With most prospects having already held their pro days, it’s time to take a look at which prospects may have had their draft stocks affected by their pro day performances. Read on for a look at some of the biggest risers and fallers during this stage of the pre-draft process.
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NFL Pro Day Risers & Fallers
RISERS
Rashee Rice (WR – Southern Methodist)
Rice has some of the most impressive tape of any receiver in the class, and his athletic testing really stood out throughout the process. Rice’s 4.51-second 40 and 41″ vertical at the Combine, which he supplemented with a solid 4.23-second shuttle and 7.02-second cone drill at his pro day, mean he’s worth taking in the second round at this point.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR – Ohio State)
Having opted not to run the 40-yard dash at the Combine, Smith-Njigba complemented his excellent shuttle and cone drill times in that event by running a 4.52-second 40-yard dash at the Buckeyes’ pro day, which should be enough to keep him in the conversation for the top receiver prospect; it’d be surprising if he slipped out of the top 15 or so.
Luke Musgrave (TE – Oregon State)
Having put together some elite athletic testing at the Combine, Musgrave turned in a respectable 4.41-second shuttle time and 7.09-second cone drill while improving from his fifteen reps on the bench at the Combine to nineteen at Oregon State’s pro day, giving him an excellent Relative Athletic Score of 9.78 and making him a likely second-rounder.
Thomas Incoom (DE – Central Michigan)
In a year in which plenty of prospects struggled with or avoided the shuttle and cone drills, Incoom, who had a decent Combine, albeit with a 30.5″ vertical leap which suggests below-average explosiveness, turned in solid times of 4.33 seconds in the shuttle and 7.10 seconds in the cone drill. Incoom looks to be in the mid-round conversation on Draft Day.
Ji’Ayir Brown (DB – Penn State)
Brown flies around the field on tape, so it came as a big surprise when he ran a 4.65-second 40-yard dash at the Combine; at his pro day, he was able to improve on that, with a 4.58-second time, adding three inches to his Combine vertical and five inches to his Combine broad jump to put himself back in the early third-day discussion.
FALLERS
Attempting to improve on a 4.62-second 40-yard dash at the Combine, McIntosh clocked in at 4.70 seconds at his pro day and also tested poorly in other drills, none of which he attempted in Indianapolis. His shuttle time of 4.69 seconds and 7.69-second cone drill wouldn’t even be impressive for a defensive lineman; he looks like a late-round pick.
Kayshon Boutte (WR – Louisiana State)
Boutte elected not to try and improve on some of his poor testing from the Combine, standing on the 29″ vertical and 9’10” broad jump he recorded in Indianapolis. He was viewed as a potential first-rounder going into the year, but at this point, it would be hard to justify drafting Boutte before the third or fourth round.
Karl Brooks (DL – Bowling Green)
Brooks was probably the most surprising player to not be invited to the NFL Combine, so his pro day carried a lot of weight. With 28 reps on the bench, he showed off impressive strength, but his 31.5″ arms and mediocre athletic testing may make it difficult for him to find a spot on the second day of the Draft, where his tape suggests he should go.
Zach Harrison (DE – Ohio State)
Having sustained a hamstring injury back in January which kept him from participating at the Combine, Harrison’s incredible 36.25″ arm length really stood out. He also showed some explosiveness as a leaper, but his 4.66-second shuttle and 7.33-second cone drill times were both disappointing and could cause him to slip on Draft Day.
Ricks had an impressive 10’7″ broad jump, and his arms measured in at 32 3/8″, but his 40-yard dash time of 4.60 seconds and a 7.44-second cone drill threaten his status as a second-day pick. However, it’s worth noting that many Alabama players tested poorly at the pro day, which may suggest some other reasons for the result.
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