By Tony Thomas
BATON ROUGE, LA. In the largest Pro Day event in LSU history, 125 media members were credentialed, including yours truly, and the GMs and scouts from all 32 NFL teams descended upon the LSU Football Indoor Facility to observe a contingent of LSU draft-eligible players, who put on display their talent and skills in hopes of fulfilling a childhood dream-playing in the NFL.
Included among that contingent of draft hopefuls was the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, QB Jayden Daniels, and two of the top wide receiver prospects in next month’s NFL Draft, Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas, Jr.
Thomas (6’2”, 209 lbs.) participated in the passing drills only. Thomas did not participate in any of the measurable drills, having performed all testing at the NFL Combine and electing to let those results stand.
Malik Nabers-A Football Player with a Dawg Attitude
Malik Nabers (6’0”, 199 lbs.) had a sensational day and showed why he is WR1 in this draft class. To start the day off, Nabers tried to jump out of the building by posting an outstanding 42-inch vertical jump.
I’m walking out of the LSU Pro Day now.
Malik Nabers WR1 final answer. pic.twitter.com/jJhSGLdXX2— Jacob Hester (@JacobHester18) March 27, 2024
More Sports News
And he showed off his elite speed for the position by turning in a 4.35 in the 40-yard dash, on his first attempt. In addition, he led all players in the broad jump with a 10’9” effort. And, he recorded 15 reps in the bench press.
An Injury Bug was Loose in the Building
The injury bug acquired a media credential and entered the building to observe the goings-on. That bug, named Murphy of Murphy’s Law fame, decided to let his presence be known and caused Center Charles Turner (6’3”, 309 lbs.) to tweak his right hamstring during a drill.
That injury was apparent to everyone in attendance when he arrived at the bench press platform with his right hamstring heavily taped. Turner was able to pound out 22 reps in the 225-pound bench press drill. Prior to this injury, Turner ran a 5.55 40-yard dash.
Other Players Shined
Omar Speights (6’0”, 225 lbs.) was king of the bench press today, churning out 30 reps. He was followed by Mekhi Wingo (6’0”, 286 lbs.) and his 28 reps on the bench press. Speights and Wingo, along with Maason Smith (6’4”, 308 lbs.), did well in the defensive line drills, drawing praise several times from the Kansas City Chiefs scout who was coaching the drill.
30 reps on the bench for @omarspeights
Would've been the sixth-most by any player at the NFL Combine and most for a linebacker pic.twitter.com/1osGU8dcY1
— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) March 27, 2024
Safety Andre Sam (5’11”, 183 lbs.) also performed well in position drills, including putting in an all-out effort for a badly thrown ball by a scout that caused Sam to track the ball well out of bounds and crashing into the security barriers separating the media from the field of play. Sam jumped back up and was not injured.
That Kid Jayden
Quarterbacks and receivers added a little suspense and mystery for the very large group of onlookers waiting to observe their talent and skills in real time, instead of on film, by taking their time arriving for the passing drills portion of the day.
Daniels (6’3”, 210 lbs.) did not throw at the combine, electing to throw at the Pro Day so that his teammates, including those who did not receive an invite to the combine, would have the opportunity to show what they could do in front a large group of NFL scouts.
One thing that was apparent immediately is that Daniels was wearing a shirt with the number 13 and the name Brooks, Jr. on the back, in honor of his teammate Greg Brooks, Jr, who is battling brain cancer.
In the dictionary next to the word unselfish, there should be a picture of Jayden Daniels.
Jayden Daniels showing off the deep ball at @LSUFootball's Pro Day 🎯
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/uQ6FDp6yyP
— NFL (@NFL) March 27, 2024
Once the passing drills began, it was easy to see why Daniels will be the 2nd quarterback off the board next month in Detroit. Showing zip on his throws, Daniels was crisp and accurate on the short to immediate passes. In addition, Daniels showed off his arm strength on deep balls, connecting on all deep throws that I witnessed except for two, with both being thrown in the direction of Thomas, Jr.
The Press Conference
A press conference was held immediately after Pro Day concluded, with LSU head coach Brian Kelly, Thomas, Jr., Daniels, and Nabers addressing the media. Kelly praised his players, saying that they all performed well.
I asked Daniels to what he attributes his development and growth as a quarterback from his first season in Baton Rouge in 2022 to his Heisman-winning season of 2023?
Daniels replied that the offseason between 2022 and last season was his first without a distraction of some sort or without any off-the-field personal issues, and that he was able to focus on working out with his brothers, Nabers and Thomas, Jr. and build camaraderie.
That trust and chemistry was on full display in 2023, an obvious breakout season for all three.
My Take
All players performed well and successfully showed the NFL GMs and scouts in attendance what they could do and what they are made of. Nabers balled out and is a Top 5 pick in my opinion. The latest mock draft by Bucky Brooks at NFL.com has Nabers being drafted by the Giants at #6 overall.
Daniels did nothing today to endanger his position of being the 2nd quarterback taken in the draft, going #2 overall to the Commanders in the latest mock draft. I think that is a mistake by the Bears, but it bodes well for Daniels in that the Commanders have a new head coach in Dan Quinn (as head coach of the Falcons, led them to the Super Bowl in 2017) and new OC Kliff Kingbury has a knack for bringing out the best in quarterbacks (see Kyler Murray).
Thomas, Jr. ran a 4.33 40-yard dash at the combine, which was the 2nd-fastest at the event and elite speed for a player his size. Daniels, Nabers, and Thomas Jr. going in the first round harkens back the 2020 Draft of Joe Burrow and Justin Jefferson being drafted in Round 1. In Brooks’s mock draft, he projects Thomas, Jr. to go to the Bengals at #18. The LSU pipeline of elite wide receivers flowing to the NFL continues.
