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Tuesday was the last chance for Penn State NFL Draft prospects to catch the eyes of the NFL scouts with their athletic testing.
The Nittany Lions welcomed representatives from all 32 NFL teams to Holuba Hall for their Pro Day and the participants did not disappoint. While, unlike at the NFL combine, the running numbers are hand-timed, scouts and fans each had an idea of what would be good numbers for Penn State prospects.
Saquon Barkley, a consensus top-five pick, did not workout during the day and Mike Gesicki limited his workout to pass catching, while Troy Apke also stuck to position drills.
All eyes were on cornerback Christian Campbell throughout the day. Campbell, who was at the combine but did not work out due to a minor injury, was expected to wow scouts with some of the numbers he put up at 6-foot-1 with 33.5-inch arms and an 80-inch wingspan.
Campbell started the day strongly with a 11-3 broad jump that would’ve been second among all combine participants behind on Denzel Ward of Ohio State who jumped 11-4 and is likely to be one of if not the first cornerback off the board.
He followed that up with a 41-inch vertical jump, which again would’ve been among the best at the combine. There has not yet been a report released on Cambell’s 40-yard dash time, though anything sub-4.6 will put him squarely in the conversation for the middle rounds of the NFL Draft.
Safety Marcus Allen, who is expected to be a second-day prospect, clocked somewhere between a 4.56-4.58 according to scouts in attendance which is a strong number for him as many considered 4.6 to be the benchmark at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds.
Lastly, Daesean Hamilton had an opportunity to clock a 40-yard dash time after opting not to do some at the combine. Though Hamilton’s Shrine Bowl and Senior Bowl performances have seen him rocket up draft boards, there were lingering concerns about the speed possessed by the future slot receiver.
Hamilton’s benchmark time at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds was somewhere in the mid-4.5s and according to reports he blew that number away, as scouts had him clocked anywhere between 4.47-4.51 according to Kimberly Jones of the NFL Network. That number, combined with Hamilton’s precise route running and strong hands could see him rise as high as the front end of the third round of the upcoming NFL Draft.