2011 NFL Pro Days: 10 Bold Predictions for the Upcoming Pro Days
The 2011 NFL Scouting Combine may be done, but all the talk of 40-yard dashes and broad jumps has just begun.
Cameron Newton, Patrick Peterson and the rest of the nation's best NFL Draft prospects have since dispersed to their respective university campuses to prepare for their Pro Days, during which they'll be poked and prodded by scouts and front office personnel one last time before the main event in April.
For some, like LSU's Peterson, it'll be a chance to prove that a great day at the Combine was no fluke.
For others, like Auburn's Newton, it'll be an opportunity to show the world (once again) that a subpar performance at the NFL's meat market is far from indicative of actual ability.
And for those not named Julio Jones who were injured during the Combine, like USC's Tyron Smith, it'll be the first chance to put tremendous physical gifts into motion amidst tape measures and stop watches.
With that in mind, here are 10 predictions (some serious, some not, I'll let you figure out which is which) about the impending swath of Pro Days.
Patrick Peterson Breaks the Sound Barrier on Foot
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Few prospects caused more jaws to drop in Indianapolis than LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson.
The six-foot, 220-pound speedster nearly set the turf ablaze at Lucas Oil Stadium when he scampered 40 yards in 4.34 seconds, which, interestingly enough, wasn't the fastest time recorded—that distinction belongs to Miami's Demarcus Van Dyke, who clocked in at 4.28.
Then again, Van Dyke is a whole 44 pounds lighter than Peterson, which makes Peterson's performance that much more impressive.
And if you thought that was fast, just wait until you see Peterson scoot when scouts descend on Baton Rouge.
But don't forget your ear plugs; you'll need 'em when the junior from Fort Lauderdale pulls a Chuck Yeager and shatters the sound barrier.
Cam Newton Shows Scouts That He Can Throw
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Cam Newton, on the other hand, didn't exactly scorch the football world with his showing at the Combine.
Sure, this year's Heisman Trophy winner looked great hopping, skipping and jumping through the athletic drills, but left something to be desired in the skills department after completing only 11 of 21 passes in Indy.
Not that those numbers have necessarily dragged down his draft stock at all. Scouts and analysts contributed much of the blame for Newton's poor showing to a new, more NFL-friendly throwing motion, with which he clearly was not yet completely comfortable.
And with a week and a half in between the Combine and the Auburn Pro Day to fit in some reps, don't be surprised if Newton looks a whoooole lot better as a passer come March 8th.
...But Blaine Gabbert Takes Firm Control as the Top Quarterback Prospect
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As good as Cam Newton may look at his Pro Day, it'll take something tremendous on both ends to dislodge Blaine Gabbert as the best pro prospect at the quarterback position in the 2011 NFL Draft.
Gabbert left plenty of folks disappointed when he refused to throw at the Combine, though he did plenty to raise his stock by showing off his athleticism, agility and intelligence throughout the weekend.
Everyone will get to see what kind of ammo the 6'4," 234-pounder is packin' in his arm at Missouri's Pro Day on March 17th—assuming he guns it like many anticipate he will, Gabbert could take firm control over the title of "best quarterback," if not the top spot overall in the draft.
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Ryan Mallett Hits Every Throw, Misses Every Microphone
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On the other end of the spectrum is Ryan Mallett, the gun-slinging quarterback from Arkansas left scouts speechless with his on-field workouts, displaying tremendous arm strength and pinpoint accuracy along with sound fundamentals and footwork.
His own speaking, however, shocked the folks in Indy in the wrong way, as the 6'7" giant from Texas stumbled through his media session and interviews.
Mallett's Combine performance evoked memories of another quarterback named Ryan—Leaf, that is. Considering the path that Leaf followed after blowing in and out of the NFL, there's no doubt that Mallett will do whatever he must to avoid such comparisons from bubbling up to the surface.
As such, don't expect to see Mallett in front of too many cameras and microphones on March 7th. He'll be too busy tossing laser-guided bombs down the practice field with his lips sewn shut.
Julio Jones Heals the Wounded, Turns Water into Gatorade
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Elsewhere in the SEC, Julio Jones will be busy working miracles in Tuscaloosa on March 9th as Alabama plays host to its own Pro Day.
Jones did plenty to assert himself as one of the elite prospects in the 2011 NFL Draft whilst in Indy, turning in eye-popping numbers across the board, including a 4.39 in the 40-yard dash–on a fractured foot!
Imagine what kind of magic the 6'3," 220-pound uber-athlete will be able to work once he's healthy.
No doubt there are more than a few general managers out there hoping he can bring their franchises back from the dead.
Mark Ingram Hangs out in a Miami Dolphins Jersey...With His Name on It
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While Julio Jones is busy blowing minds and bringing eyesight to the blind, his Heisman-winning teammate, Mark Ingram, will likely be spending his time polishing his trophy and showing off his new Miami Dolphins threads.
It's no mystery Tony Sparano and the 'Fins are eying Ingram, the consensus top running back in this year's draft class, to fill a void in the backfield left behind by free agents Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams.
The 5'10," 215-pound 'back from Flint, Michigan projects as the type of solid, every-down-type runner that Miami so desperately needs behind quarterback Chad Henne.
Thus, as presumptuous as it'd be if Ingram arrived at his own Pro Day decked in teal-and-orange garb, it wouldn't be all that inaccurate in clairvoyant terms.
Marcell Dareus Establishes Himself as the Best of the D-Line Bunch
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Not to overdo it with the talk about 'Bama's stars (of which there are so many), but Marcell Dareus looks poised to be the most popular prospect on view on Tuscaloosa this week.
Plenty has already been written about the cavernous depth along the defensive line in this year's draft class, though no one has yet been able to pin down who's the absolute cream of the crop.
Some point to Clemson Defensive End Da'Quan Bowers, who has the look of a Julius Peppers clone. Others favor Auburn nose tackle Nick Fairley, who reminds some of a pre-Redskins Albert Haynesworth.
However, it will be Dareus who has the last laugh (or first, depending on your vantage point) once Pro Day season is all wrapped up and the NFL Draft is underway.
At 6'3" and 319 pounds, Dareus is big enough, fast enough, strong enough and athletic enough to be a force at any spot along the defensive line.
As an added bonus, Dareus comes with a much deeper portfolio than either Bowers or Fairley, each of whom was relatively anonymous until blowing up for their respective teams this season.
Dareus may not yet be generating the kind of buzz that his classmates are, but that will all change by week's end.
Stephen Paea Lifts America out of Recession
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A few steps down the ladder of defensive linemen is Oregon State's Stephen Paea, who made quite an impression on just about anyone who watched him go at it in Indy.
Fans of Pac-10 football have long known about the type of terror the 6'1," 303-pounder can be in the NFL.
After setting a Combine record with 49 reps in the 225-pound bench press, Paea is anonymous no longer.
The native New Zealander lifted just about everything at the Lucas Oil Stadium—weights, eyebrows and his own draft stock included—which has prompted President Barack Obama to enlist Paea's services in lifting the nation's economy out of the current recession.
Or, at least, such would seem like an appropriate idea to entertain.
Robert Quinn, Marvin Austin Remind Tar Heels Fans of What Could Have Been
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Perhaps no Pro Day will garner more interest and intrigue than North Carolina's at the end of March.
The contingent of Tar Heels on display will include the likes of Robert Quinn and Marvin Austin, two stars along the defensive line who spent the entire 2010 season on the sidelines after getting mixed up in a scandal involving former assistant coach John Blake and sports agent Gary Wichard.
Though both are still regarded as potential NFL stars, neither has been able to prevent the sting of sitting out a whole season from harming his draft stock.
Thus, UNC's Pro Day will be the first time that Austin (6'2," 310 pounds) and Quinn (6'5," 270 pounds) have done anything meaningful on a football field in Chapel Hill in quite a while.
Watching these behemoths strut their stuff in front of player personnel folks will bring an entirely different sting to the hearts and minds of Heels fans, whose hopes for a breakthrough season in 2010 were dashed by the absence of these two stars.
Tyron Smith Re-Asserts Himself as the Top of the Tackle Crop
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Not that the NFL Draft is prone to fancy titles, but this year's edition may be aptly described as "Defensive Linemen and the Men Who Block Them."
Among the best of those on the latter end of that description is USC's Tyron Smith. The 6'5," 307-pound offensive tackle partook in the bench press at the Combine before pulling out of the remainder of the festivities due to fluid in his knee.
However, Smith, known for his incredible strength and athleticism, apparently did enough in the measurements, with his absurdly long arms and big hands, to warrant early-to-mid-first round consideration, as those concerned about his size were put at ease when he cleared 300 pounds on the scale.
Should Smith be healthy enough to partake in more physical activities like the 40-yard dash and the 20-yard shuttle at USC's Pro Day on March 30th, he will presumable leave the likes of Colorado's Nate Solder and Boston College's Anthony Castonzo in his rearview on the way to asserting himself as the best tackle prospect in the draft.
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