Florida Pro Day 2010

I woke up at about 9:15 this morning and ate breakfast before heading over to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to watch the Gators future NFL prospects work out for NFL coaches and scouts. I sat high up in the stands so I could get a better view of the players running the 40 yard dash.

Joe Haden, who ran a 4.57 and 4.60 at the NFL combine was first up. He looked to be in terrific shape and I timed his forty at 4.37 on my stopwatch. I'd say he certainly solidified his stock as a top 10 pick and it looks like he could very well go to the Browns at number seven.

From reports I've read, Aaron Hernandez put up 30 reps on the bench press which is terrific considering he is 6'2 245 lbs. He also ran in the high 4.5/low 4.6 range which seems to put him back in the second round.

Brandon Spikes looked awful in his 40. I timed him at 5.03 in both runs and it seems to be accurate based on reports. He does not seem to explode out of his stance and comes upright out of the gate.

I had Wondy Pierre Louis at 4.47 in his first run but I don't see him being anything more than a free agent at best.

Carlos Dunlap looked very good in his run. Watching him warm up, you can see why his physical gifts intrigue NFL people. I had him at 4.55 in his first run which is fantastic at 6'6 277 lbs. On his second run he seemed to get off a little slow but he really made up for it at the end.

David Nelson had a great day with a 38" vertical jump and I had him right at 4.50 on both his runs. Could move into late round consideration with his measurable and size.

I left right after Maurkice Pouncey started doing positional drills but based on other accounts, Tebow's workout showed improved accuracy and compact delivery, but unimpressive arm strength and zip on his passes. Also read that Spikes was outperformed in positional drills by fellow linebacker Dustin Doe who I had timed around the mid 4.6 area.

Overall I would say that Nelson, Haden, and Hernandez helped themselves the most today while Spikes clearly drops out of first round consideration. He may be a very good college middle linebacker, but his athleticism is going to raise questions about his transition to the NFL. Dan Connor, James Laurinaitis, and Rey Maualuga were all the top rated middle linebackers of their draft classes who dropped to the second round because of poor 40 times.