Wake Forest Pro Day

All 32 NFL teams were represented at the Wake Forest Pro Day to watch potential top 3 selection Aaron Curry and potential late first round cornerback Alphonso "Prime" Smith. Neither prospect decided to run, lift or test in any way as they were satisfied with their Scouting Combine numbers, and they should be as both players looked really good, fluid and explosive.

As for Aaron Curry, Gil Brandt reported the following; "It took Curry awhile to get going on some bag drills, but once he got warmed up, it was easy to see the athleticism that, combined with his football skills, make him a projected high pick. Some of the folks I spoke to love Curry because they say he never has a down game — that he plays at a high level week in and week out and that he is the safest bet in the draft."

However, if there is one spot that Curry does not excel in it would be his pass rush skills as he does not have the abilities of say a Brian Cushing, Clint Sintim or Clay Matthews who can play strongside linebacker and stack against the run while rushing the passer with intensity, Curry lacks that ability which makes some teams think that he would be a better fit an MLB in a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme. He plays sideline to sideline, he's intelligent, he diagnoses plays well, he stacks against the run well, he sheds blockers and he's a reliable tackler, everything a team looks for from their guy in the middle.

As for 'Phonso, Gil Brandt had the following to say regarding his Pro Day work out; "As for Smith, he was very solid in defensive back drills. The projected late-first, early second-rounder performed as expected but his height — he measured just under 5-foot-9 — has teams concerned. He did not do any punt/kick return drills, but he said he would have if asked. He was not asked. Smith said if being a returner helps his draft stock, he’s open to it."

Smith is an amazing man to man cover corner with all the abilities to be a great player in someone's secondary, it is unfortunate that his height is giving so many scouts fits as it is all there on the tape, he covers some of the bigger receivers in the NCAA without fail and I feel that he is a football player through and through and his height shouldn't dictate where he is drafted, unfortunately for Prime, scouts and GMs don't feel the same way I do.

Either way, both Wake Forest prospects looked good and it should be interesting to see where they get drafted come April.

UPDATE: Here are the results for the remaining Wake Forest players after the previous entry I made highlighting LB Aaron Curry and CB Alphonso Smith courtesy of NFL.com:

DB Chip Vaughn (6-1 5/8, 220) stood on all his numbers from the combine.

LB Stanley Arnoux (6-0 1/8, 232) posted a 31-inch vertical jump, a 4.37 short shuttle, 7.02 three-cone drill and 20 bench press reps. He kept his 40-yard dash and broad jump numbers from the combine.

K Sam Swank (6-0 5/8, 198) did positional workouts.

-Matty