Biggest Winners and Losers from Pro Day Workouts So Far
The pro day portion of the NFL draft process is chiefly important for prospects who did not work out at the NFL Scouting Combine, as it is their only opportunity to post measurables and run through positional workouts in front of a multitude of professional football teams.
Pro day results can be difficult to keep track of for NFL draft followers who do not work within the league itself. Results from each school are not always widely reported, and even when they are, the accuracy of those reported results—specifically of the 40-yard dash, which is typically hand-timed at pro days—is often disputed.
In spite of that, pro days are a significant piece of the draft puzzle. They give sleeper prospects a chance to grab teams' attention, and they provide another opportunity for combine invitees who were unable to test in Indianapolis or simply want to try to improve upon their numbers.
Those are the players whose names you will see represented in the following slides.
For prospects who already performed well at the combine, pro day performances are unlikely to have much effect on their draft stocks. Some players who didn't work out at the combine, however, might have really helped themselves at their pro days; on the other hand, a number of prospects who need to show out well in their workouts failed to impress and could fall on draft day as a result.
There are still a few pro days left on the schedule—Florida, Syracuse and Texas-El Paso will hold their events next week—while there are also some prospects recovering from injuries, such as Indiana running back Tevin Coleman, who will hold personal pro days closer to the draft. For the most part, though, pro day season is complete and ready to be looked back upon in regard to who stood out and who struggled.
Winner: Breshad Perriman, WR, Central Florida
1 of 9If any prospect is going to vault into the first round of this year's draft because of a pro day performance, it could be Breshad Perriman.
Unable to work out at the combine due to a hamstring injury, the wide receiver displayed spectacular speed at Central Florida's pro day March 25, where his 40-yard dash was clocked between 4.22 to 4.27 seconds, according to the UCF football team's Twitter account.
How fast is that time? The fastest 40 time among all combine participants, run by UAB wide receiver J.J. Nelson, was 4.28 seconds.
It's likely Perriman's time would have come in slightly slower if timed electronically, but nonetheless, he is one of the fastest players in the 2015 draft class.
What makes Perriman's 40 time particularly impressive is he measured in at 6'2" and 212 pounds, via NFL Media's Gil Brandt. By comparison, Nelson was just 5'10" and 156 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine, via NFL.com; Miami's Phillip Dorsett, who ran the second-fastest 40-yard dash among wide receivers at the combine (4.33), stood 5'10" and 185 pounds.
Perriman—who also had a 36.5-inch vertical jump, 10'7" broad jump and 18 bench press repetitions of 225 pounds at his pro day, according to Brandt—might have the best pure combination of size and speed among all wideouts in this year's draft.
That could propel Perriman into the first round, though he is not as complete a player as the top-tier receiving prospects in the class (Alabama's Amari Cooper, West Virginia's Kevin White, Louisville's DeVante Parker and Arizona State's Jaelen Strong).
Where Perriman really should be ranked on draft boards is in the same tier as Dorsett, Ohio State's Devin Smith and Auburn's Sammie Coates—all players who have the skills to be dangerous deep threats, but need to become more well-rounded in their games. Considering he measured up as both the biggest and the fastest of that group with his pro day showing, there's a good chance Perriman will also be the first drafted of that group.
Loser: Shane Ray, DE/OLB, Missouri
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The top four pass-rushing prospects in this year's draft—Florida's Dante Fowler, Clemson's Vic Beasley, Kentucky's Alvin "Bud" Dupree and Nebraska's Randy Gregory—set the bar high with their performances at the NFL Scouting Combine, where Missouri's Shane Ray was unable to participate due to a foot injury.
Ray's performance at Missouri's pro day March 19 failed to reach the height of that bar.
According to results provided to the media by Missouri (h/t KTGR's Brandon Kiley), Ray ran the 40-yard dash in 4.64 seconds, went 33 inches in the vertical jump and 10 feet in the broad jump, finished the 20-yard shuttle in 4.52 seconds and recorded a time of 7.70 seconds in the three-cone drill.
Ray's 40 time—which might have been slower if timed electronically in Indianapolis—tied Gregory (who improved to run a 4.53-second 40 in a personal pro day, according to Fox Sports' Mike Garafolo) for the slowest of that five-man group. He beat Fowler in the vertical and broad jump, but fell well short of Beasley and Fowler in the agility drills, which Dupree and Gregory did not run at the combine (but ran faster than Ray at their pro days).
All in all, Ray still had a decent showing in Columbia; the only measurable posted by the 6'3", 245-pound edge-defender that should legitimately concern NFL scouts is his three-cone time, which was slower than the times posted in that drill by every edge-defender who participated in it at the combine.
Analysts have questioned whether Ray can make the transition to outside linebacker if drafted by an NFL team that runs for a 3-4 defense. For what it's worth, Ray spoke to those concerns at the combine, via Andrew Walker at Redskins.com:
"I play with a lot of passion and a lot of energy. Throughout my career, my coaches moved me all around the defense. I've played over three techniques and beat guards, I've stood up and rushed from the middle, I've dropped into coverage and came back and covered guys coming out of the backfield. And I've just displayed my speed consistently, and what I can do as a 4-3 defensive end and outside linebacker.
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Ray's less-than-stellar workout doesn't necessarily mean he will be drafted lower than Fowler, Beasley, Dupree and Gregory. It could be said that Ray, who had 14.5 sacks for Missouri last season, was the most productive college football player of those five prospects in 2014.
The competition to be a top-10 pick among that group is tough, however, and Ray's pro day certainly didn't help his chances.
Winner: Marcus Rush, DE/OLB, Michigan State
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One of the biggest snubs from this year's combine, Marcus Rush proved he should have gotten a ticket to Indianapolis with an excellent all-around showing at Michigan State's pro day March 18.
According to NFL Media's Gil Brandt, Rush's fastest 40-yard dash time was 4.69 seconds, while he also had a 34-inch vertical jump, 9'9" broad jump, 4.24-second 20-yard shuttle and 6.75-second three-cone drill, along with 24 repetitions of 225 pounds in the bench press.
The most spectacular of those numbers is the three-cone drill time, which would have been the fastest among all defensive linemen at the combine, but all of his other numbers can also be considered above-average—pretty good for a player who has received very little attention from draft analysts, despite starting more games in his collegiate career (53) than any other player in Michigan State history.
A high-motor player who was productive for the Spartans and played with good technique and discipline, Rush has now proved he is also a high-level athlete, even by NFL standards.
Rush, who worked out as a linebacker at the pro day, projects best to playing outside linebacker in a 3-4 defensive scheme. At 6'2" and 247 pounds, he's a bit undersized to play as a defensive end.
Overall, though, Rush has the skill set to be a very solid rotational pass-rusher on the edge of an NFL defense. A team impressed by his pro day could select him on the third day of the draft and end up with a steal.
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Loser: Hau'oli Kikaha, OLB/DE, Washington
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Despite leading the Football Bowl Subdivision with 19 sacks this past season, Hau'oli Kikaha looks far more likely to be a third-round pick than a first-rounder after a disappointing performance at Washington's pro day Thursday.
After opting out of measurable drills at the combine due to an illness, Kikaha timed in the 4.9-second range in the 40-yard dash Thursday, according to WalterFootball.com's Tony Pauline. That would have given him one of the slowest 40 times among edge-defenders at the combine.
That is especially problematic for Kikaha because he is also undersized for an edge player, having measured in at just 243 pounds Thursday, according to CBS Sports' Rob Rang.
Kikaha shows terrific hand skills on tape and certainly knows how to get to the quarterback, but the reality that he is both small for a defensive end and slow for an outside linebacker is going to hurt him on draft boards throughout the NFL. Additionally, teams could also have concerns about Kikaha's medical history, given that he has torn the ACL in his left knee twice.
The rest of Kikaha's numbers at the pro day were not terrible. He recorded a 4.40-second 20-yard shuttle, 12.44-second 60-yard shuttle and 7.16-second three-cone drill, according to Rang, while he also recorded a 34.5-inch vertical jump, according to Chris Fetters of Dawgman.com.
All in all, though, Kikaha's pro day only inflated concerns some already had about whether he has the physical tools to translate his production to the NFL. He has the skill set to be a successful NFL edge-defender—most likely as a 3-4 outside linebacker—but his measurables and medicals will likely knock him out of the draft's early rounds.
Winner: Bryce Callahan, CB, Rice
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There were truly three different performers from Rice's pro day March 25 who could have been included on this list.
Defensive tackle Christian Covington proved himself to be one of the most athletic interior defensive linemen in this year's draft class by running a 4.89-second 40-yard dash, according to NFL Media's Gil Brandt, while wide receiver Jordan Taylor put up terrific numbers, including a 6.69-second three-cone drill, for a 6'4", 209-pound wide receiver.
The most impressive of all the Owls, however, was cornerback Bryce Callahan.
According to WalterFootball.com's Tony Pauline, Callahan posted a 4.32-second 40-yard dash, 43.5-inch vertical jump and 11-foot broad jump. Each of those numbers would have been good for second among cornerbacks at this year's combine.
Callahan, who did not receive an invitation to the combine, is small for an NFL defensive back. According to Optimum Scouting's Eric Galko, Callahan weighed in at just 5'10" and 184 pounds at the East-West Shrine Game in January.
That being said, Callahan was impressive on the field during Shrine Game practices, in which he showed impressive ball skills and competitiveness against bigger receivers. That came on the heels of a great career at Rice, in which Callahan recorded 13 interceptions and 32 additional pass deflections.
Given his collegiate production, ability to make plays on the ball and remarkable athleticism, Callahan should be well worth a third-day selection. He could have some trouble against bigger receivers at the next level, but he demonstrates the footwork and toughness to succeed as a nickel or dime cornerback in the slot.
Loser: Gerod Holliman, FS, Louisville
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By tying an FBS record this past season with 14 interceptions, Gerod Holliman left no doubt about his ball skills and big-play ability. There are still many questions about the rest of Holliman's game, however, and he did nothing to quiet his critics with a subpar showing at Louisville's pro day March 11.
According to NFL Media's Gil Brandt, Holliman had a best 40-yard dash time of 4.65 seconds, while he went just 27 inches in the vertical jump, had a 9'1" broad jump, finished the short shuttle in 4.45 seconds and completed the three-cone drill in 7.08 seconds.
Holliman's vertical jump and short shuttle would have placed him dead last among the defensive backs at the combine, where he did not participate in any drills due to "cramping in his hamstring," according to Bleacher Report's Matt Miller. His broad jump and 40 time would have both placed him among the bottom five defensive backs at the combine.
Those numbers raise serious red flags for a player who is projected to be a center-fielder free safety in the NFL. While he typically performed well in coverage at Louisville this past season, his numbers indicate his athleticism is not up to par for that position in the NFL.
Holliman has good size for a safety, at 6'0" and 216 pounds, but playing closer to the line of scrimmage is probably not an option for him, as his missed tackles have become as well known as his interceptions among scouts.
It now appears as though Holliman could be one of the biggest wild cards of this year's draft. While it's possible a team could take a chance on him in the early rounds because of his demonstrated playmaking ability, he could also slide into Day 3 of the draft because of his questionable athleticism and all-around game.
Winner: Damiere Byrd, WR, South Carolina
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An inconsistent collegiate player who caught just 68 passes for 1,265 yards and 10 touchdowns over four seasons, South Carolina wide receiver Damiere Byrd might not be viewed as a draftable talent. Nonetheless, an exceptional pro day earlier this week certainly increased the likelihood of a team drafting him as a late-round flier or at least signing him as an undrafted free agent.
According to NFL Media's Gil Brandt, Byrd completed a 4.28-second 40-yard dash, 42-inch vertical jump, 10'11" broad jump, 4.03-second 20-yard shuttle, 6.6-second three-cone drill and 10.90-second 60-yard shuttle inside Williams-Brice Stadium on Wednesday.
All six of those numbers would have ranked him among the top three wide receivers at the combine. And while Byrd's times in the 40 and agility drills might have been slightly slower if timed electronically, Brandt also noted those times were run on a grass surface, on which 40 times "are historically 0.13 seconds slower than those run on artificial turf."
At just 5'9" and 173 pounds, Byrd could very well be considered too small to be an NFL wide receiver. And although his athleticism and big-play ability were both evident in college, he struggled with drops at South Carolina and never emerged as a star of the Gamecocks offense.
Byrd's best shot of making it in the NFL might be as a kickoff returner, though he wasn't used regularly in that capacity at South Carolina. Even so, it should surprise no one if a team takes a chance on Byrd in the sixth or seventh round of the draft, now that he has proved he is one of the best athletes in the class.
Loser: Jarvis Harrison, G, Texas A&M
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If you've ever awoken to the horrifying realization that you were supposed to be up hours ago and you're not where you're supposed to be, you know oversleeping can be an easy mistake to make. Unfortunately, it's a mistake that often comes with consequences, and it likely will for Texas A&M offensive lineman Jarvis Harrison.
Harrison, who played both tackle and guard for the Aggies but projects as an interior lineman in the NFL, showed up late to Texas A&M's pro day on March 5. According to NFL Media's Gil Brandt, Harrison "said his wristwatch alarm clock didn't go off on time."
The tardy arrival might not have had any effect on Harrison's actual workout in College Station. He chose not to participate in the measurable drills, standing on the numbers he achieved at the NFL Scouting Combine, while he "looked very good in the positional drills" at his pro day, according to Brandt.
That, however, does not excuse the fact Harrison essentially showed up late to a job interview, especially considering he is a player whose commitment to success had already been questioned.
The Aggies benched him for their first two games last season due to conditioning concerns, according to Christopher Smith of Saturday Down South. An AFC scouting director, meanwhile, told NFL.com's Lance Zierlein that Harrison is "really, really talented" but "his work ethic is a major concern."
Another reason NFL teams could be concerned about Harrison: He refused to be interviewed by the media during his time at Texas A&M, according to The Eagle's Robert Cessna, which could turn off franchises wanting to avoid Marshawn Lynch-type situations in the future.
Based on talent alone, Harrison would be well worth a pick in the middle rounds as a potential starting guard with the versatility to also play tackle if needed. Questions about his dedication, only exacerbated by his pro day, could result in him being drafted much later, if at all.
Winner: Kristjan Sokoli, DT/DE, Buffalo
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If you've never heard of Kristjan Sokoli before, you're surely not the only one. Unlike his former Buffalo teammate, 2014 top-five pick Khalil Mack, Sokoli never emerged as a star for the Bulls; he had just 2.5 sacks and 15 total tackles for loss over the course of his four-year collegiate career.
A jaw-dropping performance at Buffalo's pro day March 12, however, has enticed the attention of NFL teams.
According to Sokoli's agent, Brett Tessler, the unheralded defensive lineman ran a 4.84-second 40-yard dash and posted a 38-inch vertical jump, 9'11" broad jump and 7.19-second three-cone drill at the pro day. All four of those numbers would have ranked first at the combine among players who project to the NFL as interior defensive linemen.
Sokoli also had 31 repetitions of 225 pounds on the bench press, according to Tessler, which would have ranked the 6'5", 290-pound prospect seventh among all defensive linemen in Indianapolis.
Zach Whitman, who tracks the measurables of NFL draft prospects for 3sigmaathlete.com, tweeted on March 16 that Sokoli had completed one of the three most impressive pro days up to that point, along with Northwestern linebacker Jimmy Hall and Marshall cornerback Darryl Roberts (who both would have been worthy inclusions for this list themselves).
Whitman also tweeted, "Sokoli is the only significant athletic match to J.J. Watt"—the best defensive player in the NFL—in his database that includes 17 draft classes of prospect measurables.
Given his limited on-field production, Sokoli remains a long shot to be drafted. His workout has led to real interest from a number of franchises nonetheless; according to Tessler, Sokoli has set up pre-draft visits with the Seattle Seahawks, New York Giants and New York Jets.
If a team's coaching staff believes it can get the best out of Sokoli and his spectacular physical makeup, it just might take a chance on him with a late-round draft selection.
All NFL Scouting Combine data courtesy of NFL.com.
Dan Hope is an NFL/NFL draft Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
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