The first pro days of 2015 are getting underway Monday, and some draft prospects have more work to do at this stage of the evaluation process than others. While the NFL Scouting Combine served as a launching pad for the stock of some players, others failed to answer questions, or opened themselves up to new ones.
With that in mind, here's a look at five players with significant work to do at their pro day.
Jamison Crowder, WR, Duke
Pro day: March 25
The skinny: Crowder did not run as fast as we expected at the combine, clocking in at 4.56 in the 40-yard dash. That tied for the 27th-fastest time among the 39 wide receivers that ran the 40 in Indianapolis. Now, it's true that some receivers are quicker than fast, but Crowder is competing against the likes of Kansas State's Tyler Lockett to be one of the first slot receivers drafted -- Lockett ran a 4.40 and had an excellent combine. Crowder needs to improve on his numbers at his pro day to keep up with his competition.
Paul Dawson, LB, TCU
Pro day: March 27
The skinny: I think Dawson has the best instincts of any linebacker in the draft. He reads, diagnoses and gets to the point of attack very well. The former Horned Frogs star plays with great passion and appears to really love football. His game tape is outstanding. However, he didn't perform well at the combine. He ran slow (4.93 40, which tied for second-slowest among LBs), had the worst vertical of any linebacker (28 inches) and just didn't measure up to what we see from him on tape when it comes to play speed. He's going to need to look the part when he works out at his pro day. Dawson posted a tweet after his combine workout saying that he's "not a track star," and I appreciate the bravado, but for teams to take him as high as he wants to go, he needs to look as athletic in drills as he does during games.
Gerod Holliman, safety, Louisville
Pro day: March 11
The skinny: Holliman tied the FBS single-season record for interceptions with 14 last season, and also earned the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back. One would think he'd be generating a lot of draft buzz with those credentials, but we're hearing more about some of his fellow Louisville defensive backs in this year's draft, James Sample and Charles Gaines, than we are about Holliman. Some scouts think they're better overall players than Holliman, who didn't work out at the combine. He'll need to show a lot at his pro day to answer some of the questions scouts have about him.
Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA
Pro day: March 10
The skinny: Hundley tested very well at the combine -- his 3.98-second 20-yard shuttle was a combine record for a quarterback -- and he's competing to be the third quarterback off the board this year, after Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota. That battle isn't over, but some evaluators weren't particularly impressed with how he threw at the combine and they need to see more from him. I don't think some scouts are giving him his due credit as a thrower. He already has said he doesn't intend to do drills again at his pro day. He's going to throw, though, and I can't wait to see how he fares. He has a chance to go out and put all those questions to rest, and I think he'll probably do just that.
Denzel Perryman, LB, Miami (Fla.)
Pro day: April 1
The skinny: Perryman is a tremendous player, but the bench press (27) was the only test he showed well in during the combine. He's a tough, hard-hitting inside linebacker and looks good on tape. However, his combine numbers aren't going to impress any evaluators as they evaluate the top players at his position. Teams will want to see more athleticism from him at his pro day.
Follow Charles Davis on Twitter *@CFD22.*
