Eric Edholm of Pro Football Weekly reports that all but two teams showed up at today’s Illinois pro day, indicating that the Falcons were among the 30 teams in attendance. It’s likely most teams wanted to get long looks at linebacker Martez Wilson and defensive tackle Corey Liuget, a pair of underclassman that are expected to be first round picks. Also junior running back Mikel Leshoure is considered a prominent pro prospect.

Mike Duffy of Baltimore Ravens.com and Rich Campbell of the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star report that the Falcons were in attendance at the University of Maryland’s pro day today as well. Most likely to check out wide receiver Torrey Smith, who is projected by most as a potential first round pick and possible target of the Falcons in Round One. Running back Da’Rel Scott is also a highly-rated prospect, coming off a strong Combine performance. Neither Smith or Scott are expected to do anything beyond positional drills today.

Update: Falcons representatives were on hand for the Kansas pro day according to KUAthletics.com. Kansas lacks elite prospects, but undersized CB Chris Harris was trying to make a name for himself by running a 4.45 40 time. Also among KU possibilities working out in front of the Falcons were OG Brad Thorson, DE Jake Laptad, and WR Jonathan Wilson.

Florida State, Michigan State, Penn State, and Mount Union also are holding their pro days today. No word on whether the Falcons are in attendance. Thirty nine representatives of at least 28 NFL teams were on hand in Tallahassee to see QB Christian Ponder and OG Rodney Hudson of Florida State. There are reports of 27 scouts being in attendance at Michigan State to see ILB Greg Jones, the Spartans headliner among their draft prospects. At Mount Union’s pro day today, WR Cecil Shorts ran a 4.38 in the rain according to reports.

In another update from earlier in the week, John Evans of Central Michigan Life, the school’s student newspaper, reports that a Falcons scout was on hand at their pro day on Monday. That scout took their three senior linemen: center Colin Miller, guard Jeff Maddux, and defensive tackle Sean Murnane through positional drills. Both Maddux and Murnane are long shots to be drafted, but Miller could sneak into the late rounds, as he’s the 19th-ranked center in this year’s class according to NFLDraftScout.com.

DE Justin Houston

Joe Fortenbraugh of the National Football Post reports that the Falcons will meet with Georgia defensive end Justin Houston on March 25 a few days after his March 22 pro day in Athens. Defensive end is widely considered the Falcons top need and Houston has been projected as a potential pick for the Falcons in the first round.

You can read a scouting report on Houston by clicking here.

In other pro day news, the Falcons were among all 32 teams that showed up at the University of PIttsburgh’s pro day today. They were likely there to take a look at wideout Jon Baldwin, who is considered a potential target for the team in the latter part of the first round. Baldwin is big and long at 6-4/228 and ran a 4.50 40 at the Combine. He chose not to run a 40 at today’s pro day.

Click here to read a scouting report on Baldwin.

The Falcons were among a handful of teams that showed up at McNeese State’s pro day today. According to NFLDraftScout.com, their top rated prospect is tight end Corday Clark according to CBS Sports. He led them this past year with 30 receptions for 241 yards and a touchdown.

According to Geoff Mosher of the News Journal, the Falcons were among teams on hand at Delaware’s pro day today. The top rated prospect for the Blue Hens is quarterback Pat Devlin. Early reports indicate that Devlin struggled throwing at his pro day after a late arrival. Click here to read a scouting report on Devlin.

The Falcons also got a chance to get a look at safety Anthony Walters, who measured 6-0/204 at the pro day and ran a pair of 40 times of 4.50 and 4.58 seconds. He also measured a 36.5-inch vertical jump, 10-6 broad jump, and did 19 bench reps of 225 pounds. Walters pulled his hamstring during his second 40 run and is expected to work out at Villanova’s pro day tomorrow.

Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post reports that East Carolina wideout Dwayne Harris will conduct a private workout for the Falcons today. The Falcons met with Harris during the Senior Bowl and Combine over the past two months.

The Falcons have an upcoming workout with Troy wide receiver Jerrel Jernigan on Thursday. Harris is considered one of the better slot receivers in this year’s draft class, and it seems likely that hte Falcons are focusing on upgrading their wide receiver corps this April.

The 5’10″ 203-pound receiver ran a 4.55 40 at the Combine. He had one of the better 3 cone drills among wideouts at the Combine, clocking 6.77 seconds. Harris was fourth in the nation last season with 101 receptions as a senior. Harris will conduct his pro day workout on March 23.

You can click here to read a scouting report on Harris.

In other pro day-related news…

Mike Carmin of the Lafayette Journal & Courier reports that the Falcons were among the teams present at Purdue’s pro day this past Friday. On hand to likely see one of the top defensive ends in the class in Ryan Kerrigan. The 267-pound end had an impressive Combine performance, and stood on all of his numbers. He recorded impressive 4.71 40 time, 33.5-inch vertical jump, and a 7.18 3-cone drill, outpacing many of his peers.

You can read a scouting report on Kerrigan by clicking here.

The Falcons scouts and coaches continue to travel to various pro days this week.

Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post reports that the Falcons have shown interest in Minnesota QB Adam Weber, who held his pro day on Tuesday. Weber reportedly had a good workout on Tuesday. He is projected as a potential late round/free agent prospect due to high turnover rate and question size and arm strength.

On Wednesday, the Falcons were in attendance at the pro days of Alabama, Wisconsin, and Georgia Tech.

All 32 teams were on hand at Alabama’s pro day, according to the university. There, they saw RB Mark Ingram improve his 40 time from the Combine, running in the 4.47 to 4.53 range in the 40-yard dash at the pro day.

All but the Cincinnati Bengals were on hand to watch several Wisconsin prospects according to Tom Mulhern of Madison.com. There the Falcons were able to see RB John Clay and TE Lance Kendricks improve their disappointing 40 times from the Combine. As well as get a look at offensive lineman Bill Nagy, who had a nice workout alongside top blockers Gabe Carimi and John Moffitt.

D. Orlando Ledbetter tweeted that Falcons head coach Mike Smith was on hand for Georgia Tech’s pro day, as the team typically sends its top officials to local pro days. WR Kevin Cone surprised with a 4.37 40 time despite only catching 6 passes last season.

The Falcons were also on hand for Fort Valley State’s pro day yesterday, taking a look at wide receiver Ricardo Lockette who emerged at the Combine with a 4.37 40. The Falcons talked to Lockette while in Indianapolis. He followed up with 22 bench reps at his pro day.

On Thursday, the Falcons were on hand at Nebraska’s pro day according to Brian Christopherson of Lincoln Journal Star who noted all 32 NFL teams were on hand at Nebraska.

Mark Maloney of the Lexington Herald-Leader reports the Falcons were among the 26 teams on hand for Kentucky’s pro day on Thursday as well. Perhaps to check out explosive RB Derrick Locke and WR Randall Cobb, the school’s two most prominent NFL draft prospects.

Drew Chaplin of the Dothan Eagle reports that Troy wide receiver Jerrel Jernigan will hold a private workout with the Atlanta Falcons next Wednesday, March 16 along with Trojan teammate running back DuJuan Harris.

Falcons scouts were on hand on Friday for Jernigan’s pro day where he was clocked as fast as 4.32 seconds in his 40-yard dash according to some stopwatches. That mark would have been the second fastest at the Combine two weeks ago. Instead, Jernigan ran a 4.46 in Indianapolis, but was able to showcase some of his trademark speed. Jernigan’s explosive capabilities has some folks comparing him to current Philadelphia Eagle DeSean Jackson, and he is widely projected as a second round pick.

Harris isn’t a highly rated running back, but he’s a powerfully built 5-7 at 196 pounds, as he did 27 reps of 225 pounds on the bench and clocked a fast 4.37 40 at Troy’s pro day last week.

Rich Cimini of ESPN New York.com reports that a Falcons reprensative was on hand at Fordham’s pro day Tuesday. The star of the pro day was tight end Stephen Skelton.

Skelton is the younger brother of current Arizona Cardinals quarterback John Skelton, who showed up to throw passes to his little brother during the positional drills. Skelton measured 6-4 ½, 253 pounds and did 25 bench reps of 225 pounds. He also clocked a pair of 40 times of 4.73 and 4.69 seconds. He is currently listed as the 17th ranked tight end in this year’s class by NFLDraftScout.com.

RB Kendall Hunter: On the Falcons Radar?

Robert Allen of GoPokes.com reports that the Falcons were among several teams on hand to see prospects at Oklahoma State’s pro day earlier today. Notably among them was running back Kendall Hunter.

Hunter clocked 40 times depending on the watch between 4.43 and 4.58 seconds. Per Allen, Hunter spent a lot of time talking to a Falcons scout, who according to Jeff Latzke of the Associated Press, also indicated that Hunter’s less than stellar 40 time was good relative to the windy, chilly conditions in Stillwater Wednesday. Per Allen, Hunter’s feet were so quick during his position drills that he almost came out of his shoes. He also caught passes and fielded punts and kickoffs during the workouts. It has been surmised that Hunter’s skillset could potentially be coveted by the Falcons in the draft.

Results and notes of other notable Cowboy players per Allen:

WR Bo Bowling (5-9/192): 40 times of 4.45 and 4.52, 16 bench reps of 225 pounds, 9-7 broad jump, 35.5-inch vertical jump, 7.05 seconds on the 3-cone drill. He caught the ball well and field punts.
DE Ugo Chinasa (6-5/263): 40 times of 4.76 and 4.78. Wingspan measured 86 inches
DT Shane Jarka (6-3/302): 34 bench reps. He was limited from performing in other drills due to knee and foot injuries.
ILB Orie Lemon (6-1/243): 4.76 and 4.87 40 times, 31-inch vertical, 9-5 broad jump. Lemon clocked a 4.99 at the Combine, as well as a 30-inch vertical and the exact same distance on his broad jump.

Troy WR Jerrel Jernigan blazes

The Falcons have been busy the past few days, travelling throughout the country to take closer looks at many of the draft-eligible prospects at several schools’ pro days.

Things kicked off on Friday, with the team being represented at Troy’s pro day, according to Sanjay Kirpalani. They were likely there to see star wideout Jerrel Jernigan, who according to some reports clocked a 40 time in the low 4.3s. The undersized receiver (5-9/185) is known for his explosive capability. Jernigan also measured a 38-inch vertical, improving upon his Combine numbers of 4.46 40 and 37.5-inch vertical leap.

On Monday, Falcon representatives were spotted at both the Tulsa (source) and Rhode Island (source) pro days. The biggest name for Tulsa was fullback/tight end Charles Clay. No updates on his pro day numbers, but during the Scouting Combine Clay measured 6-3/245 pounds, ran a 4.73 40 time, with 18 bench reps of 225 pounds, as well as measuring a 33.5-inch vertical jump, and the second best time among tight ends with a 4.15 short shuttle. You can read a scouting report on Clay by clicking here.

No big names for Rhode Island, although NFLDraftScout.com puts inside linebacker Matt Hansen (5-11/230) as their top-ranked senior (70th-ranked inside linebacker). He recorded 114 tackles this past season to become the school’s all-time leader in that category.

On Tuesday, Falcons officials were on hand for the Auburn pro day, with the AJC’s D. Orlando Ledbetter spotting Falcons Director of Player Personnel Les Snead. The big names for Auburn were quarterback Cam Newton and defensive tackle Nick Fairley, both of whom are expected to be Top 10 picks in this year’s draft. But the Falcons could have been on hand to check out several Auburn players who were not on hand at the Combine. Those include DT Zach Clayton, who had an impressive workout per NFL.com’s Gil Brandt, who measured 6-2/299 pounds and clocked a 4.87 40 time with a 33.5-inch vertical and 10-foot broad jump, the latter two of which would have ranked among the best for defensive linemen at the Combine.

Also Tuesday the Falcons also got a chance to see Alabama A&T defensive tackle Frank Kearse according to their official site. Per NFLDraftScout.com, Kearse ranks 35th among their defensive tackle prospects. He measures 6-4/315 pounds with 34.25-inch arms giving him over a 7-foot wingspan. He also ran a 5.2 40, jumped 30 inches on the vertical and 8 feet, 7 inches on the broad jump, and did 22 bench reps of 225 pounds.

Adam Stites of Jaggernaut.com cites a Scout.com report indicating that the Falcons were among 28 teams that attended Northwestern’s pro day on Tuesday as well. Impressing the scouts on hand was defensive tackle Corbin Bryant (6-4/298), who clocked a 5.02 40 time and did 31 bench reps.

Adam Stites of Jaggernaut.com reports that the Falcons were in attendance at yesterday’s pro day for Baylor University draft prospects. The two big names that stand out among the Baylor players are guard Danny Watkins and nose tackle Phil Taylor.

According to NFL.com’s Gil Brandt, both Watkins and Taylor did not work out at the pro day but went through individual position drills. Both had solid Combine performances last week.

Watkins is likely the prospect that the Falcons representatives were most keen to see. With the Falcons offensive line in flux, Watkins could be a possible target for the Falcons at the end of the first round, or at least one mock draft seems to think so. At the Combine, Watkins measured 6’3″ 310, clocking a 5.36 40 time and did 29 bench reps of 225 pounds. He is widely considered to be among the top guards in this draft class. NFL.com’s Mike Mayock has him as the second best interior lineman, while ESPN’s Mel Kiper has him rated as his top offensive guard. Brandt has him ranked in his Top 50 prospects overall.

Taylor is less likely to be on the Falcons radar, as the 6’3″ 334-pound nose tackle is billed as one of the top 3-4 nose tackle candidates in this class. Per Brandt, he is potentially moving up as a potential first round candidate.

You can click here to read a scouting report on Watkins. Also, you can read up on Taylor by clicking here.

Universal Draft reports that Massachusetts safety Jeromy Miles has indicated the Falcons have been a team that has shown “a lot of interest” in him.

Miles is a big safety, standing at 6’2″ 210.  Miles shined at both UMass’s pro day as well as that of Boston College in March. He ran a 4.45 40 time, jumped 35.5 inches in the vertical jump, and ran a 4.23 short shuttle at Boston College’s pro day. He impressed with a 10 foot-10 inch broad jump, 6.72 three cone drill, and 13 bench press reps at his own school’s pro day at the end of March.

On the field at free safety, he closed out his career with 62 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 2 forced fumbles, earning All-American honors. For his career, he recorded 9 career interceptions, 23 passes defended, and 7 forced fumbles in four years as a starter at Massachusetts.