March 28, 2016
The Manning Center was the place to be this morning. Breaking a University of Mississippi Pro Day record, 63 NFL representatives from all 32 NFL teams descended on Oxford, Miss., to look at the three stars entering the draft after their junior seasons at UM.
Overall, there were 15 current and three former players who took part in the Rebels' Pro Day. Most of the focus was on offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, wide receiver Laquon Treadwell and defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche.
One of the things everyone came to see was Treadwell run the 40-yard dash. He didn’t run at the NFL Combine, and this was the first chance all the scouts had to put him on a stopwatch.
Treadwell did run, but his times didn’t alleviate fears that he won’t have the ability to separate from defenders at the next level. His unofficial times were 4.65 or 4.69, depending on the scout, on his first attempt, and he had a minor improvement at 4.63 on his second attempt.
While his top-end speed might not get scouts' heartbeats racing, Treadwell does have other abilities that had to impress NFL teams.
He has a big body that he can use to position himself between the ball and defenders. He also has strong hands and makes each catch look easy. He is a solid run blocker in rush attack, and in fact, he might be above average in receiver blocking.
One thing to remember about Treadwell and his not-so-fast speed is the fact that he is returning from a serious broken leg that he suffered during his sophomore season. Treadwell still came out this season and put up great numbers as he worked himself back into the shape and got his football instincts back.
It is projected that an NFL team may draft him as early as the ninth pick or as low as the 20th pick. Some mock drafts have him going to the New Orleans Saints with the 12th pick. If you want an NFL comparison, think Anquan Boldin. Several teams could move up in the draft to get their hands on Treadwell since he is the near-consensus top wide receiver in the draft.
One player who didn’t run the 40-yard dash at either the NFL Combine or the UM Pro Day was Tunsil. The fact that he didn’t run at either event might not matter, as the offensive tackle is projected to go as high as the first pick but nearly guaranteed to go within the top five picks. He said in an interview that he didn’t run at the Pro Day due to a pulled hamstring.
Tunsil did an impressive 34 reps at 225 pounds in the bench press and added 10 pounds of muscle so far this offseason. There are very few knocks against the potential No. 1 pick, though his run blocking needs more work, and there are questions about his power.
However, there are no questions about his ability to be a pass-protecting left tackle at the next level. In 26 games at UM, Tunsil only gave up two sacks and faced the other team’s best pass rusher each week.
During the on-the-field workouts, Tunsil made the teams that need an offensive tackle drool with the possibility of a plug-and-play starter for the next decade. Teams such as the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns or San Diego Chargers are in the top five that need a tackle.
The Titans and Chargers will workout Tunsil later this week. Teams in the top five will certainly get a chance at more picks if a team that covets him sits outside the top five.
One of the biggest mysteries of the UM Pro Day was where Nkemdiche could land in the draft. The defensive tackle has top-five pick potential and talent but questions that drop him to the bottom of the first round or into the second round.
The questions include Nkemdiche’s motor and work ethic has been called into question; he either doesn’t finish plays, wants to excel every time or simply takes the play off. On tape, he can shine like the brightest stars in some games, or he can disappear.
One thing that is clear is that the defensive tackle has out-of-this-world potential and physical gifts. He has the speed and strength to become a star in the NFL, but will he be able to convince teams that his on the field negatives won’t follow him to the next level?
Plus there are off-the-field issues with Nkemdiche. By now, his fall out of a hotel window has been -well dissected. He didn’t help himself by throwing teammate Tunsil under the bus during an interview at the combine.
In fact, reports were that Nkemdiche bombed the interviews at the combine and turned off several teams. But it is on the field where the defensive tackle proves his worth.
There was no question about the athletic ability that Nkemdiche possesses. He showed the ability and the type of potential that could get nearly any team to take a chance him.
The main question is how Nkemdiche can ease teams fears that a lot of money, and more time on his hands won’t be a problem between now and the draft.
Here is a full list of UM players who took part at Pro Day:
Justin Bell—offensive line
Chief Brown—defensive back
Fahn Cooper—offensive line
Cody Core—wide receiver
Trae Elston—defensive back
Woodrow Hamilton—defensive line
Mike Hilton—defensive back
CJ Johnson—linebacker
Aaron Morris—offensive line
Christian Russell—linebacker
Jaylen Walton—running back
Channing Ward—defensive line
Laremy Tunsil—offensive line
Laquon Treadwell—wide receiver
Robert Nkemdiche—defensive line
Bryon Bennett—defensive line, former player
Serderius Bryant—linebacker, former player
Vince Sanders—wide receiver, former player
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