NFL Draft 2011: The Biggest Pro Day Surprises Thus Far?
We continue to roll through the month of March, and the only thing scheduled on the NFL calendar is the Annual Player Selection Meeting, also known as, the NFL draft.
The NFL scouting combine gave us a great look at a good amount of prospects, and they have now returned to their schools in effort to show off one last time in front of a large audience.
Draft boards are far from set, but they certainly are becoming clearer at the top, middle and bottom in respect to certain players.
One such player, LSU's Patrick Peterson, has officially become the talk of the "draft season" over his conference rival, Cam Newton, but even he could be surpassed tomorrow when Missouri's Blaine Gabbert FINALLY throws, and we can start talking about the quarterback competition for the No. 1 pick.
Peterson's name will not disappear at all, but it is intriguing to me to hear so much chatter about a cornerback going first overall, despite the fact that I believe he is far and away the best player in this draft.
That is not the only surprising thing to me though, and here some other big pro day surprises thus far in the draft process.
Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU
1 of 10
Since season's end, Patrick Peterson has sat comfortably atop my big board as the No. 1 prospect, and that will not change; he is the best player in this draft.
Peterson's combine was tremendous; he stood on his numbers and did position drills in front of a massive crowd and left everyone talking.
Even with his talent and a new CBA likely making it affordable for a corner to go so high, I found it hard to believe that a team like the Panthers would actually take him at No. 1 overall.
Every team in the league could use a shutdown corner (especially with all the nonsense rules that say you cannot touch someone in tackle football), but technically speaking, a team can neutralize him by simply avoiding him.
Yes, this does cut the field down considerably, but it's an interesting double-edged sword in the football world. Peterson is a playmaker that can limit a team's best offensive weapon on the outside but is also a dynamic playmaker with the ball in his hands; you want teams to throw at him.
As for a disruptive defensive lineman who can alter every offensive snap or a quarterback who touches the ball every play, the No. 1 overall pick makes more sense.
I am certainly surprised by Peterson garnering this attention (which he certainly deserves), but I am a bit surprised that it may be real possibility.
Da'Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson
2 of 10
This has a lot to do with speculation/rumors, but it certainly is intriguing and a bit surprising to me overall.
Bowers is a bit of an enigma because he only had one season where he dominated in sacks.
His knee injury is not a first, he had issues with he knee prior to last year, and now, teams reportedly believe there may a possibility of him receiving the dreaded microfracture surgery.
It will not be good if it comes to that and already his chances at going No. 1 overall are a lot less than before.
A major knee injury to a pass rusher off the edge is a definite cause for concern for organizations.
Couple the injury with his "one-year wonder" status, and it could cause him to drop a bit in the draft.
It is highly unlikely he falls out of the top eight as it stands now though.
Ray Dominguez and DeMarcus Love, OL, Arkansas
3 of 10
This is a bit of a two-part surpriser because as Ray Dominguez rises up boards, his teammate (and at one point late first/early second round prospect) DeMarcus Love, continues to drop.
Love's lasting impression was an embarrassing performance in the Sugar Bowl against Cam Heyward of Ohio State.
He was arguably one of the worst looking lineman at the Senior Bowl while Dominguez used the NFLPA (Texas vs. the Nation Game) to get himself noticed.
Since that time, they have continued to go in opposite directions.
I would not be shocked to see Dominguez come off the board before Love now.
.png?w=256)
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Ahmad Black, S, Florida
4 of 10
The dynamic playmaking Gator is certainly a player on the field, but his small stature and less-than-stellar workout numbers are a big cause for concern.
He's only 5'9 1/5", 184 pounds and has repeatedly run in the 4.7 range (including times on a fast Florida track).
This is not a good thing for undersized defensive back trying to earn a role in the NFL.
I do not doubt his ability during the game, and he always seems to be around the ball despite his lack of speed, but it will affect him negatively on draft day, and he will certainly have to earn his way onto the field as a mid-to-late round draft pick.
Even after the poor combine numbers I expect an improvement at the pro day (similar to Joe Haden last year), but I was surprised to see him fail here.
Wayne Daniels, DE, TCU
5 of 10
The TCU defensive end was hardly impressive in Indianapolis and ran a 5.12 40-yard dash and jumped 25" in the vertical jump at only 6', 260 pounds.
He improved on his vert by four inches at the pro day but then cracked the five-second barrier only once in the 40.
His lack of speed and explosion at his size is a major cause for concern, and I expected to see him improve his numbers.
There is slight improvement, but the numbers, especially in speed, are surprising for such a small player.
This certainly does not help his already low draft stock.
Nic Grigsby, RB, Arizona
6 of 10
The Wildcat showed good explosion and big play ability during his time at Arizona (when he was healthy), but his workout numbers were a pleasant surprise.
The 5'11", 199-pound running back ran a 4.38 40-yard dash and reportedly jumped 43" in the vertical jump.
Both numbers would have put him very high at the combine, and this was a good showing for a kid whose best (and healthiest) season was only as a sophomore.
DeAndre Brown, WR, Southern Miss
7 of 10
The big wide receiver has been dropping like a rock for some time now.
His production has dropped off considerably since his breakout sophomore season and has done nothing to vault himself into the realm of even a potential-driven project pick.
At almost 6'6", 238 pounds, he runs in the 4.6 range of the 40-yard dash and has only a 29" vertical leap.
He did not look good at the combine, and I was slightly surprised to see a lack of improvement and concentration at this pro day as well.
Colin Jones, DB, TCU
8 of 10
The Horned Frog defensive back really defines "surprise" here with his pro day performance.
He started all of five games prior to his senior season and really put himself on the map as a tremendous athlete with these numbers.
At 5'11", 201 pounds, he ran in the mid 4.3 range (4.34 and 4.38), jumped 37" in the vertical jump, broad jumped 10'4", short shuttled at 4.09 seconds, ran the 3-cone in 6.69 seconds and also benched 225 pounds 20 times.
He's got the look of a gifted special teams player and could certainly hear his name called on draft day as teams value special teams ability.
Jeremy Beal, DE, Oklahoma
9 of 10
This is another disappointing surprise that isn't too much of surprise to any degree.
Beal was incredibly productive performer in college, but he continues to underwhelm in workouts and followed up a bad combine with a mediocre pro day.
He does not have the speed off the edge or the versatility to drop in coverage at the next level but also lacks the size to stay down in the dirt.
He is about 6'2 1/2" and weighs 265 pounds.
Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue
10 of 10
I had ranked Kerrigan in my top 25 once the season ended and then began to hear rumblings that he would not impress athletically in any of the workouts.
Well, to some degree of surprise, he certainly has impressed athletically, and I have a hard time envisioning any scenario that drops him out of the top 20 on Draft day.
He put on some muscle in the last few months, and now, reportedly weighs 274 pounds and still looks really good.
Kerrigan is going to be a player no matter where he goes.
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
