Tight end Jimmy Graham will be the first Hurricane off the board. Graham did not run the 40 today but looked tremendous catching the ball in drills. He continues to climb up draft boards and is headed into the second round.
Offensive tackle Jason Fox, who did not work out at the combine while recovering from minor knee surgery, hurt his hamstring running the 40 this morning and pulled up. He tried to complete the position drills but struggled on the injured leg.
The main attraction on Friday's pro-day slate is Boise State, where cornerback Kyle Wilson is expected to work out for scouts. Wilson hurt his hamstring the week prior to the combine and was unable to participate. Arizona State is also on today's schedule, while the Wake Forest pro day is almost complete.
In a rare Saturday pro day, junior tight end Rob Gronkowski is scheduled to work out tomorrow in Arizona. Gronkowski denied recent reports that he is suffering from spinal stenosis, a potentially career-threatening condition. During the combine, Gronkowski repeatedly told those on hand that his surgically repaired back was 100-percent healthy, yet he chose to participate in only the bench press and completed 23 reps. He also bypassed Arizona's March 12th pro day. Cornerback Devin Ross is taking advantage of the extra opportunity and is also scheduled to run tomorrow.
Jimmy Clausen is using two of his Notre Dame teammates for target practice as he prepares for his April 9th work out. Robby Parris and David Grimes both flew to the Los Angeles area this week and will be the practice receivers for Clausen. Parris finished his senior season with 25 receptions, while Grimes last played for the Irish in 2008 and totaled 35 receptions. Grimes signed a free agent contract with the Denver Broncos after last April's draft, but was later released.
Receiver Ryan Wolfe pushed up 15 reps on the bench press, posted a 33.5-inch vertical jump and 9'10'' broad jump, then hurt his hamstring during his first 40-yard run and was unable to complete the workout. Wolfe is expected to schedule a private workout with scouts in early April in his hometown of Valencia, Calif.
Meanwhile, the times at Mississippi State were fast this morning as the top two prospects from the program improved from their combine performances.
Jamar Chaney, who was the fastest linebacker at the combine, ran his 40s between 4.45 to 4.48 seconds, more than one-tenth faster than his clocking in Indianapolis. Chaney looked terrific in position drills afterwards. His senior season and performance in pre-draft events marks a terrific comeback for a guy who sat on the sidelines in 2008 with a broken ankle.
Running back Anthony Dixon ran in the upper 4.5-second area (4.58). This represents an improvement of almost two-tenths from his combine mark and will push Dixon towards the late part of round two.
Half a dozen teams were on hand to watch Austen Lane at the Murray State pro day, and the defensive end made their trip worth it. He measured 6-6 and 273 pounds. His 40 time of 4.76 seconds was almost .1 better than his fastest official hand time from the combine. His short shuttle time of 4.37 seconds was more than .2 better than his mark from Indianapolis. Lane pushed up 20 reps on the bench, not a great number but close to what scouts expected.