Benn spent most of his junior season as the #2 rated receiver behind Bryant and was once considered a lock for the first round coming into the season.  He saw his stock slip as a muddle his way through a disappointing junior year.  A lot of Benn’s struggles can probably be pinpointed to inconsistency at quarterback and fighting a nagging ankle injury most of the year.

With question’s about Bryant’s character becoming an issue and him being unable to work out for teams thus far Benn is making a serious case to be the top receiver in the draft.  He started by having a solid showing at the combine and upped the ante at Illinois’ Pro Day by turning in a 4.4 time in the 40.

Notice has been served to Dez Bryant and he may have to put up comparable numbers to Benn’s if he wants to remain the top receiving prospect in the draft.

Joe Haden’s workout at the combine drew some red flags, specifically his sub-par 40 times.  Heading into the combine Haden was considered a lock to go somewhere in the top 10.  Coming out of the combine there was speculation he would fall out of the top ten after posting a pair of 40 times around 4.6 seconds.  Haden claimed his slow times were a result of a sore back and he planned to vindicate himself at Florida’s Pro Day.  Mission accomplished.  Haden blazed his way back into the top ten with a 4.43 40 time putting to rest some of the questions teams had about whether he had the speed to run with the league’s best receivers.

Brandon Spikes on the other hand did little to improve his slipping stock.  Prior to the combine Spikes was considered the second best inside linebacker prospect behind Rolando McClain and a fringe first round pick.  After posting a pair of 40 times over 5.0 seconds in front of scouts this week he will be lucky to get picked in the first two rounds.  Someone will take him because he looks good on tape, but, his speed will keep teams from spending a high pick on him.

Tebow reportedly did everything that was asked of him and looked much more polished throwing the ball, but, the skeptics still remain as to whether he will be able to cut it at the next level.

Aaron Hernandez had a good day as well turning a 4.64 40 time and 30 reps on the bench press.  That could move Hernandez into the second round.  The problem with him is he is more of a H-back type of player due to only being 6′ 2 5/8″.

Carlos Dunlap ran the 40 in 4.61 seconds which is pretty impressive for a 279 pound man.  We always knew Dunlap was probably the most physically gifted end in the draft where he ends up going will largely be a matter of is willing to overlook all the off-field baggage that comes with him.

Defensive lineman Doug Worthington reportedly impressed with a strong positional workout and put up decent scores in the skills test.  Worthington played end in college but given his lack of top end speed will probably move to the inside in the NFL.  He likely solidified himself as a late mid-round pick in April.

Thaddeus Gibson turned in a 4.58 time in the 40 maintaining his status as a second round prospect.  Gibson played end in college but will likely transition to OLB in the pros.  He has good speed for the position but lacks the height and size to play end in the NFL.  He has the potential to be an edge rusher in a 3-4 scheme.  Gibson reportedly did an individual position workout with coaches from the Steelers.

Defensive end Robert Rose has good size and may have worked his way into the draft with some good scores in the skill drills.  He ran the 40 in 4.75 seconds and did 24 reps on the bench press.

Wide Receiver Ray Small’s college career was not enough to warrant any kind of real consideration in the draft, however, he did turn in a 4.44 time in the 40 which could draw some interest in teams looking for a kick returner in the later rounds.

Teams were not terribly high on Canfield due to him only having one good season as a starting quarterback and an inability to hold onto the job throughout his tenure at OSU.  Things seemed to click for Canfield during his senior season though as he completed 67% of his passes and threw 21 touchdowns against just 7 interceptions.

The knock on Canfield is he tends to not play well under pressure, but, that can be said about a lot of quarterbacks.

He made a good accounting of himself at the combine and reportedly wowed scouts at the OSU Pro Day this week.  They were especially impressed with his accuracy throwing deep out routes which is one of the tougher throws to make in the NFL.

While Canfield will never be a top pick due to a lack of extended consistency at the college level he has likely earned himself a late-mid-round selection in the draft.

Sam Bradford

Bradford has pushed his workout date back yet again.  He will now be working out on the 29th instead of the 24th.  It is being reported that the decision to push it back was made to better accommodate all of the teams interested in watching him and has nothing to do with any sort of setback in his rehab.

Clemson

Every team was represented at Clemson’s Pro Day last week.  The gem of the Clemson group, C. J. Spiller, did a few of the drills but stood on most of his scores from the combine.

The Browns have reportedly shown a lot of interest in Clemson’s pool of talent.  Coaches stayed behind to work receiver Jacoby Ford out individually after the event and defensive backs Crezdon Butler and Chris Chancellor afterwards.

The team is also said to be coming back this week to work Ricky Sapp and Kavell Conner individually.

Ford is one of the more intriguing prospects in this year’s draft.  His 4.28 40-time was the best out of everyone at the combine which is inherently going to pique the interest of teams looking for more speed at receiver.  The downside on Ford is at 5′ 9″ /186 he lacks the size teams like in the receivers and his career at Clemson was riddled with inconsistency and seen as something of a disappointment.  With all of that speed it seemed like everyone was waiting for him to start dominating games and it never happened.  He also tends to drop some balls that he should not.

However, given the recent success of DeSean Jackson in Philly and Percy Harvin in Minnesota there will be quite a bit of interest in a guy like Ford and he will probably end up going higher than initially thought.  With three third round picks in hand and a need for speed at the skill positions on offense one could easily see the Browns reaching on a guy like Ford that early in the draft.

Sapp is someone the Browns could be targeting at the top of the second as an edge rusher in their 3-4 defensive scheme.

The interest in Chancellor, Butler, and Conner is interesting given they are all considered fringe prospects to begin with.  ESPN has all three rated as undrafted free agents.

Rodger Saffold

Saffold stood on his combine scores and only did the offensive line position drills at Indiana’s Pro Day last week.  Bengals offensive line coach Paul Alexander was on hand to put Saffold through the paces.  Could the Bengals be interested in Saffold for some added o-line depth?  Saffold’s star is on the rise since his outstanding workouts at the combine and is seen as a solid second round prospect.

TCU

Twenty four teams showed up at TCU’s pro day, mostly to see Jerry Hughes and Daryl Washington workout.

Hughes stood on his combine numbers choosing to only participate in the position drills.  He reportedly looked smooth and athletic in those drills.  No word on whether he worked out as an end or linebacker though.  One would assume teams see him as a potential linebacker given he is only 6′ 2 1/4″ and 254 pounds.  Because he is expected to make a move to OLB from end Hughes is seen as a second or third round prospect.  He could, however, go higher than that as he is seen as a perfect fit in a 3-4 scheme as a rushing linebacker.

Washington is seen as a slightly better prospect than Hughes given he is a more traditional outside linebacker.  He helped himself out last week by lowering his 40 time from 4.66 at the combine to 4.54.  Due to other shortcomings in his performance on the field, however, Washington is expected to go somewhere in the second round.

Wisconsin

Defensive back Chris Maragos was the biggest story at Wisconsin’s Pro Day.  Maragos did not go to the scouting combine, but, may have made himself draftable after his workout last week.  Maragos posted a time of 4.47 in the 40 and excelled in the 3-cone drill and the short shuttle posting times that would have ranked him first amongst defensive backs at the combine.  The consensus seems to be that Maragos may have done enough to earn a late round selection in April.

Tight end Garrett Graham reportedly caught the ball well during his position drills and stood on his scores from the combine.  Given Graham’s lack of size and top end speed for this position he is still seen as a middle of the draft prospect.

Minnesota

The University of Minnesota had a couple of prospects make their mark at their Pro Day last week.

Cornerback Marcus Sherels was not on anyone’s radar prior to last week’s workout.  Sherels will pique some interest after turning in a 4.37 in the 40 and posting a 40-inch vertical jump.  He also had a short shuttle time that would have ranked him amongst the best defensive backs at the combine.    His athletic ability alone will draw some consideration from teams as a late round flyer pick.

Receiving prospect Eric Decker was on hand for the festivities but did not participate as he is still recovering from foot surgery.

UMass

A trio of UMass players made an impression at the Boston College Pro Day held at Harvard last week.

Safety Jeromy Miles posted a 4.45 time in the 40 and had scores comparable to other safety prospects at the combine in the other drills.  At 6′ 2″/210 Miles has a nice frame for a safety and good speed to match.  He should get some looks in the latter rounds by some teams looking for depth in the secondary.

Receivers Victor Cruz and Jeremy Home had some good measurables as well.  Cruz ran the 40 in 4.47 seconds and notched a 41.5 inch vertical jump that would have tied him for number one at the combine.

Home ran the 40 in 4.41 seconds and at just under 6′ 2″ will likely get some looks from teams looking for depth at receiver in the later rounds.

Ndamukong Suh

Suh participated in positional drills only and reportedly performed well.  There was nothing to suggest he did anything to hurt his status as the top prospect in the draft.

Bruce Campbell

Campbell opted not to work out for scouts at Maryland’s Pro Day this week.  Campbell showed up and did some interviews and that was about it.  Campbell really had little else to prove after his showing at the combine.

Oklahoma State

The two big names, Russell Okung and Dez Bryant did not work out, however a couple of guys seemed to have made an impression on folks in attendance.  Offensive lineman Brady Bond and Andrew Lewis reportedly impressed scouts in the position drills and were better than anticipated.

Rutgers

The Scarlet Knights feature two potential first round picks in this year’s draft.  The sure-fire first rounder, offensive lineman Anthony Davis, did not work out this week at Rutgers’ Pro Day.  He reportedly had dinner with a team the night before the event and then bailed on working out claiming to be ill.  This reportedly did not sit well with some teams who already have questions about his work ethic, attitude, and other off-the-field issues.  Some teams had also started souring on him when he showed up to the combine looking sloppy and out of shape.  Davis was once thought of as potentially being the first tackle taken in the draft.  He has now likely been passed by guys like Bruce Campbell, Russell Okung, and Trent Williams who have shown up in shape and worked out well for scouts.

Rutgers’ other hot prospect is cornerback Devin McCourty.  McCourty has been steadily moving up a lot of draft boards since the end of the season.  He worked out well at the combine and has adequate size for a corner.  He runs well and is willing to step in and support the run, something a lot of elite corners are not willing to do.  McCourty is in the mix to be the third corner taken in the draft and many see him as a late first rounder.  Devin did not do any of the combine drills but did participate in the position drills for scouts.

LaGarrette Blount

LeGarrette Blount opted not to work out at Oregon’s Pro Day this week and will work out individually on March 18th instead.  Apparently his agent had not informed everyone of this and there was some confusion amongst some in attendance why Blount was not going to be working out.

Cincinnati

Twenty six teams showed up to watch Bearcats standouts Mardy Gilyard and Tony Pike go through the paces.  Pike has reportedly altered his throwing style a bit as scouts told him at the combine they wanted to see tighter spirals.  It sounds as though Pike is making progress adapting to the pro style offense but is still going to be a mid round pick who teams see as a guy who is going to take a couple of years to develop.

There is nothing to suggest that Gilyard did anything to significantly hurt or help his chances.  Gilyard pretty much is what he is.  He does not have elite size or speed to warrant a top pick on him but he should still go somewhere in the second or third round simply based on his knack for making things happen when he has the ball in his hands.  Teams looking for a secondary receiver who can line up in the slot and return kicks will have in interest in Gilyard.

Northwestern

Quarterback Mike Kafka reportedly impressed the 25 teams who were there to see him.  He reportedly missed just one throw the entire workout.  The two things that are going to keep teams away from Kafka are the fact he took the majority of his snaps from the shotgun and whether he has the arm strength to be a starter in the NFL.  He is a heady player who relies more on his ability to read defenses and accuracy than he does his overall talent.

Texas A&M

A trio of Aggies impressed the scouts this week at A&M’s Pro Day.  Center Kevin Matthews reportedly drew raves for how well he ran the position drills for scouts.

Cornerback Jordan Pugh may have ran his way into the draft by posting a 4.44 40 time which would have ranked first amongst corners at the combine.

Jamie McCoy ran well posting a 40 time of 4.56 seconds.  The question remains as to what position he would play in the NFL.  At 6′ 2″/240 he is not quite big enough to play tight end at the next level so some think he may have to transition to full back.  He has the speed to play TE and one wonders if perhaps he catches on as a secondary receiver some where.

Kentucky

Running back Alfonso Smith was the big story coming out of Kentucky’s Pro Day.  The senior, who did not even go to the combine, turned in a pair of blazing 40s clocking in at 4.38 seconds both times he ran it.  At just a shade over six feet and 211 pounds Smith could very well go from being undrafted to a mid-round pick.  Guys with that kind of legitimate speed do not go undrafted.

There was nothing else of note to really talk about coming out of Kentucky.

Alabama

Top linebacker prospect Rolando McClain worked out for scouts this week after sitting out the combine due to injury.  He weighed in at 249 pounds and posted respectable 40 times of 4.68 and 4.69 seconds.  There was nothing to suggest coming out of this week’s workout that McClain did anything to jeopardize a spot in the top 15 of the draft.

Defensive tackle Terrence Cody continues to shed the pounds as he checked in at 349 pounds, roughly 20 fewer than he weighed at the Senior Bowl.  It sounds like getting Cody off the banquet circuit has done him a world of good.

Auburn

There is not a ton to report out of the Auburn pro day.  Running back Ben Tate stood on his scores at the combine and reportedly looked good in the position drills.  Tate is quickly working his way up to being one of the first five backs taken off the board.  I would not be surprised if he is the fourth back taken after C. J. Spiller, Jahvid Best, and Ryan Matthews.  Right now it could be between him and Montario Hardesty for the #4 back slot in the draft.

Defensive back Walter McFadden who was not at the combine helped himself out by posting times of 4.40 and 4.43 in the 40.  Both of those times would have been the fastest for a corner back at the combine.  McFadden likely will not be a high draft pick but his workout likely solidified him as a mid-round pick.

Perrish Cox

The banished Oklahoma State corner back will work out for scouts on March 30th in Waco, Texas.  Cox is considered by many to be one of the top 50 players in the draft and is a solid second round prospect.

Akwasi Owusu-Ansah

Owusu-Ansah was supposed to perform for scouts at IUP’s Pro Day this week but decided not to, and instead will work out for scouts at Ohio State’s Pro Day this Saturday.  He is currently considered a mid-round prospect and ran one of the fastest 40 times at the combine amongst corner backs.

Kansas

A handful of Kansas prospects helped themselves out at Kansas’ Pro Day.  Running back Jake Sharp, who did not participate in the scouting combine, ran a 4.43 in the 40 which should get him some notice from scouts.  Given his size, 5′ 9 1/4″ and 194 pounds, he is a tough sell to teams as an every down back in the NFL.  But, given his speed and ability to catch the ball out of the backfield he should draw interest as a potential 3rd down back and return specialist.  Sharp was seen as a potential undrafted free agent but could now see himself land in the back half of the draft.

Receiver Dezmon Briscoe rebounded from a sub-par performance at the combine with more respectable 40 times of 4.53 and 4.51.  Some red flags were raised after he posted 40 times in the mid 4.6s at the combine.  With his workout this week he probably salvaged his draft spot and should go somewhere in the second or third round depending on how some of the other receivers work out in the coming weeks.

Colorado

Cornerback Ben Burney stole the show at Colorado’s Pro Day by running his way into the draft with a blazing 40 time of 4.38 seconds.  Burney was not considered a viable draftee and was not even invited to the scouting combine.  Burney’s workout will probably nab him  a spot in the draft.  He still has a long way to go in terms of his skill and technique, but, guys who are capable of running the 40 in less than 4.4 seconds do not go undrafted.

Other than Burney there is little else to talk about coming out of Colorado’s Pro Day.

Fordham

Quarterback John Skelton had no fewer than nine teams on campus to watch him work out.  The Bengals, Bills, and Eagles were amongst the teams in attendance to watch the stout quarterback go through the paces.  Skelton started for three plus years at Fordham and showed marked improvement in each of his four seasons at the university.  He went from completing less than 50% of his passes and a QB rating of under 100 to completing over 64% of his passes and a rating of over 150 in his senior season.

Prior to the post season workout sessions Skelton was considered a 7th rounder at best.  At 6′ 5 3/8″ and 241 pounds Skelton looks the part of a NFL quarterback.  He also reportedly threw the ball very well during his workout and has as strong an arm as anyone c0ming out this spring.  The biggest knock on him is he relies too much on his arm strength and that gets him into trouble at times.  Skelton is still widely viewed as a project player who needs to fine tune his mechanics and will likely spend his first couple of years on the practice squad, but, he may have performed his way into a fifth or sixth round selection with his workouts the past couple of weeks.

Offensive lineman Andrew Tyshovnytsky caught folks eyes as well.  At 6′ 4 1/4″ and 317 pound he has adequate size to play in the NFL.  Tyshovnytsky, who was not invited to the combine, ran the 40 in under five seconds and posted 33 reps on the bench press.  His 40 time would have been the third best at the combine while his bench press score would have rated him in the top ten amongst offensive lineman.  Tyshovnytsky was also said to look good in the position drills.  He very well may have gone from undrafted free agent to a late round selection with his workout.

As expected Sam Bradford did not participate and is expected to hold a private workout later in the month after completing rehab on his injured shoulder.

Defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and tight end Jermaine Gresham were weighed and measured and participated in position drills but stood on their scores from the combine as it pertains to the timed and measured drills.

Tackle Trent Williams boosted his 20-yard shuttle time from 4.63 to 4.4 seconds and posted a 7.40 time in the 3-cone drill which would have tied him for first among lineman at the combine.

Corner back Dominique Franks helped solidify his spot as a third round prospect by knocking out the 40 in 4.47 seconds.  That puts him in the mix amongst the fastest at the position in this year’s draft class.  Franks is still lacking as it relates to his cover skills but his measurables will keep him in the top half of the draft.

Running back Chris Brown declined to participate in any of the timed events which does not help him any given the lingering questions about his speed and agility.

Linebacker Keenan Clayton helped himself out immensely by boosting his 4.66 40 time at the combine to 4.57 on Tuesday.  That could be good enough to get him into the draft.

Sam Bradford

Sam Bradford will not work out Tuesday at Oklahoma’s Pro Day.  Instead he will remain in Florida to continue his rehab workouts.  Bradford will work out for scouts in Norman on March 25th.  He did say that none of the physicals he has taken for teams have turned up any red flags.

Colt McCoy

Colt McCoy says his shoulder received a clean bill of health from doctors and he will fully participate in Texas’ pro day on March 29th.  McCoy says he has resumed a throwing and is working out with USC receiver Damian Williams in Mission Viejo, California.

Dez Bryant

Dez Bryant will not workout for teams this week at Oklahoma State’s pro day.  Bryant bowed out at the combine and continues to nurse a hamstring injury.  Bryant is saying he will work out for teams at the end of the month in his home town of Lufkin, Texas.

Perrish Cox

Cox will not be allowed to work out at Oklahoma State’s pro day as a result of a suspension stemming from an incident at the Cotton Bowl.  There is no word as to when or where Cox may perform again for scouts.

Utah

There is not a lot to report out of the Utah pro day.  Defensive back R. J. Stanford may have helped himself out a bit by turning in times of 4.44 and 4.45 in the 40 which would have put him at the top of the list for corner backs at the combine.

Defensive end Koa Misi reportedly looked good in his position drills and will run again for scouts at the end of the month.

Receiver David Reed solidified his spot as solid third round prospect.

Guard Zane Beadles did nothing to drop his status as a strong third round prospect.

Tulsa

Nothing terribly noteworthy coming out of Tulsa either.  Corner back John Destin reportedly had the best day of the seven players who worked out.  He posted a pair of 4.5 40 times meaning he could sneak his way into the draft.  He also did fairly well in the agility drills.

Receiver Slick Shelley has good size and caught the ball well during the passing drills, however, his times in the speed and agility drills are not worth noting.

Missouri

Linebacker Sean Weatherspoon solidified his status as a late first round prospect at Mizzou’s pro day last week.  He improved his bench press score by doing one more (35) rep than he did at the combine.  He also improved markedly on his 40 time by posting 4.53 and 4.52 times which is significantly better than his best time of 4.69 at the combine.  Weatherspoon’s work out was the only notable one to come out of Columbia last week.

The Eagles, Cardinals, and Saints could all have in interest in Weatherspoon at the back end of the first round.

Buffalo

Running back James Starks chose not to work out and stood on his combine numbers from a week ago.  At 6′ 1 7/8″/214 Starks has the size to play in the NFL. He posted a pair of sub 4.5 times in the 40 so he has good straight line speed as well.  Starks plays on the basketball team and does a good job catching the ball out of the backfield.  The biggest downside to Starks is he missed the season due to injury.  Given his measurables Starks could be a 5th or 6th round pick by someone taking a flyer on a back.

Baylor

David Gettis solidified himself as a mid-round selection by posting times of 4.46 and 4.39 in the 40 at Baylor’s pro day.  His speed combined with his size (6′ 3  1/8″/216) will make him attractive to teams looking for a #3 or #4 receiver to fill out the roster.