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Georgia Tech held its pro day Friday, March 28 at the Brock Indoor Practice Facility. It was held in front of NFL scouts representing almost every team in the league, and was broadcast on ESPN3, featuring commentary from "Voice of the Jackets" Brandon Gaudin and former Georgia Tech A-Back Roddy Jones. It was well-attended by recent Tech football alumni, with folks such as Orwin Smith, T.J. Barnes, and Rod Sweeting showing up.
The day's unofficial results were as follows...
| Player | 40 | Broad | Vertical | Bench |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah Attaochu | 4.57 | - | 36.5 | - |
| Ray Beno | 5.34 | 8’11" | 23.5 | 30 |
| Euclid Cummings | 4.79 | 8’6" | 28.5 | 24 |
| Emmanuel Dieke | 4.87 | 9’5" | 31 | - |
| Jay Finch | 4.93 | 9’3" | 31.5 | 28 |
| Robert Godhigh | 4.6 | 8’8" | 32.5 | 23 |
| Will Jackson | 5.28 | 8’4" | 29.5 | 23 |
| David Sims | 4.8 | 10’4" | 36 | 23 |
| Jemea Thomas | 4.5 | 10’3" | 36 | - |
| Omoregie Uzzi | - | 8’2" | 26 | 25 |
| Brandon Watts | 4.49 | 10’3" | 37.5 | 16 |
| Louis Young | 4.5 | 9’9" | 36.5 | 11 |
Jeremiah Attaochu, DE/LB
The big name scouts were looking to see was Attaochu, who had a solid day for himself after he was unable to work out at the NFL Combine. Attaochu ran a sub-4.6 40-yard dash and did a really nice job in pass rushing drills, aside from showing great athleticism with his measurables. His current grade says he'll likely be drafted in the second round somewhere.
Jemea Thomas, DB/KR
Another major draw was Jemea Thomas, whose versatility in the secondary and on special teams have drawn interest from scouts looking to plan for the later rounds. Thomas showed incredible athleticism for his size, with a 10'3" broad jump, and impressed in defensive back drills as well. He likely did well enough to alleviate some concerns that scouts had about his footwork and flexibility. Thomas is likely to go somewhere in the fifth or sixth round.
Brandon Watts, LB
Perhaps the day's biggest winner, though, was Brandon Watts. Watts showed outstanding athleticism with a sub-4.5 40-yard dash, a 10'3" broad jump, and a vertical leap of 37.5". The high-school-safety-turned-college-linebacker really opened some eyes, starring in drills and working himself into a conversation that most would have passed him up for. While not a guy who's gotten attention on a national level, Watts is known by his teammates and fans for his athleticism and reliability on defense. At linebacker, he does a great job of stretching running plays out and sealing the edge. If invited to workout with teams, Watts could end up a sixth or seventh round pick, making him one of the few whose Pro Days really ends up benefitting him a lot.
Euclid Cummings, DL
Another guy who caught some attention was Euclid Cummings, who ran a blazing 4.8 40-yard dash. Before you go acting like that's some sort of a joke, it's actually a blazing time for his position. Only four defensive tackles ran a sub-5 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, and he shattered that mark. It's unlikely that he ends up drafted, but he could be showing enough to get a camp invite and potentially make a practice squad or roster down the line.
Omoregie Uzzi, OL
Uzzi participated and was said to be healthy after a year of not playing football. If that's the case and teams like his physical condition enough, the 2-time All-ACC offensive lineman could also be one to get a camp invite with hopes of getting a late jump on an NFL career.
Others
Other guys to watch in the Draft process will be Robert Godhigh, David Sims, and Louis Young. Godhigh has potential as a role-player in the NFL between his pass-catching, tackle-shedding, and blocking abilities, combined with his freakish athleticism (23 reps at 225 pounds...in other words, he lifted more than his body weight 23 times). He's been compared to Darren Sproles, though he would need to improve his top-end speed to be a true comparison. Sims came into Pro Day built like a fullback, which is where he likely will end up if he has a future in the NFL. Frankly, I think Sims fits a really nice mold at fullback, and is a guy that could be trusted carrying the ball in that role. Part of the issue will be how little fullbacks are involved in NFL offenses today, though. Young had a bit of a rough senior year but has tons of potential and athleticism, leaving the door open for any set of NFL teams to pick him up in some capacity.
With Attaochu on the board, this could end up the first year since the 2010 Draft that Georgia Tech has a first-round pick. Attaochu will almost certainly be Georgia Tech's first Draft pick since Stephen Hill went to the Jets in the 2012 Second Round. Where will everyone fall? Do Thomas or Watts get drafted? How about other guys in the class? Is Uzzi a dark horse in the discussion?