The Alabama Crimson Tide held its annual Pro Day on Wednesday, and Steelers G.M. Kevin Colbert as well as new Titans G.M. Ruston Webster were among the most prominent NFL front office figures in attendance.
The Pro Day lacked some star power with running back Trent Richardson (knee) and safety Mark Barron (hernias) both sidelined due to injuries. Defensive end/linebacker Courtney Upshaw, another projected first-round pick, did not participate due to knee tendinitis, CBS Sports’ Rob Rang reported.
The three top draft prospects are expected to work out for NFL evaluators later this month.
Inside linebacker Dont’a Hightower and cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick did participate in positional drills. Nose tackle Josh Chapman, who incredibly played the final eight games of his senior season through a torn ACL, interviewed with the press after Wednesday’s activities.
"[The knee] is pretty good,” said Chapman, who underwent surgery in January to repair his left ACL and meniscus. “They are trying to tell me to get back the right way, don’t rush it. ... It comes up a lot in interviews, but at the same time I don’t use that to help me out. I just use my game film and just go from there.”
Center William Vlachos was one of the few Alabama players with draftable grades who did run a forty-yard dash on Wednesday. Vlachos said he was clocked in the “five-flat” to “5.19" range at 6-foot and 319 pounds. Vlachos has put on 13 pounds since January’s Senior Bowl.
