Marcus Lattimore pro day: NFL Draft stock could rise after workout

Marcus Lattimore earned positive reviews after going through rehab drills at South Carolina’s pro day on Wednesday. Don’t be surprised if his NFL Draft stock sees a corresponding bump.

by Adam Stites

Mar 27, 2013, 4:49 PM UTC

If you buy something from a link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

JD Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Part Of

NFL Draft 2013: Pro day schedules and results

see all updates

Running back Marcus Lattimore participated at the South Carolina Pro Day on Wednesday exactly five months after a devastating right knee injury ended his 2012 season and career with the Gamecocks.

More: Lattimore's exclusive interview with Garnet and Black Attack

While he didn’t participate fully at the event, Lattimore did a 15-20 minute workout of rehab drills, including ladder drills, to show scouts the progress of his rehab from surgery and his ability to move on the knee. The reviews appear positive too, as the official South Carolina football Twitter account tweeted that the room gave Lattimore a round of applause when he was finished:

Room broke out in applause after Marcus Lattimore's #SCProDay workout. #Gamecocks twitpic.com/cetc0r
— Gamecock Football (@GamecockFB) March 27, 2013

Lattimore accumulated 662 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on just 143 rushing attempts before the knee injury ended his season. He tallied 818 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in 2011 before a torn ligament in his left knee ended his season.

In an interview with SB Nation back in February, Lattimore admitted that he has heard that he could be taken in just about every round of April’s draft. His workout Wednesday was a very positive sign, however, and could signal a fast move up draft boards. In the latest draft rankings from SB Nation’s Dan Kadar, for example, Lattimore is listed as No. 64 on the big board of prospects and is ranked as the third-best running back.

Elsewhere, Mike Mayock gave Lattimore a third-round grade back in late February. More recently, USA Today mentioned Lattimore as a potential early selection for the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners have a ton of picks to burn and could let Lattimore sit and heal while Frank Gore spends the next year or two running off into the sunset. While the first round is likely out of the question, a second-round selection is certainly not out of the realm of possibility for arguably the most talented running back in the 2013 draft class.