NFL Combine '06 and Pro Days

[Geowhizzer]

NFL | L. White trying to keep covered
Mon, 3 Apr 2006 18:34:44 -0700

Jason Cole, writing for NBCSports.com, reports USC RB LenDale White wore a loose-fitting warm-up suit during his Pro Day in an effort to not show much of his body. He drew audible groans from NFL scouts at the NFL Combine when he showed his chest. After seeing White at the NFL Combine, one NFL general manager said, "The guy needed a bra, it was ridiculous. You come to the combine looking like that and you want to be a first-round pick? Come on. The guy had obviously been doing nothing."


Mansiere or The Bro, you decide. 

Sounds like he'd be perfect for the taterskins.  A backfield on someone that needs a bra, and someone that wears one anyway.

[MURP]

scouts inc. pro day

A month full of pro day workouts came to a close on Sunday with USC's mega-event appropriately serving as the grand finale. As is the case every year, on-campus workouts have helped to further shape the 2006 draft board. Below is a brief breakdown of the prospects that were most affected, followed by an updated Top 32 that reflects my new rankings.

Pro day risers

Kellen Clemens, quarterback, Oregon
After suffering a season-ending broken ankle during his senior season, Clemens needed a strong postseason in order to regain momentum as a fringe Day 1 prospect. His workout at the combine was just decent, but Clemens put on a show in Eugene, Ore., on March 16 for all talent evaluators in attendance. In my opinion, Clemens is one of the most underrated prospects in this year's class and he warrants consideration in the late second- to third-round range of the upcoming draft.

Antonio Cromartie, cornerback, Florida State
Cromartie missed all of last season with a knee injury but elected to leave school early instead of returning for his final season of eligibility in 2007. There are still questions regarding his rustiness, durability and technique, but Cromartie's physical tools are outstanding. After running two 40-yard dashes in the high 4.3-second range and notching 42 inches on the vertical jump, Cromartie could sneak into the late portion of the first round.

Winston Justice, offensive tackle, USC
Justice (6-foot-6¼, 320 pounds) has some prior off-field issues that could affect his draft status, but most in attendance would agree that he looked like a top-10 pick at USC's pro day. Justice had a strong all-around workout but the most astounding moment had to be when he notched a vertical leap of 39 inches.


Donte Whitner, safety, Ohio State
In what is shaping up as a deep crop of safeties in the 2006 draft class, Whitner was able to separate himself from most by running two 40-yard dash attempts of 4.37 and 4.39 seconds. If Whitner comes off the board in Round 1, it will be his pro day workout that puts him over the edge.

DeAngelo Williams, running back, Memphis
Williams was never going to catch up with Reggie Bush (USC) for the honors of first selection in this year's strong crop of running backs. However, Williams' impressive pro day showing, which included two 40-yard dash attempts in the 4.4-second range, helped propel him to the No. 2 running back spot (ahead of Minnesota's Laurence Maroney and USC's LenDale White) on most NFL teams' draft boards. White's catastrophic postseason hasn't hurt matters for Williams, either.

Pro day fallers

A.J. Nicholson, outside linebacker, Florida State
Not much has gone right for Nicholson since the end of the regular season. On top of an off-field incident that led to his eventual suspension for the 2006 Orange Bowl, Nicholson could muster no better than a 4.75 on a fast track during FSU's pro day. Once considered a possible late first-round pick, Nicholson will be lucky to hear his name called late on the draft's first day.

Michael Robinson, Penn State
Robinson's best fit in the NFL will be as a wide receiver or free safety. He also shows some potential as a return specialist. Unfortunately, Robinson's decision not to work out at the combine and only to work out as a quarterback at Penn State's pro day has left many NFL scouts scratching their heads. Failing to break the 4.5-second plateau in his two 40-yard dash attempts didn't help Robinson's cause, either.

DeMeco Ryans, outside linebacker, Alabama
Ryans was able to improve his 40-yard dash time at Alabama's on-campus workout last month, but he still failed to break the 4.65-second level. Ryans is an instinctive and tough linebacker who should eventually emerge as a solid starter in the NFL, but his lack of ideal "measurables" negatively affected his draft value during the postseason process.

Travis Williams, outside linebacker, Auburn
Williams bulked up to 222 pounds for his March 23 workout on Auburn's campus, which is an improvement from his playing weight of 213 pounds. However, his inability to maintain the quickness and speed that he shows on film was obvious during his workout, where he ran in his two 40-yard dash attempts in the 4.7-second range. As a result, Williams will likely be nothing more than a mid-to-late-round draft selection as a possible sub-package defender that will have to earn his salary on special teams.

LenDale White, running back, USC
White's stock is free-falling after he showed up noticeably out of shape at 244 pounds for USC's pro day, where he cited an injured hamstring as his reason for opting out of the running, agility and position-drill portions of the workout. With only a few weeks remaining before draft weekend, White has very little time left to recover.

Pro day sleepers

Darrell Adams, defensive lineman, Villanova
After a sub-par showing at this year's combine, Adams was able to redeem himself with an impressive all-around workout at Villanova's pro day on March 17. A late-round tweener DE/DT, Adams (6-4 1/8, 275) ran both of his 40-yard dash attempts in the 4.8-second range, while also notching solid results in the vertical jump (30 inches), short shuttle (4.39), three-cone drill (7.58) and bench press (22 reps).

William Buchanon, wide receiver/defensive back, USC
Buchanon (6-3, 191) is a naturally gifted athlete with an impressive combination of size and speed. His instincts are certainly in question after he failed to settle into a starting role at wide receiver or defensive back during his career at USC. However, he turned some heads at his recent pro day workout, where he blazed a 40-yard dash attempt in 4.38 seconds and also showed explosiveness with his results on the broad jump (10-1) and vertical jump (40). In doing so, Buchanon likely earned a spot in the final two rounds of the upcoming draft.

Brett Elliott, QB, Linfield
Elliott was not invited to the combine but he was able to make a strong case for late-round draft consideration with an impressive showing at Portland State's pro day on March 17. Elliott, who was awarded the Gagliardi Trophy as the outstanding football player in NCAA Division III last season, lacks ideal speed and athletic ability but he's a pocket passer that displayed adequate arm strength and impressive accuracy during his passing session.

Travis Lulay, QB, Montana State
Lulay is an intriguing late-round prospect who was able to build on a solid combine showing with an even more impressive pro day workout at Montana State on March 22. Lulay ran his two 40 attempts in the sub-4.7-second range, which was an improvement from his combine times. He also notched impressive results in the short shuttle (4.06), three-cone drill (6.79) and vertical jump (37½). Lulay was a bit erratic at times but he displays a strong arm and enough athletic ability to warrant late-round consideration as a developmental project.

Paul McQuistan, OT, Weber State
McQuistan is one of the fast-rising offensive line prospects in the 2006 draft class. He was a dominant player at the small school level who has been able to impress scouts during the postseason process. He had solid outings at the East-West Shrine Game, as well as at the combine. However, McQuistan saved his best for last, as he turned heads with his performance in position drills at Weber State's pro day. Notching 28 reps on the 225-pound bench press also helped McQuistan's cause as a fringe Day 1 prospect.

[ice grillin you]

DeMeco Ryans, outside linebacker, Alabama
Ryans was able to improve his 40-yard dash time at Alabama's on-campus workout last month, but he still failed to break the 4.65-second level. Ryans is an instinctive and tough linebacker who should eventually emerge as a solid starter in the NFL, but [/u] his lack of ideal "measurables" negatively affected his draft value during the postseason process.




in a nut shell the above write up is why you dont pay attention to this ridiculous combine pro day garbage

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

If Ryans falls to #45, the Eagles should pounce on him with teh quickness.

[PhillyPhreak54]

I like Kellen Clemens to be the QB the Birds pick if Gradkowski is off the board.

[BigEd76]

ESPN is reporting that LenDale has a torn hamstring...

[PhillyPhanInDC]

ESPN is reporting that LenDale has a torn hamstring...

I heard that too, and I gotta call bullshtein. WHy not just say you have a bum hamstring? Why skip all of the workouts, etc., with no explanation. As far as I know, he never said during the whole deal that he was hurting. Damage control, and a zesty job of it.

[PhillyGirl]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft06/news/story?id=2407977

The MRI confirmed its torn. How can you call bullshtein? 

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

So, who's back on the "get LenDale" train?

I'm not.

[Feva]

I was never on that sumbitch.

[PhillyPhanInDC]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft06/news/story?id=2407977

The MRI confirmed its torn. How can you call bullshtein? 

Magic.

I prefer to jump from conclusion to conclusion. Keeps my quads and hamstrings in good working order....

Just found this on PFT though:

MORE RED FLAGS FOR LENDALE

USC running back LenDale White is trying to counter scuttlebutt regarding his abysmal April 2 pro day workout by disclosing that he has a potentially serious injury.

An MRI of White's leg reportedly shows that he has a torn hamstring.

Compounding the problem is that the diagnosis wasn't made by a medical doctor, but by a chiropractor.  Hey, Randall Eldridge might be the best damn back-cracker that ever cracked a back, but the fact that a real doctor isn't vouching for the injury makes it much harder for anyone to accept the explanation, or the diagnosis.

Moreover, there really isn't much time for 32 NFL teams to eyeball LenDale's hammy between now and April 29.

So despite the best efforts of ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli to slap some spit and polish onto a very bad situation , we think that LenDale will still free fall on draft day.

Unless, of course, this whole ruse is part of a broader plan to ensure that White will still be on the board when the Broncos turn in the card with the name of the 22nd overall pick in the draft.

[PhillyGirl]

I know, PFT is always the most credible source. 

[PhillyPhanInDC]

It says in the ESPN article that you posted the guy who examined him was a chiropractor. PFT is simply paraphrasing your much more credible source, Fat Len.

[MURP]

my favorite part about Lendales hammy issues was the quote about how he hurt his hamstring doing bench press.  If anyone sees that quote again please post it.   

[MURP]

NFL | More about J. Lewis workout
Thu, 20 Apr 2006 21:00:13 -0700

The Washington Post reports George Mason basketball player Jai Lewis finished his 20-yard shuttle drill in approximately 4.6 seconds during his workout for NFL scouts Thursday, April 20. Lewis was tested in the vertical jump, reaching about 28 inches, and in the standing broad jump, traveling about 8 feet 8 inches. He has not yet started weight training and did not do the bench press, a standard pre-draft exercise. Speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of player assessments, several scouts said Lewis has ample room for improvement and will need to convince NFL teams that he hungers for the aggression and violence of professional football. Still, they said his athleticism and explosiveness were impressive, particularly after he left the track surface for the football turf. Lewis went through drills for defensive ends, tight ends and offensive linemen, but scouts said his attributes and 6-foot-5, 292-pound frame likely were best suited for the offensive line.