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Florida held its annual pro day on Tuesday, with representatives from all 32 NFL teams on hand to watch 20 former Gators go through testing and position drills.
The Gators had two projected first round picks working out on Tuesday: defensive end/linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. and offensive tackle D.J. Humphries. Both players went through testing at the NFL scouting combine, so they elected not to participate in things like the 40-yard dash, shuttle runs, bench press and vertical, instead leaning on their combine results.
Fowler told media about his NFL draft prospects, saying he’s scheduled to meet with — but not work out for — the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jacksonville owns the No. 3 pick in the draft.
According to @JesseReSimonton, Dante Fowler Jr. says he's meeting with Jaguars in Jax after UF Pro Day today
— Mark Long (@APMarkLong) April 7, 2015
Humprhies looked good in his positional workouts. He told SEC Network after he was finished going through drills that he thinks his ability to play at a fast pace and against elite defensive ends (such as Missouri draft prospect Shane Ray) are strong evidence of his ability to be an elite NFL tackle.
D.J. Humphries going through drills at #UF pro day. #Gators https://t.co/lIRiEKDb5y
— Zach Abolverdi (@ZachAbolverdi) April 7, 2015
Another thing Humphries told the media is that he’s working to gain weight. Humphries was listed 284 pounds last season and weighed in at 307 pounds at the scouting combine.
D.J. Humphries on gaining weight: "I've developed this fat boy mentality. If I don't eat every 3-4 hours, I get aggravated."
— Cody Jones (@CodyAJones9) April 7, 2015
Other notes
- After leaving the team late in the season, defensive tackle Leon Orr was allowed to work out with his former teammates at pro day. Orr reportedly ran a 4.99 40-yard dash and went through positional drills.
- Wide receiver Andre Debose ran the fastest 40 time of the day, clocking in the 4.35-4.38 second range. Debose said he has meetings set up with the Chicago Bears and Cincinnati Bengals, and he is in the process of setting something up with the New England Patriots.
- Running back Matt Jones went through testing and positional workouts. He reportedly ran a 4.53-second 40-yard dash, an improvement on his 4.61 time at the combine, and observers said he caught the ball very well coming out of the backfield. Jones is predicted to be a mid- to late-round pick in a draft that’s crowded with talented running backs. The hands he showed off are a good sign for his prospects, as scouts have seen him as more of a power runner.
- Center Max Garcia, the Gators’ offensive MVP from 2014, impressed scouts with his strength. He reportedly put up 30 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press while showing off his blocking ability during positional workouts.
- The Gators brought in a former rival to throw passes during positional workouts: former South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia.
A former freelance journalist from Philadelphia, Brett has made the trek down to SEC country to cover the greatest conference in college football.
