The Hokies held their football pro day on March 19th. It was a good chance for quarterback Logan Thomas to redeem his accuracy problems from the NFL combine and add a new wrinkle to his already impressive athleticism. The pressure was on for Thomas as Eagles' head coach Chip Kelly and 49er's head coach Jim Harbaugh were both in attendance. Other Hokies who worked out on Wednesday included Atone Exum, D.J. Coles, Cody Journell, Andrew Miller, Kyle Fuller, Derrick Hopkins, Tyrel Wilson, Tariq Edwards, Jack Tyler, and James Gayle.
Logan Thomas
Quarterback guru George Whitfield, who has worked extensively with Thomas, had this to say about the quarterback's performance on Wednesday:
Mission accomplished. Logan Thomas connects on 56-59 passes today at #VT pro day w Jim Harbaugh & Chip Kelly among audience.
— George Whitfield Jr. (@georgewhitfield) March 19, 2014
Connecting on 56 of 59 passes is something that Hokie fans everywhere have wanted to see for the past three years. Obviously Logan raised his draft stock with the improved accuracy, although he still demonstrated his lack of ability to throw while rolling out to the right side of the field. Thomas probably won't be a first round pick, but if he can get behind an established quarterback for a few years there's a chance he may prove himself and become a Sunday player. If not, there's always the other side of the coin: Thomas moves to tight end and becomes the next Tony Gonzalez.
D.J. Coles
Coles also had a good pro day:
Had a very solid pro day.. now back to the crib to b with the fam.
— DJ Coles (@Dcoles18) March 19, 2014
The 6'4 receiver has been plagued by knee injuries over the past three years, but showed up ten pounds slimmer and ran a 4.4-40. Coles was mostly used in the red zone last season, but when he's healthy he is a danergous weapon on the deep ball. If he has overcome his injuries there's a good chance we will be hearing his name on Sundays.
Cody Journell
Unclench your fists, it's only a name. While Journell was dismissed from the team last season, he was still given the opportunity to showcase his skills. His rocky collegiate career, compounded by a few losses that many fans attribute to him being suspended, may have overshadowed his ability as a kicker. Journell did hit a couple of 60 yarders on Wednesday, but it will be his character that NFL teams will keep a close eye on as the draft approaches. He may get a shot as a free agent if someone decides to take a chance.
Jack Tyler
Linebacker Jack Tyler ran a 4.7-40 at pro day. Tyler has been under the draft radar, but performed well in front of the scouts and could go in the late rounds or be in line to get picked up in free agency. He seemed happy just to be in the mix.
Loved working with all the fellas one last time as a group. Everyone of them will be successful one way or another #hokiepride
— Jack Tyler (@JackInTheBox58) March 20, 2014
Andrew Miller
Miller also performed well. He worked out at multiple offensive line positions to showcase his versatility. It also looked like he added some weight to his 300+ pound frame. Miller is slated to go in the last two rounds of the draft.
James Gayle
Gayle had one of the best pro days of anyone, running a 4.6 and showing the scouts why he's such a good defensive end through an impressive performance in drills. His draft stock is on the rise and he is going to be a steal if he goes in the mid to late rounds.
Antone Exum
He's coming back from injuries, but his pro day was not enough to make a major impression on scouts. He didn't hurt himself either. Teams are going to have to evalute his cornerback performance almost exclusively from film. His knee is going to be a big question mark, but somebody is probably going to draft him in the early to middle rounds.
Kyle Fuller
Fuller is the cream of the crop for the Hokies in this year's draft. Slated to go in the 2nd round, the cornerback showed the scouts that he is a big time player with an unheralded performance in drills on Wednesday. He didn't drop a single ball thrown to him
Derrick Hopkins
Hopkins' results weren't widely publicised, but it appears that he didn't perform as desired:
Some people would say it's a set back, I just say thank you Lord. I know you got me. #Plan #Purpose #GodBeTheGlory
— Derrick Hopkins (@hokies98) March 19, 2014
Other Hokie Football News
In other Hokie NFL news, Michael Vick was picked up by the New York Jets. Vick will have to battle Geno Smith for the starting job. Center Will Montgomery was also dropped by the Redskins.
We'll be keeping a close eye on all of the Hokie prospects as the May 8th draft day approaches.