2014 NFL Pro Days: It is a Very Good Year

There are multiple means of evaluating talent before an NFL Draft.  Game film is the most reliable and the Scouting Combine offers a glimpse at the player’s raw athleticism and mental makeup in person.  Private interviews and workouts give the teams an intimate feel for the player.  The Pro Day is traditionally the least helpful NFL Draft evaluation tool.  This has generally been the case for years but not this year.

The 2014 Pro Days have been surprisingly revealing and useful for the 32 NFL teams.  Teddy Bridgewater shed the glove on his throwing hand and potentially cost himself millions of dollars.  His Pro Day performance, throwing in a controlled environment, was dreadful.  Meanwhile, in College Station, Johnny Manziel impressed the scouts with improved drop back and arm slot mechanics.  Johnny Football even went so far as to throw in a helmet and shoulders pads because that is how you play football.  Of course, holding a personal Pro Day separate from your Texas A&M teammates ignores that football is the ultimate team game. 

As the two quarterbacks generated buzz, the most talented player in the NFL Draft tried to alleviate concerns that his motor is sporadic.  Jadeveon Clowney’s Pro Day was less about displaying athleticism and more about blue-collar effort.  Reportedly, Clowney displayed maximum effort during a ridiculously intense session.  Three Pro Days with atypical plot lines is rare in a NFL Draft process.  Yet these three may ultimately be insignificant when they compared to a fourth Pro Day of note.

On April 16^th NFL scouts will sojourn to Athens to witness the resurrection of Georgia’s Dionysus.  Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, was torn apart and eaten by the Titans only to be saved by his father, Zeus, and mended by his Grandmother.  Aaron Murray was similarly torn apart when he suffered a blown ACL against the University of Kentucky on November 23^rd.  In a quarterback rich NFL Draft, the SEC’s all-time passing yards and passing touchdowns leader may be the best of the bunch.  His torn ACL will hurt his draft stock.  However, this article points to a full recovery for Murray.

            It also illustrates the essence of a player who as a four-year starter is primed for a great NFL career.  NFL front offices will take note of the work ethic and determination Murray has displayed during rehab.  His resilience contrasts with Bridgewater’s inability to throw sans glove and Manziel’s carnival atmosphere.  Georgia’s Pro Day will not receive the breathless coverage the other three Pro Days garnered.  Murray is unbroken and unbowed.  He will be one of the steals of the NFL Draft.