USC & UCLA Pro Days

stockman311 · 04-01-2010, 02:27 PM

The official pro day schedule reaches a conclusion today after three full weeks of workouts, and that's no April Fools joke.

Many scouts who were at the Texas workout yesterday will travel to Dallas for SMU's pro day. The Mustangs' top prospect, receiver Emmanuel Sanders, will stand on most of his combine numbers, just catching the football and running routes for the scouts in attendance.

Hawaii pro day takes place today in Carson, California. John Estes, one of the top centers in the nation, did not receive a combine invitation but he will headline the workout. Also participating is linebacker Brashton Satele, who we featured in the March 25 pro day tracker. Satele, you may remember, is awaiting word from the NCAA on whether he will receive a sixth season of eligibility. No final decision has been made yet.

The Hawaii workout will also allow players who live in the Los Angeles but attend other colleges another chance to work out in front of scouts. San Jose State defensive lineman Carl Ihenacho is one such player. He's struggled in recent workouts since returning from knee surgery that was performed late last year.

One player we failed to mention who had a solid workout during the USC pro day yesterday was cornerback Kevin Thomas. He was timed in the low 4.4's and looked terrific in drills. Scouts commented that his performance yesterday was an improvement over his combine workout.

On the other hand, the news is not as bright for UCLA defensive tackle Brian Price. The buzz is getting louder that scouts were not impressed with his performance on Tuesday. The word in scouting circles is that Price looked poorly conditioned and he struggled. There's a common opinion that Price, who many thought was a lock to be selected in the first round, could slip into the second frame. Others contend that he is a prospect who plays much better than he tests.

Wed., March 31, 5:30 p.m.

All in all, Wednesday was not a good day for USC safety Taylor Mays, who failed to show any kind of improvement.
Charles Baus/Icon SMI
Some notes and observations from USC's pro day in Los Angeles:

Taylor Mays did not improve in the position drills after poor showings at the Senior Bowl and NFL combine. He was stiff, he practiced upright, and he looked very robotic, uneasy and off-balance while breaking to the ball. He struggled changing direction at full speed and was asked to repeat drills on a few occasions.

As was the case earlier this year, several scouts said they think a move to linebacker is in the offing for Mays. Scouts in general are starting to compare him to former Dallas Cowboys first round pick Roy Williams; an oversized college safety with poor skills in pass coverage.

Receiver Damian Williams decided against running the 40 today, but did participate in position drills and he looked terrific. He ran crisp routes and caught everything that was thrown his way. It was an improvement from his practice session at the combine.

Tight end Anthony McCoy went against the recommendation of doctors, who said he needed seven days of rest due to his tonsillitis, and participated in position drills. Like Williams, the big tight end looked terrific. He also ran good routes and displayed soft, wide receiver-like hands.

Offensive tackle Charles Brown, who only participated in the bench press and vertical jump at the combine, ran his first 40 in a time of 5.3 seconds, but hurt his left hamstring.

Defensive end Everson Griffen posted a hand time of 4.60 seconds in the 40 -- that's .05 faster than his best mark at the combine.

Underrated reserve offensive lineman Nick Howell posted a 5-flat in the 40. Howell, who played several positions on the Trojan line as a backup, is getting late-round consideration. Earlier in the day, he completed 38 reps on the bench.

I wonder if Mays falls to us at 32 if we would consider moving him into the vacated Fujita spot. Urlacher made the move from safety to LB pretty seemlessly.

04-01-2010, 02:27 PM	#1
stockman311 1000 Posts + Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 1,137	USC & UCLA Pro Days The official pro day schedule reaches a conclusion today after three full weeks of workouts, and that's no April Fools joke. Many scouts who were at the Texas workout yesterday will travel to Dallas for SMU's pro day. The Mustangs' top prospect, receiver Emmanuel Sanders, will stand on most of his combine numbers, just catching the football and running routes for the scouts in attendance. Hawaii pro day takes place today in Carson, California. John Estes, one of the top centers in the nation, did not receive a combine invitation but he will headline the workout. Also participating is linebacker Brashton Satele, who we featured in the March 25 pro day tracker. Satele, you may remember, is awaiting word from the NCAA on whether he will receive a sixth season of eligibility. No final decision has been made yet. The Hawaii workout will also allow players who live in the Los Angeles but attend other colleges another chance to work out in front of scouts. San Jose State defensive lineman Carl Ihenacho is one such player. He's struggled in recent workouts since returning from knee surgery that was performed late last year. One player we failed to mention who had a solid workout during the USC pro day yesterday was cornerback Kevin Thomas. He was timed in the low 4.4's and looked terrific in drills. Scouts commented that his performance yesterday was an improvement over his combine workout. On the other hand, the news is not as bright for UCLA defensive tackle Brian Price. The buzz is getting louder that scouts were not impressed with his performance on Tuesday. The word in scouting circles is that Price looked poorly conditioned and he struggled. There's a common opinion that Price, who many thought was a lock to be selected in the first round, could slip into the second frame. Others contend that he is a prospect who plays much better than he tests. Wed., March 31, 5:30 p.m. All in all, Wednesday was not a good day for USC safety Taylor Mays, who failed to show any kind of improvement. Charles Baus/Icon SMI Some notes and observations from USC's pro day in Los Angeles: Taylor Mays did not improve in the position drills after poor showings at the Senior Bowl and NFL combine. He was stiff, he practiced upright, and he looked very robotic, uneasy and off-balance while breaking to the ball. He struggled changing direction at full speed and was asked to repeat drills on a few occasions. As was the case earlier this year, several scouts said they think a move to linebacker is in the offing for Mays. Scouts in general are starting to compare him to former Dallas Cowboys first round pick Roy Williams; an oversized college safety with poor skills in pass coverage. Receiver Damian Williams decided against running the 40 today, but did participate in position drills and he looked terrific. He ran crisp routes and caught everything that was thrown his way. It was an improvement from his practice session at the combine. Tight end Anthony McCoy went against the recommendation of doctors, who said he needed seven days of rest due to his tonsillitis, and participated in position drills. Like Williams, the big tight end looked terrific. He also ran good routes and displayed soft, wide receiver-like hands. Offensive tackle Charles Brown, who only participated in the bench press and vertical jump at the combine, ran his first 40 in a time of 5.3 seconds, but hurt his left hamstring. Defensive end Everson Griffen posted a hand time of 4.60 seconds in the 40 -- that's .05 faster than his best mark at the combine. Underrated reserve offensive lineman Nick Howell posted a 5-flat in the 40. Howell, who played several positions on the Trojan line as a backup, is getting late-round consideration. Earlier in the day, he completed 38 reps on the bench. I wonder if Mays falls to us at 32 if we would consider moving him into the vacated Fujita spot. Urlacher made the move from safety to LB pretty seemlessly.