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Russ Lande
Sporting News
The airlines, rental car companies and hotels are to see a bump in revenue the next few weeks as the pro day circuit heats up on college campuses, coast to coast.
Personnel men, coaches and scouts will be hustling from one campus to another, to again inspect NFL draft prospects up close. Pro days are where elite players get one more chance to leave a lasting impression and where prospects not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine can show their stuff in drills.
A look at the eight most important pro days on the calendar:
1. Auburn (Tuesday). Two of the best prospects in the 2011 draft—QB Cam Newton and DT Nick Fairley—will be there. It's most important to Newton. He struggled at the Combine, and this is his chance to prove that poor passing workout was a fluke. More important, coaches again will get the chance to spend some time with Newton and challenge him at the blackboard to see how he understands passing concepts, protections and coverage schemes. Teams still interested in Newton later will fly him into their facilities before the draft for more thorough interviews. As for Fairley, he is jockeying for position at the top of a defense-heavy draft. Fairley’s performance, both in the workout and meetings, could well determine whether he goes No. 1 overall or slides a handful of spots.
2. Missouri (March 17). After choosing not to throw at the Combine, Blaine Gabbert will put his status as the top QB prospect all on the line. Coming from a spread offense, lining up almost exclusively in shotgun, he must prove comfortable dropping back from under center and making quick and accurate throws—especially downfield—to merit a top-10 pick.
3. Illinois (March 15). This will be Corey Liuget's chance to leapfrog Fairley and/or Alabama's Marcell Dareus in the pecking order of defensive tackles at the top of the draft. On film, Liuget looks like a natural athlete with rare quickness, explosiveness and speed to shoot gaps and blow up plays in the backfield and the strength clog holes and bull rush.
4. Boston College (March 23). Anthony Castonzo has been the No. 1 offensive tackle on many teams' draft boards for months, but with an impressive workout he could challenge to be a top-five overall pick. He has good height, long arms, athleticism and technique but must prove he has the strength to handle bull rushers and move the pile in the running game.
5. Nebraska (Thursday). Prince Amukamara had a solid Combine workout but must do better to overtake LSU's Patrick Peterson as the No. 1 cornerback and perhaps hold off Colorado's Jimmy Smith as the No. 2. NFL coaches want to get a better sense of Amukamara's ball skills (no interceptions in '10) and his ability to close quickly out of his backpedal.
6. Ohio State (Friday). LB Ross Homan had a great Combine and could lock up a second-round spot with a repeat performance. Scouts are still trying to figure out if LB Brian Rolle has the tools to overcome his lack of height. DE Cameron Heyward, primarily viewed as a 3-4 end, really could help his stock by proving capable of also playing tackle in a 4-3 scheme, but he still is recovering from an injury and won't be able to work out until March 30.
7. TCU (Friday). QB Andy Dalton has off-the-charts intangibles but failed to shine throwing the ball at the Senior Bowl and Combine. He must prove Friday that he has the arm strength, mechanics and accuracy to be a good NFL starter to be drafted in the first three rounds. WRs Jeremy Kerley and Jimmy Young are intriguing, and NFL teams still must figure out what role each is capable of filling. With a strong day, Kerley could lock up a second-round spot and Young could move into the fourth round.
8. LSU (March 14). This day is important only because Peterson likely will be go through all the cornerback drills, which could help him climb up even higher on draft boards. He likely is on the outside of the top five now, but with another explosive performance—along the lines of what he accomplished at the Combine—he could force general managers to consider him at the top of the draft.
Sporting News
The airlines, rental car companies and hotels are to see a bump in revenue the next few weeks as the pro day circuit heats up on college campuses, coast to coast.
Personnel men, coaches and scouts will be hustling from one campus to another, to again inspect NFL draft prospects up close. Pro days are where elite players get one more chance to leave a lasting impression and where prospects not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine can show their stuff in drills.
A look at the eight most important pro days on the calendar:
1. Auburn (Tuesday). Two of the best prospects in the 2011 draft—QB Cam Newton and DT Nick Fairley—will be there. It's most important to Newton. He struggled at the Combine, and this is his chance to prove that poor passing workout was a fluke. More important, coaches again will get the chance to spend some time with Newton and challenge him at the blackboard to see how he understands passing concepts, protections and coverage schemes. Teams still interested in Newton later will fly him into their facilities before the draft for more thorough interviews. As for Fairley, he is jockeying for position at the top of a defense-heavy draft. Fairley’s performance, both in the workout and meetings, could well determine whether he goes No. 1 overall or slides a handful of spots.
2. Missouri (March 17). After choosing not to throw at the Combine, Blaine Gabbert will put his status as the top QB prospect all on the line. Coming from a spread offense, lining up almost exclusively in shotgun, he must prove comfortable dropping back from under center and making quick and accurate throws—especially downfield—to merit a top-10 pick.
3. Illinois (March 15). This will be Corey Liuget's chance to leapfrog Fairley and/or Alabama's Marcell Dareus in the pecking order of defensive tackles at the top of the draft. On film, Liuget looks like a natural athlete with rare quickness, explosiveness and speed to shoot gaps and blow up plays in the backfield and the strength clog holes and bull rush.
4. Boston College (March 23). Anthony Castonzo has been the No. 1 offensive tackle on many teams' draft boards for months, but with an impressive workout he could challenge to be a top-five overall pick. He has good height, long arms, athleticism and technique but must prove he has the strength to handle bull rushers and move the pile in the running game.
5. Nebraska (Thursday). Prince Amukamara had a solid Combine workout but must do better to overtake LSU's Patrick Peterson as the No. 1 cornerback and perhaps hold off Colorado's Jimmy Smith as the No. 2. NFL coaches want to get a better sense of Amukamara's ball skills (no interceptions in '10) and his ability to close quickly out of his backpedal.
6. Ohio State (Friday). LB Ross Homan had a great Combine and could lock up a second-round spot with a repeat performance. Scouts are still trying to figure out if LB Brian Rolle has the tools to overcome his lack of height. DE Cameron Heyward, primarily viewed as a 3-4 end, really could help his stock by proving capable of also playing tackle in a 4-3 scheme, but he still is recovering from an injury and won't be able to work out until March 30.
7. TCU (Friday). QB Andy Dalton has off-the-charts intangibles but failed to shine throwing the ball at the Senior Bowl and Combine. He must prove Friday that he has the arm strength, mechanics and accuracy to be a good NFL starter to be drafted in the first three rounds. WRs Jeremy Kerley and Jimmy Young are intriguing, and NFL teams still must figure out what role each is capable of filling. With a strong day, Kerley could lock up a second-round spot and Young could move into the fourth round.
8. LSU (March 14). This day is important only because Peterson likely will be go through all the cornerback drills, which could help him climb up even higher on draft boards. He likely is on the outside of the top five now, but with another explosive performance—along the lines of what he accomplished at the Combine—he could force general managers to consider him at the top of the draft.