Penn State's annual Pro Day will take place inside Holuba Hall on Thursday — but with higher stakes than usual.
There is no in-person NFL Combine this season, so, as a result, all of the workouts that typically would have been conducted in Indianapolis will instead occur at each individual school's pro day.
The event will air on the Big Ten Network beginning at 11 a.m., with eight Nittany Lions partaking.
"It's going to be a really neat day for a lot of reasons," Penn State strength and conditioning coach Dwight Galt said.
"We had a really great run last year, we put a ton of guys into the NFL. And all eight of these guys have a great opportunity to do some good things."
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Micah Parsons
Many projections now have Micah Parsons sliding out of the top 10 of the upcoming draft, with some citing off-the-field concerns as the reason for that fall. Most analysts still recognize him as one of the more talented defensive prospects in the class, though, and Pro Day seems like a great opportunity for him to remind. He ran a 4.43-second 40 during his time at Penn State, and many expect him to improve on that time inside Holuba Hall tomorrow.
"I think he's got to be a difference maker at the linebacker position," James Franklin told NFL Network in February.
"Micah loves football, had a great Penn State experience, graduated in three years from a highly respected academic institution. Had a chance to be a two-time consensus All-American at Penn State which I think has only happened three other times. Just really productive on the field and obviously did a great job when it came to those academics."
Latest Projections:
ESPN — 14th overall
PFF —17th overall
The Athletic — 15th overall
Jayson Oweh
The competition between Parsons and Jayson Oweh is going to be must-see television. They've been going at it since they came to Penn State together, and they've continued their friendly competition while training together in Los Angeles. Everyone has heard about Oweh's impressive 4.33-second 40-yard time by now, and he did something similar earlier this month, running a 4.38-second time while training. He said he wants to run under 4.3 seconds at his Pro Day. That alone will be something to watch.
Currently, there's plenty of variance when it comes to Oweh's projections. Penn State fans and draft analysts alike know how athletic he is and how much potential comes within his 6-foot-5, 252-pound frame. Thursday's event could help him shoot up the draft boards if he makes the kind of showing we know he can.
"I think it's going to be a very interesting fireworks show when they start testing," Galt said of Oweh and Parsons.
Latest Projections:
PFF — 26th overall
The Athletic — 57th overall
Pat Freiermuth
It remains to be seen exactly how much Pat Freiermuth will be able to partake in Penn State's Pro Day on Wednesday. Galt said earlier this month he thinks Freiermuth will be able to do "a lot" of the events, but that situation could very well have changed since Galt met the media on March 11. Freiermuth can be hard to find in recent mock drafts, after his production was hampered last season by an injury that eventually ended his college career prematurely. Thursday will be a very important opportunity for him to shoot his name back up the draft boards.
Latest Projections:
PFF — 60th overall
Shaka Toney
Shaka Toney's general standing with the draft experts is interesting in comparison to Oweh's. Toney comes without the buzz over his athletic ability, but he still put up some solid numbers, including a 4.48-second 40-yard dash and a 39-inch vertical. He also had a more productive college career when it came to rushing the passer, with 20.5 sacks spread over his four season with the Nittany Lions. He's a rare sight in national mock drafts, but that could all change should he post solid testing numbers Thursday.
Latest Projections:
The Baltimore Sun — 5th Round
Pro Football Network — 4th Round
Michal Menet
Michal Menet was a reliable three-year starter and an important leader for Penn State during his time in blue and white. However, the third-team All-Big Ten lineman hasn't translated into very much draft buzz as of yet. Most of his mentions have come via team-centric blogs with his stock seemingly outside the scope of many national analysts. Still, if he produces the kind of surprising numbers that Penn State players often do when they test, he could potentially involve himself in the conversation.
Latest Projections:
Bucs Nation — 4th round
Sports Illustrated — 7th Round
Will Fries
Like Menet, Will Fries was a reliable lineman for the Nittany Lions and a four-year starter. He also boasts a bit of positional flexibility that could prove valuable, having played at both guard and both tackle spots during the course of his career. Fries seems to be off the radar of many draft experts as of right now, but, like anyone in that situation, could turn things around with a big pro day.
Recent Projections:
N/A
Lamont Wade
Lamont Wade is one of two Penn State Pro Day participants who did not earn an official Draft Combine invite from the NFL, so he could certainly do with a strong showing here to boost his stock. He recently appeared in a Mock Draft from a Chargers fan blog, but does not seem to be on the radar of the draft experts.
Latest Projections:
Bolt Beat — 7th Round
Steven Gonzalez
Offensive lineman Steven Gonzalez took the leap to the NFL last season, signing on with the Arizona Cardinals as a free agent. He was cut by the Cardinals in late August, and will look to showcase his skills in front of scouts as he hunts for another landing spot.
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