Nine schools are holding pro days on Monday, but it is in Louisville, Ky. that the NFL universe will center its attention. It's there that potential No. 1 overall pick Teddy Bridgewater threw for scouts for the first time, an event that's sparked mixed reviews from draft experts.
NFL pro day results: Teddy Bridgewater struggles in throwing drills, depending on who you ask
Some ripped the potential No. 1 overall pick for his pro day while others defended it as a solid outing. Elsewhere, Florida, Virginia and Boise State hold their own pro days.
Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
The eight other schools holding workouts are Florida, Virginia, Boise State, Rice, Houston, Memphis, Valdosta State and Wake Forest.
Here are the latest updates on the major schools and players in action.
Louisville
QB Teddy Bridgewater divides scouts
The fact that Bridgewater, the potential No. 1 overall pick in May, chose not to run or throw during the NFL Combine made his performance on Monday that much more scrutinized. And scrutiny there was. Twitter was raining hot takes as Bridgewater went through passing drills.
Mike Mayock on Teddy Bridgewater at Louisville Pro Day: "Most QBs have good Pro Days. Today, I thought it was very average at best."
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 17, 2014 Not everybody was down on his performance, though.
Not as down on Bridgewater workout as some. Only saw 1 bad throw. Norv Turner told me he thought it was pretty good.
— Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt) March 17, 2014 Brandt reports that Bridgewater completed 57 of his 65 passes and had two drops from his receivers. Throw in another 35 passes in warmups and Brandt called it the “longest quarterback workout I can remember.”
Bridgewater’s weight also has been a favorite topic of discussion. Already deemed too light by some experts, he was down to 208 pounds on Monday. He told the media the weight loss was not intentional, but rather the result of training in the Florida heat and a recent cold.
Big question with Bridgewater is if he can keep weight on. Losing six pounds since Indy isn't the end of the world, but not a great sign.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 17, 2014 Then came the 40.
Teddy Bridgewater ran a 4.78 on his first 40. Pleased with that, he passed on the second 40
— Howie Lindsey (@howielindsey) March 17, 2014 For comparison, Johnny Manziel and Blake Bortles ran a 4.68 and a 4.93, respectively, at the combine.
Calvin Pryor grabs Eagles' attention
Though Pryor garnered most of the attention, he wasn’t the only potential first-rounder working out in Louisville. Largely considered the best safety prospect not named Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Pryor is projected as the No. 24 pick to the Bengals in SB Nation’s latest mock draft.
The Bengals will only have a shot at Pryor if he drops past the safety-needy Eagles, who were all eyes when he took the field for drills.
Chip Kelly went right to the front row to watch safety Calvin Pryor here at #Louisville pro day. #Eagles
— Steve Andress (@steveandress) March 17, 2014 Having run a 4.58 40 at the combine, Pryor didn’t run on Monday, according to Steve Andress of WDRB Sports Reporter.
Marcus Smith impresses with athleticism
Like Pryor, versatile defensive end Marcus Smith also skipped out on the 40 on Monday (he ran a 4.68 at the combine). He still did plenty during his field drills to impress the scouts, however.
Going to come out, say this on record: Teddy Bridgewater was NOT the most talented player on Louisville roster. Marcus Smith has that honor.
— NDT Scouting, KMC (@NFLDraftTracker) March 12, 2014 That athleticism will serve Smith well on draft day. While he’s projected as the ninth-best defensive end by SB Nation, he could end up playing as a 3-4 outside linebacker at the next level.
Florida
Outside drills rained out
Despite a poor season in Gainesville, the Gators have a host of highly touted draft prospects, four of which have a good chance to hear their names called in the first three rounds. Unfortunately, heavy rain washed out their chances to run through drills on Monday.
Tough that rain has cancelled the field portion of Florida's Pro Day for today. But it rained all night. Field's 100% in awful shape.
— Alligator Army (@AlligatorArmy) March 17, 2014 Florida #Gators cancelled on-field portion of Pro Day due to rain. Tough for the DBs, each of whom had dift reasons for wanting to do drills
— OnlyGators.com (@onlygators) March 17, 2014 That didn’t keep scouts and coaches from showing up in Gainesville, though. Representatives from 15 NFL teams were reported to be in attendance, including one particularly well-known Saints staffer.
Confirmed: Saints DC Rob Ryan is present at Florida's Pro Day pic.twitter.com/gaf4wGtTyZ
— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) March 17, 2014 Pair of defensive backs run slow 40s
Gator cornerbacks Marcus Roberson and Loucheiz Purifoy are both expected to be selected in top three rounds of the draft, but they didn’t help their respective causes by running less-than-impressive 40-yard dashes. After running a 4.61 at the combine, Roberson ran a 4.72 in both of his tries on Monday, according to Trevor Sikkema of Alligator Army. Purifoy, who also ran a 4.61 in Indy, had an unofficial 4.53, per Jeff Barlis of ESPN.com.
In fairness to Roberson, he ran the thing with no shoes on.
#Gators CB Marcus Roberson prepares for the 40 at UF Pro Day pic.twitter.com/hNrqhor88P
— Bob Redman (@BobRedman_Scout) March 17, 2014 Other top Gator prospects:
- DT Dominique Easley (2)
- CB Jaylen Watkins (2-3)
- OG Jon Halapio (4-5)
- OLB Ronald Powell (5)
Boise State
Top prospects to watch
- DE Demarcus Lawrence (projected in Round 3)
- OT Charles Leno (5)
Rice
Top prospects to watch
- CB Phillip Gaines (projected in Round 4-5)
- K Chris Boswell (5-6)
Virginia
Top prospects to watch
- OT Morgan Moses (projected in Round 2)
- DE Brent Urban (5)
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