After looking over the more respectable NFL draft web sites and through the various draft magazines, it’s clear that Whitworth’s Michael Allan (TE), UW-Whitewater’s Derek Stanley and Ohio Northern’s Jason Trusnik (DE) all have decent shots at being drafted this coming Saturday or Sunday.
Both Allan and Stanley were tabbed as a fifth round possibilities by ESPN.com‘s Todd McShay and Sporting News, respectively, while Trusnik was chosen as a 7th round possibility by Sporting News. Also, John Murphy of Yahoo! Sports calls Trusnik one of five defensive players that could surface as either mid-to-late round draft picks or potential summer gems that break out during training camp (read more).
Here are their numbers:
Michael Allan (Whitworth)
NFL Combines & Whitworth’s Pro Day
Tight End / 6-foot-7 / 254 lbs
40: 4.71 seconds (second among ALL tight ends)
Short Shuttle: 4.38 seconds
Three-Cone: 7.37 seconds
Vertical: 36 inches (second among ALL tight ends)
Broad: 10-foot-3 (best among ALL tight ends)
Bench: 19 reps
Derek Stanley (UW-Whitewater)
Personal Workouts
Wide Receiver, Special Teams / 5-foot-10 / 173 lbs
40: 4.36 seconds
Jason Trusnik (Ohio Northern)
Ohio Northern (indoors)
Defensive End, Linebacker / 6-foot-3 / 249 lbs
40: 4.67 seconds
Short Shuttle: 4.17 seconds
Three-Cone: 6.78 seconds
Vertical: 35 inches
Broad: 9-foot-11
Bench: 18 reps
Others who are listed by at least two draft sources are;
-Josh Brehm (Alma QB)
-Keith Heimerl (Rowan DE)
-Justin Rummell (Earlham QB)
-Pete Schmitt (UW-Whitewater TE)
-Taz Wallace (Adrian LB)
-Jesse Wendt (UW-Stout WR)
-Winston Young (Bridgewater, Va. RB)
Brehm is ranked as the 23rd-best quarterback in the nation by Scout.com, while Heimerl is rated No. 46 for defensive ends by the same source. Consensus Draft Services ranks Wallace as the fourth-best “sleeper” at middle linebacker.
Here are the numbers for some of the aforementioned players:
Josh Brehm (Alma)
Michigan’s Pro Day
Quarterback / 6-foot-2 / 219 lbs
40: 4.99 seconds
Short Shuttle: 4.80 seconds
Three-Cone: 7.61 seconds
Vertical: 33 1/2 inches
Broad: 9-foot-1
Bench: 14 reps
Taz Wallace (Adrian)
Michigan’s Pro Day
Linebacker / 5-foot-11 / 225 lbs
40: 4.70 seconds
Short Shuttle: 4.48 seconds
Three-Cone: 7.44 seconds
Vertical: 33 1/2 inches
Broad: 9 feet
Bench: 19 reps
Winston Young (Bridgewater, Va.)
James Madison’s Pro Day & CFL Workout
Running Back / 5-foot-9 / 203 lbs
40: 4.55 seconds
Short Shuttle: 4.31 seconds
Three-Cone: 6.90 seconds
Vertical: 36 1/2 inches
Broad: 9-foot-1
Bench: 17 reps
NFL.com only listed pro day results for 14 Division III players, citing that they were the ones with the more impressive numbers. Aside from Allan, Trusnik, Brehm, Wallace, and Young, who I have already mentioned, these were the others:
-Dan Dufour (Curry LB)
-Dustin Hertel (DePauw LB)
-Joseph Konrad (John Carroll WR)
-Jason Lewis (Mount Union OL)
-Ted Londot (Wittenberg OL)
-Kevin Lyle (Menlo CB)
-Jihad Mahasin (Menlo KR)
-Tristan Murray (Wittenberg RB)
-Larnell Ransom (Menlo DL)
Here are a handful of players who were mentioned once (on a web site or in a magazine):
-Andy Collins (Occidental QB)
-Kyle Gearman (St. John’s WR)
-Kenneth Halvorson (UW-La Crosse DB)
-Hunter Hamrick (Mary Hardin-Baylor P)
-Byron Westbrook (Salisbury CB)
And finally, let’s not forget about UW-La Crosse’s Joe Werner, a national player-of-the-year candidate for basketball, who had a workout with the Green Bay Packers. The 6-foot-7, 255-lb Werner would likely be a tight end (read more).
Werner might be worth the investment in time. He might require a year to bulk up to NFL standards, a year that could be done on the practice squad and then NFL-Europa in 2008. That is a long shot, but I wouldn’t be surprised. If someone wants to give him a year or two to get there, then he would be worth it.
I am obviously really biased, but why hasn’t the NFL even looked at Rocky Pentello – the 2 time All-American, and 1st team this past year. I don’t understand. Is he just too small? He always seemed like a really big guy for a QB. The guy has a CANNON. I mean even for Europe. Any thoughts?
Werner’s size and background reminds me of Pete Metzalaars, a 1982 All-American basketball player from Wabash who went on to a successful 16-year career in the NFL as a tight end with Seattle, Buffalo, Carolina, and Detroit. While the Super Bowl ring eluded him during his tenure at Buffalo with Jim Kelly, he FINALLY earned one as a member of the coaching staff of the Indianapolis Colts. Interestingly enough, he held the NFL record for number of games played by a tight end in the NFL at his retirment in 1997 (235). Not bad for DIII, huh?
A cool sidenote. Last night on SportsCenter Mel Kiper listed TE Michael Allen as a great late round pick up. He also predicted that he could move up to as high as a 3rd rounder because of his stellar work outs.
Whitworth SID Steve Flegel told me earlier this week that Kiper had called about Allan. And Allan said he enjoyed seeing himself on SportsCenter on Wednesday as well.
Fret no longer — Pentello got asked to a rookie minicamp by the Browns.
Wow, good for Rocky! It may not yeild anything, but it is nice to see his talent recognized. Thanks for the update Pat! Where did you get (or where can I get) this kind of info??