Virginia Tech RB David Wilson

It’s been over a week since I’ve given you an update on Falcons draft-related news, but here’s a run-down of many of the pro days and scheduled visits/workouts the Falcons have reportedly had over the past week or so. Pro days are ostensibly over, with SMU capping off the schedule. McNeese State is slated to have a pro day as well this week on Friday. For the most part, the rest of this month will be filled with private workouts and personal pro days for a handful of players that have been rehabbing injuries.

Today, SI.com’s Tony Pauline reports that the Falcons sent offensive line coach Pat Hill to Wisconsin center Peter Konz’s workout today. Konz had yet to really work out in front of scouts due to a dislocated ankle he suffered at the end of this past season. Konz was invited to Indianapolis for the Combine in February, and disappointed with only 18 bench reps of 225 pounds. At today’s workout, he improved to 23 reps. He did not run a 40-yard dash, but did go through positional drills alongside teammates Kevin Zeitler and Josh Oglesby. Per Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Konz reportedly considers himself to be at 90% recovery from his injury.

The Falcons were confirmed to be at Hill’s former employer, Fresno State’s pro day on March 28. There, they likely got a long look at undersized, but explosive wideout/return threat Devon Wylie. Wylie clocked a 4.39 40 time in Indianapolis, which was tied for sixth best among all prospects at the Combine.

Hill is not the only Falcons assistant getting mileage watching pro days. The Falcons sent new quarterbacks coach Glenn Thomas to Chattanooga earlier this week to watch UTC quarterback B.J. Coleman. At that workout, Coleman completed 34 of 43 passes. Reports surfaced that the Falcons also got a long look at East Carolina QB Dominique Davis following his pro day back on March 22. The Falcons also sent brass to look at Southern Miss QB Austin Davis according to College2Pro.com’s Bo Marchionte. There they also got a look at wideout Ryan Balentine.

Other pro days the Falcons were confirmed to attend last week were Alabama, Brigham Young, and Georgia Southern, held on March 29. They were also at South Carolina on March 28. And it’s also been confirmed they went to James Madison’s pro day way back on March 16.

College2Pro also reports that the Falcons have gotten looks at Lafayette TE Kevin Doty and Portland State DT Myles Wade.

Aaron Wilson of Scout.com reports that the Falcons have a private workout scheduled with RB David Wilson (Virginia Tech), and have gotten looks at DE Melvin Ingram (South Carolina), and OG Kelechi Osemele (Iowa State). Other prospects that per Wilson the Falcons have shown interest in are WR Ryan Broyles (Oklahoma), CB Trumaine Johnson (Montana), and OT Mitchell Schwartz (California).

Aaron Wilson of Scout.com reports that Alabama defensive tackle Josh Chapman is scheduled to visit with and work out for the Falcons. Chapman is a massive nose tackle prospect at 6’1″ 316, but is drawing interest from other 4-3 teams like the Falcons including the Raiders, Titans, and Ravens per Wilson. Although the Ravens would be widely categorized as a hybrid scheme, something that many expect the Falcons to move towards under new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan.

Chapman is recovering from ACL surgery in January, and it’s likely his medical checks will heavily influence where his draft stock is. Chapman injured the knee on October 1, but managed to start and play in 7 of the next 8 games for the Crimson Tide. This past season, he had 23 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and 1 sack. He also started as a junior, where he had 31 tackles, 3.5 for loss, and a sack.

NFL Draft Bible tweets that along with UL-Lafayette tight end Ladarius Green, the Falcons will work out his teammate cornerback Dwight “Bill” Bentley.

Bentley has been rising up boards in recent months. At 5’10″ 182-pound corner performed well at the Combine last month. He had 13 bench reps, ran a 4.43 40 seconds, 31.5-inch vertical jump, 9-6 broad jump, and 6.99 3-cone drill. Bentley is the 9th ranked cornerback on CBS Sports, and is projected as a 2nd/3rd round pick.

It’s likely that both players will be performing on-campus workouts for the Falcons given that teams are allowed a limit of 32 prospects to bring to their own facilities for private workouts.

Aaron Wilson of Scout.com reports that Louisiana-Lafayette tight end Ladarius Green is scheduled for a private workout with the Falcons. Green worked out today at UL-Lafayette’s pro day, where he jumped 35 inches on his vertical leap. It was a one-inch improvement from his performance at the Combine last month. He also improved his bench press with an additional rep of 225 pounds, for a total of 17.  In Indianapolis, Green measured in at 6’6″ 239 pounds and ran a 4.53 40 time. He also had a broad jump of 10 feet, 4 inches and a 7.12 3-cone drill.

Last season, he caught 50 passes for 607 yards (12.1 avg) and 8 touchdowns. The previous season he had 44 catches for 794 yards (18.0 avg) and 7 touchdowns.

The Falcons were present at Temple’s pro day today. There were some impressive numbers being put on display in the speed department, as highly-rated running back Bernard Pierce clocked a 40 time as fast as 4.35 seconds according to some stopwatches. Also wideout Rod Streater was timed in the 4.3 range. Defensive end Adrian Robinson weiged in at 250 pounds and did 25 bench reps of 225 pounds. That was the same number of reps for guard Derek Dennis, who also ran a 5.23 40 tie.

The Falcons were also in attendance at Virginia’s pro day on Thursday. There they got to see highly-rated pass rusher Cam Johnson workout in positional drills. Johnson did not lift at last month’s Combine, and put up 16 bench reps at his pro day.

The Falcons were confirmed to be at three pro days on THursday, including Florida State, Penn State, and William & Mary, and likely to have also attended a fourth at Michigan State. Other pro days held on Thursday included California, Marshall, Maryland, and Oklahoma.

According to SI.com’s Tony Pauline, the Florida State pro day was uneventful although left tackle Andrew Datko was able to put up 20 bench reps. That was impressive given Datko’s struggles with recovering from a shoulder injury that sidelined him for most of the 2011 season.

It was the first pro day at Penn State not helmed by the late Joe Paterno in a long time. Guard Johnnie Troutman ran a 40 time in the 5.3 range. Running back Stephfon Green had 17 bench reps, 9-10 broad jump, 33-inch vertical, and ran in the 4.4 range according to reports.

The top prospects at William & Mary are a pair of potential late round picks in tight end Alex Gottlieb and linebacker Jake Trintin.

Various reports put the number of teams attending Michigan State’s pro day between 26 and all 32 NFL teams. That makes the odds good that the Falcons were also there. Tight end Garrett Celek, the younger brother of Eagles tight end Brent, ran a 4.69 40 with a 34-inch vertical, 9-11 broad jump, 4.39 short shuttle, and 19 bench reps .

At Marshall’s pro day, defensive end Vinny Curry made headlines with some major improvement from his Combine performance. He ran a 40 time in 4.65 seconds, 0.22 seconds faster than his Combine time. He also did 28 bench reps and jumped 35.5 inches on the vertical, a 3.5-inch improvement from Indianapolis. He is projected as a potential late first round pick due to his performance after a disappointing Combine, reportedly due to nerves.

Also, it has been confirmed that the Falcons were among 22 teams at California (PA)’s pro day on Tuesday. There, guard Rishaw Johnson is their top draft prospect, only performed in positional drills after a solid Combine performance last month. Wide receiver Thomas Mayo showed excellent athleticism, posting a 41.5-inch vertical jump and 4.48 40-yard dash time.

Mike Reiss of ESPN reports that the Falcons were among four teams at Massachusett’s pro day on Monday. The biggest name there was tight end/fullback Emil Igwenagu, who was invited both to the Senior Bowl and Scouting Combine in the past few months. At the Combine, Igwenagu measured 6’1″ 249 pounds, ran a 4.75 40, did 19 bench reps, and leapt 34.5 inches on the vertical.

According to Reiss, wide receiver Jesse Julmiste clocked a 4.47 40 time. Offensive lineman Josh Samuda put up 30 bench reps of 225 pounds. The Falcons have been regular attendees of the UMass pro day the past few years, attending each of the last two pro days.

Aaron Wilson of Scout.com reported a few days ago that the Falcons were set to work out Illinois defensive back Tavon Wilson on Monday, with Thomas Dimitroff, Mike Smith, and Mike Nolan expected to be in attendance.

Wilson moved between cornerback and safety in his career at Illinois. He started this past year mainly at corner, after playing primarily safety as a junior. His first two years were played at corner.

The 5’11″ 205-pound defensive back ran a 4.50 40 at Illinois pro day last Tuesday. He also impressed with a 32-inch vertical, 10-4 broad jump, 4.16 short shuttle, 7.04 3-cone, and 17 bench reps of 225 pounds. It’s a very likely indicator that the Falcons were among the 29 teams that were said to have shown up for Illinois pro day last week.

Wilson projects most likely to safety in the NFL, but his ability to play corner adds versatility.

The Falcons sent representatives to at least six pro days held on Friday, including those of Florida International, Furman, Mississippi, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, and Purdue.

For FIU, the big name was wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, who showcased his explosiveness clocking a 4.36 official 40 time during the workout. Furman’s top pro prospect is cornerback Ryan Steed, who was less impressive with a 40 time of 4.55. For Ole Miss, offensive tackle Bobby Massie was impressive during positional drills according to SI.com’s Tony Pauline. Massie is seen as a potential Top 50 draft choice.

Ohio State’s pro day also featured a top offensive tackle in Mike Adams. Adams improved upon his Combine performance of 19 bench reps by adding two more. Linebacker Andrew Sweat was timed in the 40-yard dash in the 4.6-range, with some stopwatches having him time in the high 4.5s. At Purdue, linebacker Joe Holland weighed in at 231 pounds, ran a 4.47 40 time, and did 22 bench reps of 225 pounds. Offensive tackle Dennis Kelly, measuring 6’8″ 320 put up and impressive 30 reps.

The biggest name working out on Friday of course was Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon. Every NFL team showed up to Stillwater to see Blackmon among others. Blackmon, who opted not to work out at last month’s Combine ran an official 40 of 4.46 seconds. He also jumped 10’3″ on the broad jump and 35 inches on the vertical. He caught 14 of 16 passes thrown to him by highly rated passer Brandon Weeden, with two drops.

Offensive tackle Levy Adcock, who was not invited to the Combine ran a 5.18 40, did 26 bench reps, and leapt 27.5 inches on the vertical. Fellow wideout Josh Cooper clocked a 4.62 40 officially.

Other pro days held on Friday included Montana, Northern Illinois, Texas Christian, and Troy. It is unknown if the Falcons attended any of them. Twenty-three teams showed up for Montana’s pro day, primarily to check out cornerback Trumaine Johnson. For Troy, Jonathan Massaquoi who is projected by many as a 3-4 outside linebacker weighed in at 261 pounds, recorded a 34-inch vertical and did 20 bench reps.

It was a busy pro day slate on Thursday, with the Falcons being confirmed to be in attendance at three pro days: Colorado, Miami, and Washington.

The standout for the Buffaloes was running back Rodney Stewart, who measured in at 5’6 1/2″ 179 pounds, but ran a 4.53 40, did 21 bench reps, and posted 36-inch vertical and 10’4″ broad jumps. He also had an impressive 6.72 3-cone drill time.

All 32 teams were represented at Miami. Wide receivers Aldarius Johnson and LaRon Byrd both ran 40 times in the 4.4-range. Safety JoJo Nicholas (6-0, 196) ran a 4.56 40. Defensive end Olivier Vernon is starting to move up draft boards and clocked a 40 at 4.68. Bethune-Cookman defensive end Ryan Davis was also invited and impressed in outside linebacker drills. The 6’2 1/2″ 259-pound pass rush ran a 4.79 40 time and posted a 35-inch vertical and 9’6″ broad jump.

Per Rob Rang of CBS Sports, running back Chris Polk looked quicker and slimmer at his pro day, running at a 4.45 40 at 212 pounds. Guard Senio Kelemete improved his bench press, putting up 25 reps of 225 pounds, four more than he did at last month’s Combine. Wide receiver Jermaine Kearse caught every pass in workouts that hit his hands, and ran a 4.40 40, 0.14 seconds faster than what he did in Indianapolis. Cornerback Quinton Richardson also impressed with speed, clocking a 40 in the mid-4.3 range.

Other notable pro days that took place on Thursday were Clemson, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Northwestern, and Syracuse. There has been no confirmation that the Falcons attended any of them, but it’s likely they were at least represented at some.

Clemson tight end Dwayne Allen opted against running a 40 at their pro day, after clocking a 4.89 at the Combine last month. But he did catch the ball well in position drills per Tony Pauline of SI.com. Defensive end Andre Branch looked solid in positional drills. Offensive tackle Landon Walker put up an impressing 32 bench reps and clocked a 5.30 40 time. Fullback Chad Diehl did 28 bench reps and ran a 4.90 40.

At Mississippi State, most had come to see defensive tackle Fletcher Cox work out. But per Pauline, many came away impressed with offensive tackle James Carmon, measuring in at 6’6″ 330 pounds. He ran a 5.24 40, 4.17 short shuttle, and did 22 bench reps. According to reports, 18 teams were represented there.

At Nebraska, defensive end Jared Crick who did not lift last month at the Combine posted 26 bench reps of 225 pounds according to Husker Extra.com. Wide receiver Brandon Kinnie impressed, measuring in at 6’4″ 218 pounds, but ran a 4.41 40, 36.5-inch vertical, and 10’5″ broad jump. But cornerback Marcus Mendoza might have showcased the most impressive athleticism, blowing away the competition with a 4.37 40 time and 45.5-inch vertical leap, two inches more than any seen in Indianapolis. The 5’10″ 190-pound corner also had an 11’1″ broad jump and put up 20 bench reps. Twenty scouts reportedly attended the workout.

Northwestern wideout Jeremy Ebert impressed with a 4.38 40 time at their pro day, leaving the 25 teams that were in attendance buzzin according to Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune. Quarterback Dan Persa threw the ball well and showed nice athleticism with a 4.80 40 and 32-inch vertical jump.

The big name at Syracuse was defensive end Chandler Jones. Jones measured in at 255 pounds, down 11 from the Combine due to a persistent stomach flu. Between 29 and 31 teams were reported to be in attendance at that pro day.