndamukong Suh, whom Brown said he tries to emulate on the field.
Bleacher Report's Matt Miller expects Detroit to take Texas' elite tackle at No. 23 overall. That slot makes a lot of sense, though there are several tackle-needy teams that would scoop him up before the turn.
Other Combine Participants Hold Their Ground
Jordan Hicks had to prove his combine wasn't a one-off, Quandre Diggs had to show he could make up for his size, and Malcolm Brown needed to check off the speed column. All three met their respective goals, backing up solid combine performances.
One NFL scout told HornsDigest's Brown he didn't see Hicks falling past the third round, and it's easy to see why. He has good size, put up some great film as a healthy senior and has moved well considering he lost two seasons to lower-body injuries.
Miller projects Hicks to go in the third round, and he'd be going higher were the injuries not such a strong deterrent.
Diggs, a probable nickel corner, currently projects in the same neighborhood. He's undersized at 5'9", but as he told 247Sports' Chris Hummer, he's motivated to compensate for that deficiency.
"I think (my motivation) shows in the interviews, and I’m going to prove a lot of people wrong," Diggs said. "That’s been my mentality my entire life. I’m not going to get any taller than 5-foot-9, so I’m just going to go ball."
Diggs has the feet and the mentality to be successful in spite of his stature. His draft slot will depend on fit, but he's bound to win somebody over with his personality and pure football skill.
Last among the combine performers was running back Malcolm Brown, who shocked everyone with some sub-4.5 times in the 40-yard dash. Wescott Eberts of SB Nation believes every scout will add .1 to every time, but even that shows some wheels for a guy who weighs 224 pounds.
All told, these three did exactly what they had to do.
Harris, Shipley Enter the Late-Round Discussion
It's somewhat surprising that neither John Harris nor Jaxon Shipley, Texas' leading receivers last season, got a combine invite. They proved their worth on Tuesday.
Of the two, Harris looks the most like an NFL wideout. He's 6'2" with good bulk, and he ran well enough to earn a private workout over the next month. Most importantly, his tape is going to show a player who can get open at every level of the field.
However, it was Shipley who was the most impressive of the two. He turned in some surprising sub-4.4 times, and predictably he ran sharp routes and caught everything that came his way.
The measurables indicate some potential for Shipley out of the slot. His lack of size and history of being constantly nicked up will make him a tough draft, but nobody with his skills will be shut out of training camp.
Cedric Reed to Go Undrafted?
It's been a tough year for Cedric Reed, who saw both his production and draft stock fall off a cliff. His best hope is that some excellent junior tape is enough for him to get drafted.
A big, long, physical defensive end, Reed piled up 10 sacks in a breakout 2013 to soar up some early 2015 draft boards.
It's been mostly downhill since, as Reed only mustered 5.5 sacks in 2014, with three coming in one game. A torn meniscus seems partially to blame, and it's now kept him from working out at all in front of scouts with only a month before the draft begins.
Per 247Sports' Jeff Howe, Reed seems confident he will still get some private workouts in time to make an impression. Will it be enough after the down year? One can only hope for a player who has been hit with bad luck at the absolute worst time.
Texas Really Missed David Ash in 2014
There's one big takeaway from Texas' pro day completely irrelevant to the NFL draft. That would be David Ash, and how much the Horns missed him last season.
With no risk whatsoever of getting hit, Ash came out and let it rip for his former teammates trying to make professional futures for themselves. Seriously, he was dropping rocks in a well.
BYU, TCU and Arkansas were all losses no matter what. But had Ash not been forced to retire due to persistent concussion problems, Texas' other four defeats could have gone another way with throws like these being unleashed.
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