The NFL Draft is fast approaching, which means it's pro day season! We'll keep you updated as schools around the nation showcase their top talent.
With the NFL Scouting Combine out of the way, teams will be focused on the start of the new league year on March 10, which marks the opening of free agency. But the 2015 NFL Draft will be shortly after that, and that means the month of March and parts of April will be populated by pro days from some of the bigger schools from around the nation.
The first pro days of this offseason got underway on Monday, March 2, with Minnesota, Tennessee-Chattanooga, Troy, Virginia and Wake Forest showcasing their prospects. The final major pro day belongs to UTEP on April 9, with the NFL Draft set to begin on Thursday, April 30.
There are definitely big names to consider on just about every day, with guys like Maxx Williams on the first day, quarterback Brett Hundley headlining UCLA's pro day on March 10, and all the way through to Shaq Thompson showing what he can do for Washington on April 2.
Pro days are typically when players who didn't participate in the Combine, or who had a bad showing, have the chance to change the mind of NFL scouts. It's unclear how much the controlled environment of a pro day actually means to scouts, but last year saw quarterback Teddy Bridgewater plummet in draft projections after a particularly poor pro day.
We've got a list of notable pro days below, via NFL.com:
March 2
Minnesota
Tennessee-Chattanooga
Troy
Virginia
Wake Forest
Tight end Maxx Williams of Minnesota was the biggest name on the day. Williams has the size and speed combination that NFL teams are after, though he mostly sat on his Combine numbers. Williams said that he wouldn't proclaim himself the best tight end in the draft, but that his Combine numbers should do it for him, according to Aj Mansour of KFAN1003. Running back David Cobb was there for support, but after injuring himself in the 40-yard dash at the combine, he will not attempt the drill again until April, according to Marcus R. Fuller of the Pioneer Press.
Wake Forest cornerback Kevin Johnson drew plenty of interest on Monday, with 23 teams in attendance, according to Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer. Johnson wasn't exactly modest, saying that he's "the best cornerback" in this year's draft, via ESPN. Players who helped their stock include Virginia's Eli Harold, who looked good in pass-rush drills, via Gil Brandt of NFL.com, and Cedric Thompson of Minnesota, who ran a 4.37-second 40-yard dash, according to Jack Satzinger of Minnesota Daily.
March 3
Auburn
James Madison
New Mexico State
Northwestern
Pittsburgh
Sam Houston State
Tuskegee
A backup running back stole the show at Auburn's pro day on Tuesday, which featured 21 players performing workouts and drills in front of scouts from all 32 teams. Corey Grant put up eye-popping times in the 40-yard dash, with various reports clocking him from as low as 4.19 to as high as 4.34 on his two runs. Grant said the NFL guys told him he ran a 4.26, while NFL.com draft expert Mike Mayock had him at 4.25 and 4.27. Regardless, his time would have been the fastest at the combine for a running back (Michigan State's Jeremy Langford ran a 4.42).
The other notable players at the pro day for Auburn were Nick Marshall and Sammie Coates. Marshall had a busy day performing on both the offense and defense. He threw passes to teammates during quarterback drills, and also put in some defensive back work. According to Gil Brandt, he "had some nice throws" and looked "very athletic" on defense. Coates caught the ball during his workout, solidifying his status as a potential deep threat for any team that drafts him.
March 4
Arkansas
Mississippi State
Purdue
Texas A&M
Weber State
Two Texas A&M players not invited to the combine -- wide receiver Malcome Kennedy and defensive back Deshazor Everett -- were the big winners in front of a bevy of scouts at the Aggies pro day on Wednesday. Per Rivals.com, Kennedy is reportedly drawing interest from the New England Patriots after a solid showing across the board in the workouts and testing. Everett also impressed with a 38-inch vertical, which would have tied for eighth among defensive backs at the NFL Combine, and also likely put himself in a position to get drafted.
Aggies OT Cedric Ogbuehi, considered one of the top offensive line prospects in this year's draft, did not participate in any drills as he continues to recover from a torn ACL suffered in December. He did update reporters on his status, saying that he expects to be "full-go" by training camp.
Reps from 29 teams were on-hand at Mississippi State's pro day, where the team's defensive players shined in front of the scouts. Linebacker Matt Wells "really stood out," according to the Clarion-Ledger's Michael Bonner, after posting solid 40 times (4.4 and 4.6) and a 35.5 inch vertical jump. LB Bernardrick McKinney and DE Preston Smith, who both attended the combine and were among the best performers at their positions, solidified their status as top 50 prospects with strong work in positional drills.
March 5
Arkansas (Monticello)
Clemson
Illinois
Mississippi
Nebraska
New Mexico
Utah State
The biggest name on the day: defensive lineman/outside linebacker Vic Beasley of Clemson. All 32 teams were at Clemson for their pro day, though there were other players to watch like Stephone Anthony. But Beasley was the main event, despite many believing he'll go in the top five picks and few expect he'll escape the top 10. Beasley didn't run or lift on Thursday, but he went through "extended drill sessions" at both linebacker and defensive line spots, putting on a "stellar show," according to the Daily Herald.
Nebraska had a pair of big names in running back Ameer Abdullah and linebacker Randy Gregory. Abdullah opted go through drills and run the 40-yard dash, which is a big deal given he ran in the 4.6 range at the NFL Combine. There's video of his attempt here, via Bryan Fischer, and while there's not an official number, Abdullah improved on his time and ran in the 4.4s, per Fischer. Gregory stood on his Combine numbers and mostly ran drills. Fischer has video of him running the shuttle and a bag drill.
At Utah State's pro day, Kevin Whimpey put up 39 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press, according to Ben Wilson of KFAN 1320.
March 6
Appalachian State
Arizona State
Newberry
Northern Illinois
Southern Mississippi
The top prospect to work out on Friday was Arizona State's Jaelen Strong. Because of his impressive 4.44-second 40 time and 42" vertical leap from the combine, Strong only ran routes. However, AZ Central reports that scouts were impressed. Meanwhile, quarterback Taylor Kelly went through most of the drills including a throwing session. ASU's pro day was well attended, with at least 12 teams in showing up.
Northern Illinois' pro day was a smaller affair, but still drew representatives from 15 clubs. The most noteworthy participant wasn't a draft prospect, however. Former Huskie quarterback Chandler Harnish took part in the throwing drills in hopes of attracting attention from NFL scouts.
March 9
Ball State
Grand Valley State
Montana
Northern Arizona
Though Montana is an FCS program, it has a surprising amount of prospects. Chief among them is defensive end Zack Wagenmann, the school's all-time leader in sacks and NFL Scouting Combine invitee. According to the Missoulian, Wagenmann improved on his two low results from the combine. He might sneak into the third day of the draft in early May.
March 10
Akron
Alabama-Birmingham
Arizona
Army
Harvard
Kansas State
Kent State
Monmouth
Samford
Tennessee State
UCLA
The biggest star of Tuesday's slate of pro days was UCLA's Brett Hundley. The quarterback looked "smooth" according to CBS Sports and could be solidifying his place as the top signal caller after Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota. Fellow Bruin Owamagbe Odighizuwa also performed well, and could come off the board in the 25-40 range per NFL.com.
The Arizona pro day included several former Wildcats including safety Jared Tevis. Most of the attention was on receiver Austin Hill. However, he disappointed with 40 times of 4.62 and 4.57. He also had 17 reps of the 225-pound bench press.
March 11
Alabama
Central Arkansas
Cincinnati
Colorado State
Eastern Washington
Emporia State
Louisville
Marshall
Oklahoma
Rice
Rutgers
South Florida
USC
Wisconsin
Wednesday's top prospect was Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon. The Heisman finalist was expected to run the 40 to improve on his combine time of 4.52 seconds, but he decided to stand on his numbers. According to ESPN, 28 teams were in attendance. Gordon is trying to separate himself from failed Badger tailbacks of yesteryear including current Broncos runner Montee Ball.
In Norman, scouts from NFL teams gathered to watch Dorial Green-Beckham. Green-Beckham never played for the Sooners, but he possesses incredible length (6'5) and speed (4.49-second 40). He sat on his combine results, but the receiver spent time talking to scouts.
March 12
Buffalo
Colorado
Delaware
Fresno State
Idaho
Kentucky
Miami (Ohio)
Michigan
Oklahoma State
Oregon
UNLV
Washington State
Wyoming
Marcus Mariota was the big name on the day for Oregon, along with defensive lineman Arik Armstead and offensive lineman Jake Fisher. We talked at length about those guys in our recap of Oregon's pro day but to sum up: Mariota mostly looked fine but did not impress scouts, while Armstead and Fisher sat on their measurement numbers but looked good in drills.
There was also a big-name receiver on the day: Devin Funchess of Michigan. Funchess absolutely demolished his combine 40-yard dash time of 4.70 seconds. He managed to run a 4.48 at his pro day, according to NFL.com. Colorado wide receiver Tyler McCulloch turned some heads at 6'5 and 218 pounds. He ran a 4.51 40-yard dash, put up a 37'' vertical jump and a 10'10 broad jump, according to Adam Munsterteiger.
Tight end Nick Boyle was the big name at Delaware's pro day, and he put up a 4.86 40-yard dash, improving on his combine numbers of 5.04, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.
March 13
Georgia State
Georgia Tech
Ohio State
Oregon State
West Virginia
Kevin White, who is expected to be the first or second receiver taken in this year's draft, was the big name at West Virginia's pro day. However, it was another receiver who stole the show. Mario Alford ran a blazing 4.28 40-yard dash after running it in 4.43 seconds at the NFL Scouting Combine. As for White, he did not participate in any drills other than receiver position work (running routes, catching passes). He ran a 4.35 40-time at the Combine, so he was fine keeping that number.
At Ohio State, Devin Smith is another receiver who should hear his named called within the first two rounds of April's draft. He stood on his Combine times, but did do position work for scouts and coaches in attendance. Defensive tackle Michael Bennett skipped the 40-yard dash and position drills during the Combine while nursing a hamstring injury. He then re-injured it while running his second 40-yard dash during his pro day, causing him to miss the remaining workouts and drills.
At Oregon State, cornerback Steven Nelson ran the 40-yard dash in 4.49 and 4.54 seconds, and then stood on the rest of his numbers from the Combine. As one of the better corners in a draft that's not very deep at that position, he's expected to be drafted somewhere in the second round.
March 14
Prairie View A&M
Most years, there isn't a lot of attention paid to the pro day at Prairie State A&M, a small historically black college in Texas. However, quarterback Jerry Lovelocke has the size (6'4") and arm strength to generate plenty of interest. He was an invitee at the NFL Scouting Combine in February.
March 16
Bowling Green
Idaho State
Montana State
Toledo
There are a few players garnering attention at the March 16 pro days. Toledo linebacker Junior Sylvestre probably tops the group. He did not work out at the combine, so his workout here could have a considerable impact on his draft stock. Another important name is Jordan Haden, the younger brother of Cleveland Browns star Joe Haden. The younger Haden played safety during his college career.
March 17
California
Eastern Michigan
Richmond
Southern Illinois
It was another slow day for the March 17 pro days with only one Power 5 school represented (California). The biggest prospect on display was Cal wide receiver Chris Harper, who didn't receive a combine invite despite a strong season for the Bears last year (634 yards, 52 receptions, 6 touchdowns). Harper impressed scouts with a 4.42 40 time (per @Goldennblogs), and also looked very smooth running routes and catching balls in the position drills. Harper, a potential late-round pick, reportedly has already scheduled a visit with the Seahawks for April 15.
March 18
Baylor
Boise State
Boston College
Charleston Southern
Georgia
Louisiana-Monroe
Memphis
Michigan State
San Jose State
Virginia Tech
Western Kentucky
This year doesn't feature a particularly strong quarterback class, but there's room behind the top two of Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston for someone to separate and take the clear-cut No. 3 spot. Baylor's Bryce Petty could be that guy. He had his pro day on Wednesday and looked great, connecting on 74 of 77 passes, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. There were representatives from 27 teams at Baylor's pro day, including multiple quarterbacks coaches. The Baylor Twitter account tweeted multiple videos of Petty throwing.
Of further note from Baylor: Wide receiver Levi Norwood managed a 4.53 40-yard dash, a 4.18 in the short shuttle and a 6.87 in the 3-cone, all impressive numbers. Outside of Baylor, there was Michigan State's pro day, which featured big names in cornerback Trae Waynes and linebacker Taiwan Jones. Waynes said he ran the 20-yard shuttle in 4.01 seconds, a vast improvement over his combine time, according to Josh Katzenstein of the Detroit News. Waynes is expected to be a first-round pick. Jones also improved on his 40-yard dash time, running in the 4.7s, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider, as opposed to the 4.95 he put up at the combine.
March 19
Hawaii
Louisiana Tech
Maine
Missouri
Penn State
San Diego State
Stanford
Temple
Western Michigan
William and Mary
There weren't a ton of big names on Thursday, but there were a few worth mentioning. Missouri's Shane Ray is expected to be a first-round pick and he had a good workout on Thursday. Ray chose not to run at the Scouting Combine, but did run at the pro day, putting up a time of 4.63 seconds, according to Terez Paylor of The Kansas City Star.
Ty Montgomery and Andrus Peat were both big names for Stanford, a school that has been pumping out top NFL talent for the past few years. Peat is expected to be a first-round pick, and had a good workout though he did not run the 40-yard dash. As an offensive lineman, that doesn't really matter, though. The Stanford Football Twitter account posted some video of Peat running drills. Montgomery posted a 40-yard dash time of 4.55 seconds at the NFL combine, and many felt that this was way too slow for him. There's no official numbers out there, but multipleTweets suggest he's totally obliterated that time.
March 20
Central Michigan
Harding
Valdosta State
March 23
Georgia Southern
Iowa
North Carolina State
Texas State
Texas-San Antonio
March 24
East Carolina
Iowa State
North Carolina
Northern Iowa
Northwestern State
Ohio
Texas
March 25
Central Florida
Duke
Illinois State
Kansas
Louisiana-Lafayette
Nevada
SMU
South Dakota State
Southeastern Louisiana
Tennessee
Fresno State
March 26
Fordham
Hobart
Houston
Middle Tennessee State
North Dakota State
North Texas
Tulane
Utah
March 27
Brigham Young
Louisiana State
Missouri Western State
Texas Christian
Webber International
March 30
Indiana (RB Tevin Coleman will have his own pro day April 15)
Massachusetts
South Alabama
March 31
Connecticut
Florida State
Notre Dame
Stephen F. Austin
Yale
April 1
Florida International
Miami
South Carolina
April 2
Florida Atlantic
Maryland
Washington
April 7
Florida
Syracuse
April 9
UTEP