North Carolina was the headliner on Monday’s NFL Pro Day schedule, and there were some terrific performances at Southern Miss. With the latest on those two workouts, as well as a few updates from last week, here is today’s pro day report.
Pro Day News and Rumors | Drake Maye Throws at North Carolina
Most of the league’s 32 teams sent representatives to Chapel Hill for UNC’s Pro Day, and those on hand got to do a little advanced scouting. Drake Maye, the soon-to-be junior projected as a top-10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, was the passing quarterback for the workout.
The pro day workout was a little disheveled, as it usually is at UNC. Players first ran the 40, then did position drills as well as participated in jumps, shuttles, and the bench press. The position drills took anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes for each group, and most of the players were beaten down when they finished the workout with the jumps, shuttles, and bench.
MORE: FREE Mock Draft Simulator With Trades
Senior Bowl participant Asim Richards timed between 5.12 to 5.18 seconds in the 40, then later ran an admirable 7.77-second three-cone and 4.81-second short shuttle at the end of the workout. Richards measured 6’4 1/2″ at the Combine. Teams like his versatility to line up just about everywhere on the offensive line. Richards even did a little bit of snapping at center today.
The Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills had offensive line coaches on-site. The Tennessee Titans had director of football operations John Streicher at UNC as well.
Receiver Josh Downs did position drills and looked terrific. He’s a quick wideout who runs well and looked natural making deep receptions. One comment passed on to me about Downs was about his size — he’s “very small.” Downs measured a smidge over 5’8 1/2″ and 171 pounds at the Combine. The Dallas Cowboys’ newly hired offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer was on hand for Downs.
Eric Scott Jr. Shines for Southern Miss
The big story at Southern Miss’ Pro Day centered around cornerback Eric Scott Jr., a Shrine Bowl participant. Scott, who looked good each day in Las Vegas, touched 39 1/2″ in the vertical and 11’5″ in the board. He tweaked his quad during his first attempt in the 40 and pulled up. Scott had been running in the 4.3s during training.
The hopes are he will be able to run the 40 by April 21, and his time will be
sent to teams around the league. There’s a feeling Scott, who was not on the scouting radar prior to the season and was not invited to the Combine, could land somewhere on Day 3 of the draft. He met with the Cowboys at the pro day, and the New York Jets, who hope to come away with a slot corner at some point in the draft, have shown interest.
Jason Brownlee, who was one of my winners from the receiver workout at the Combine, sat on his numbers from Indianapolis and did position drills.
Cincinnati WRs Tre Tucker and Tyler Scott Showcase Speed
Cincinnati’s Pro Day took place last Thursday for a program that has a host of middle-round picks as well as a pair of receivers who may end up on Day 2. The Baltimore Ravens sent their inside linebackers coach to watch Ivan Pace, Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel was on hand, and the Cowboys had a special teams coach at the workout for the two receivers.
Here’s what I heard: Tre Tucker and Tyler Scott both ran the 40 and improved from their times at the Combine. Both timed right around 4.35 seconds. Scott timed a best of 4.44 in Indianapolis, with Tucker coming in at 4.40.
Besides position work at receiver, both fielded punts for scouts at the pro day. The Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints, and New England Patriots met with Tucker and Scott the night before their pro day.
Shrine Bowl participant Leonard Taylor, who did not work out at the Combine, sat out the pro day as he continues to recover from a mild Grade 1 strain he suffered in his right knee. Taylor, who presently holds a sixth-round grade on my tight end board, will work out for scouts at Nippert Stadium on April 12.
Latest News and Rumors Out of UAB
There was a large group of scouts on hand for UAB’s Pro Day last week. The Blazers have two of the more highly-rated non-Combine players in this year’s draft. Cornerback Starling Thomas V, who stood out during Shrine Bowl practice, really lit up the pro day. He measured just over 5’10”, timed in the low 4.3s in the 40 (4.32), and touched 37.5″ in the vertical jump and 10’5″ in the broad jump.
He also completed 14 reps on the bench. Thomas looked smooth
and fluid in drills. The Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts have shown interest in Thomas. He also met with the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets assistant defensive coach Ricky Manning Jr., who was on-site. Thomas cemented himself as a Day 3 pick.
MORE: 2023 NFL Draft Big Board
Offensive tackle Kadeem Telfort, another Shrine Bowl participant, completed 19 reps on the bench press and touched 25″ in the vertical jump. Telfort’s arms measured 35 7/8″ at the Shrine Bowl. A left tackle at UAB, Telfort ran through right tackle drills with the Green Bay Packers. The RT-needy Jacksonville Jaguars met with Telfort.
DeWayne McBride, the record-setting junior running back, continues to rehab from injury and did not participate in the pro day. He will try to work out for scouts next month, though an exact date was not communicated to me.