2017 NFL Draft: Who's Climbing Draft Boards After Pro Day Workouts?
It's a big week for prospects in the 2017 NFL draft.
This week from coast to coast some of the biggest names in this year's class will participate in their pro day workouts in front of NFL scouts and coaches.
Tuesday, North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky tried to stake his claim as being the top prospect at the NFL's most important position.
Wednesday, USC cornerback Adoree Jackson highlighted a group of young defensive stars who attempted to bolster their stock in the upcoming draft.
Thursday held even more action, with schools from Ohio State to Stanford staging workouts.
Given all these big names and big schools, there's been no shortage of jockeying for position on mock draft boards of late.
Let's see who some of the winners have been, with a look at draft risers from the past week or so of pro days.
Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
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We'll start this off with a trip in the way back machine to the olden days of...last week.
Those were quieter, simpler times.
The defending national champions held their pro day one week ago, and the star attraction at Clemson was undoubtedly quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Watson was attempting to stake his claim as the top passer in this year's class and build on a solid outing at February's NFL Scouting Combine, while also alleviating some reservations about his ability to play under center after running mostly shotgun spread for the Tigers.
In the former regard, the NFL Network's Mike Mayock told Dan Hope of the Independent Mail that Watson was successful.
"I thought he looked good," Mayock said. "When the feet were consistent, the accuracy was there. When the feet get a little bit sloppy, he loses some of his accuracy. On the whole, I thought he had a powerful physical performance."
Throwing coach Jordan Palmer said there was also a reason why many of Watson's throws last Thursday came off play action.
"A lot of the things we did [Thursday] was play action," Palmer said. "It may look really easy, but I want to get him to the point where he’s not thinking about doing that."
Was it a flawless performance? No. As Mayock said, Watson's footwork faltered at times, and some scouts weren't overly impressed with Watson's accuracy when he threw to his left, per Hope.
Watson may not be the biggest riser at the quarterback position based solely on his pro day performance. But he did what he needed to by continuing along the positive trajectory he began at the beginning of the year when he led his team to a victory in the College Football Playoff National Championship.
Garrett Sickels, DE/OLB, Penn State
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Penn State edge-rusher Garrett Sickels isn't going to be a first-round pick. He isn't going to be a Day 2 pick either.
In fact, after a miserable showing at the combine, it didn't look like the 6'3", 261-pound Sickels was going to be drafted at all. His surprising decision to declare for the NFL draft after a promising (but not eye-popping) junior season looked all the more ill-advised.
Sickels entered last Thursday's pro day at Happy Valley with work to do. And work he did—improving his times across the board in the 40, broad and vertical jumps, and faring well in positional drills, per John McGonigal of the Centre Daily Times.
Sickels said his goal was to show that his Indiana faceplant wasn't indicative of his skill level. “It was huge,” Sickels said. “Today was a day to really check off some boxes for me, improve what I did at the combine and show these coaches what I’m capable of. The goal was to do what I knew I was capable of. I wasn’t really happy with the way I performed at the combine. Honestly, I don’t think anyone would (be).”
According to Tony Pauline of Draft Insider, Sickels accomplished that mission.
"Sickels worked both defensive line and linebacker drills," Pauline wrote, "looking very athletic and fluid in each. Teams love the fact he can line up at multiple positions and in multiple schemes, with someone referring to him as a 'Swiss Army Knife.'"
Sickels reportedly met with three teams at the pro day, and while he isn't suddenly going to rocket into Round 4 he's at least gotten back in the conversation to hear his name called in Philadelphia at the end of April.
John Johnson, S, Boston College
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In today's NFL of spread offenses, pass-catching running backs and field-stretching tight ends, versatility in the back end of the defense is all the rage.
As Boston College's John Johnson told Jim McBride of the Boston Globe, he's got just that sort of skill set.
"I came into Boston College as a corner, I got moved to strong safety [my junior year], and I played nickel that year as well and I finished up as a free safety. So, I'm open to anything and I'm willing to do anything. I think I got the body to do it, so, we’ll see."
That skill set was on display at BC's pro day earlier this week. Well, sort of—after a relatively solid outing at the NFL Scouting Combine, Johnson stood on most of his numbers in the timed drills.
However, the 6'0", 208-pounder told McBride he felt he fared well in the drills he did participate in.
"I think I did well," he said. "Kind of the same as the combine, I think I had great performances. I think here they wanted to see what I lacked or something to pick at me about. I don't think I gave them anything to pick at me about."
However, he also admitted that while he's open to playing cornerback or safety at the professional level there's some dissension among potential suitors over his best NFL fit.
"Some teams said, 'John, you're not a safety, so get that out of your head, you're a corner.' Other teams asked me what I like best," he said. "So the feedback was just to be open to anything as a defensive back and I'll be ready to do both."
Frankly, that pliable attitude in interviews and willingness to play on special teams might have done Johnson's stock more good than anything he's done in shorts in Indy or Boston.
He's not an elite athlete, but he's a capable and versatile defensive back. Johnson might still be a Day 3 pick, but he's increased the chances he might just sneak into the latter stages of the draft's second day.
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Carlos Henderson, WR, Louisiana Tech
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In the 2017 NFL draft prospect rankings at CBS Sports, Louisiana Tech wide receiver Carlos Henderson rounds out the top 10 at wide receiver. The 5'11", 199-pounder is projected by most pundits as a second or third-round pick after piling up over 1,500 receiving yards in 2016.
Scouts from all 32 teams were present for Tech's pro day earlier this week, but as Henderson told Jim Watson of the Shreveport Times, all they got to see from the main attraction was some on-field work.
"I feel good about my testing at the combine, so I'll just be doing field work," Henderson said. "It feels good to be out with the guys I've been working hard with. I'm pulling for them to have the best times and jumps they can have. I'm gonna cheer those guys on.”
You can't blame Henderson for standing on his numbers from Indianapolis. The headlines from the combine may have focused on John Ross' 4.22 record-setting 40, but Henderson wasn't exactly running in mud at 4.46.
At his pro day, per Pauline, Henderson showed good hands and route-running ability in drills run by Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter. Turron Davenport of Eagles Wire saw some Golden Tate in Henderson's game while watching film.
"Tate is a physical receiver that works the middle of the field," he said, "gaining tough yards in crucial situations. Louisiana Tech relied on Henderson to do the same in crunch time to which he delivered over and over again."
Pauline wrote that Henderson is "catching fire on draft boards," and after meeting with at least three teams in Ruston it's looking more and more likely that Henderson won't make it past Round 2 without being chosen.
Mitchell Trubisky, QB, North Carolina
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When it comes to pro days, there isn't a position where the workouts are more important than at quarterback.
It's a chance for signal-callers to show off their arm in a controlled environment with friendly faces. They can stack the deck in their favor a bit.
As Mike Mayock of the NFL Network reported (via colleague Chase Goodbread), Mitchell Trubisky took full advantage of the opportunity at North Carolina's pro day on Tuesday.
"I thought had a really solid day," Mayock said. "(The) 68 plays scripted by his quarterback coach Ryan Lindley showed off his footwork and movement skills. He doesn't have an overpowering arm, but what is he? He's a timing thrower, he's an anticipatory thrower, and he can really move, left or right. As far as his arm strength, solid. As far as ball location and accuracy, outstanding. I thought he had a really good day and I think he helped himself."
Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today agreed. "Trubisky completed 54 of 63 passes in a crisp workout that showcased his arm strength, accuracy and mobility," he wrote. "Four of Trubisky’s nine incompletions were drops, three of which were catchable but thrown behind the targets. The other five incompletions were overthrown."
The 6'2", 222-pound Trubisky indicated that in addition to the Kansas City Chiefs, he has private workouts scheduled with the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers—all of whom have picks early in Round 1 and a glaring need under center.
Trubisky also informed reporters that he's accepted an invitation to attend the first night of the NFL draft on April 27 in Philadelphia.
Tuesday's workout can only have helped the chances he won't have to sit in the Green Room very long.
Obi Melifonwu, DB, Connecticut
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As Connecticut safety Obi Melifonwu told Shawn McGrath of SB Nation, he's tried to make the most of the pre-draft process, from January's Senior Bowl to the NFL Scouting Combine and finally UConn's pro day on Wednesday.
"I think the whole process, from my senior season, to the Senior Bowl, the combine and now pro days have all been beneficial and a help," Melifonwu said. "I think [the Senior Bowl] helped reassure what I could already do."
The 6'4", 224-pound safety, who tallied 118 tackles for the Huskies in 2016, started creating buzz when he worked out at cornerback in Mobile, Alabama. Then he blew the doors off the combine, peeling off a 4.4 flat in the 40-yard dash.
At 6'4" and 224 pounds.
It's not surprising that Melifonwu stood on that 40 time, but he told McGrath he was eager to show at his pro day that he has the footwork and agility to play any position in the secondary.
"I wanted to show, being a taller guy, that I'm smoother out of my breaks," said Melifonwu. "I wanted to show I had a little bit of range."
Not only did he do that, but Melifonwu participated in the three-cone drill and 60-yard shuttle, two drills that he decided to skip in Indy.
His time Wednesday in the shuttle (10.95 seconds) would have topped all safeties in Indianapolis by over a quarter of a second. In fact, it would have topped every player but one regardless of position.
Six months ago, Melifonwu was viewed by most as an uninspiring Day 3 draft pick. Now it's entirely within the realm of possibility he won't get out of the first round.
Adam Shaheen, TE, Ashland
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No one will blame you if you haven't heard of Adam Shaheen.
The 6'6", 278-pound tight end spent last season tearing up the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference for Ashland University.
No one will blame you if you haven't heard of them either.
However, after watching tape of the physically imposing Shaheen, one AFC personnel director told Lance Zierlein of NFL.com his interest was piqued.
"I watched him for two games and turned the tape off because I want to see him live in Indy before I develop any more of an opinion of him," he said. "I saw some things that has me very excited."
Shaheen didn't disappoint in Indianapolis. His 24 bench press reps tied for the most among tight ends. His 40-yard dash time ranked inside the top 10 at the position—no small feat given his immense size.
Wednesday, Ashland held a pro day in front of personnel from half the NFL's teams—a sentence that may well have never been typed before.
Per CBS-19 TV in Cleveland, Shaheen put on a show at the pro day, making a number of one-handed, highlight reel-style catches in positional drills.
Now, the tight end no one has heard of is projected as a second-round pick by CBS Sports.
For his part, Shaheen is trying to keep all this in perspective, according to Patrick Maks of the Browns' website.
"It's going to be completely different. That's the biggest knock on me playing Division II. Am I able translate my game to the next level?" he said. "I think I have the size, speed and athleticism. With the right coaching, it's going to be a good opportunity for me."
Yes, he's humble too.
Isn't that annoying?
Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State
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After a 2016 season that saw him emerge as arguably the nation's top cornerback and a fantastic showing at the NFL combine that included a blazing 4.36-second 40-yard dash, there wasn't much left for Ohio State cornerback Marshon Lattimore to prove at his pro day Thursday.
However, the 6'0" 193-pounder took the field in Columbus to participate in position drills. According to Tim May of the Columbus Dispatch, Lattimore did so in part to dispel reports that he tweaked his oft-injured hamstring while he was in Indianapolis at the combine.
You know, because his 40 time was so slow.
"There's gonna be people who try to bring you down," Lattimore said. "It is what it is. That's why I had to come out here and show them. I wanted to come out and show that I'm not injured."
Frankly, the grumblings about Lattimore's hammy smacks more of a disinformation campaign that legitimate criticism, especially when you consider what one AFC personnel director told Lance Zierlein of NFL.com about him.
"I've studied the top cornerbacks coming out, and he's the best I've seen," he said. "He's so athletic that he can just post up under the receiver's chin and shadow him all over the field. And he's tough, too. He'll be one of the top cornerbacks pretty quickly."
Like Lattimore, teammate Gareon Conley stuck to positional drills Thursday as he tries to solidify his case as a first-round corner. Safety Malik Hooker, still recovering from shoulder and hernia surgeries, didn't participate but is locked into the top half of the first round.
But the case can be made that Lattimore had the most on the line Thursday. It was his last best chance to leave no doubt that he's the best cover man in this draft class and a certain top-10 (if not top-five) pick.
If the reviews of his movement in drills are any indication, he did just that.
DeShone Kizer, QB, Notre Dame
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Headed into February's scouting combine, it was generally considered a three-man race to be the first quarterback selected in the 2017 NFL draft.
There was Clemson's Deshaun Watson and North Carolina's Mitchell Trubisky, otherwise known as the other two signal-callers I mentioned in this piece.
Then there was Notre Dame's DeShone Kizer, who participated in Notre Dame's pro day on Thursday.
After struggling mightily throwing the ball in Indianapolis, Kizer came into Thursday's workout needing a good showing to salvage any chance of being selected in the first round this year.
Per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, ESPN's Todd McShay (who was in attendance) believes Kizer got one.
"The big thing I was looking for at least today was the footwork under center, dropping and just the timing with he and his receivers when he's working under center," McShay said. "I counted five throws that were off, and they were all in the middle of the field, deep crossers, in-cutting routes. He did a great job I thought on mostly the deep balls, especially the ones down the right and the left rail. So overall a very good day from DeShone Kizer, and we saw kind of what we expected to see in terms of the arm strength and the ability to make very difficult throws look easy."
Kizer said to NFL Network's Mike Mayock that he had plenty to prove Thursday, per Cabot.
"There was a clear question mark on some of the consistency with some throws and some accuracy things, so I wanted to come out and show what I've been working on for the last two months," he said. "Defining my footwork, defining my mechanics and showing that I can be a consistent thrower at the highest level."
Kizer's workout wasn't flawless, and McShay indicated he still ranks him third among the "Big Three" quarterbacks. But he also stated, "I think probably he has the strongest arm. He has the biggest upside of all of these quarterbacks.''
Former scout Greg Gabriel is on board with that assessment. "Kizer won't be the first QB drafted," he tweeted, "maybe not the second, but in three years he will be the best QB to come out of this class. Book it!"
Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford
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At the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine, Stanford's Christian McCaffrey worked out with the running backs. He fared quite well, finishing tied for fourth at the position with a 4.48 40, second with a 37.5" vertical and first in the three-cone drill and 60-yard shuttle.
Given those stellar numbers, it's no surprise that McCaffrey stood on them at Stanford's pro day on Thursday.
However, the 5'11", 202-pounder still had something of a trick up his sleeve. As he told Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post, Thursday was all about showing off his skills as a pass-catcher.
"It's something I pride myself on, being extremely versatile and I feel like I can do that stuff," he said. "To show coaches I can play running back, I can play receiver. I can do all the return game stuff, that's important to me."
In front of representatives from all 32 NFL teams, McCaffrey spent the entirety of the workout running routes, catching balls from the Jugs machine and fielding punts.
In other words, showing off the other half of the skill set that made him one of the most versatile weapons in college football in 2015 and 2016.
And just as he did with the Cardinal, McCaffrey shined.
It was a very wise use of workout time. There appear to be two camps where McCaffrey's NFL future are concerned—those who value his versatility and those who question whether he can be anything more than a third-down back at the professional level.
By highlighting what made McCaffrey great at Stanford, he did a great job of building on the momentum he established in Indianapolis.
And helped his chances of being a Round 1 pick on April 27.
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