Conner Vernon to Senior Bowl

[Bob Green]

Awesome news: http://espn.go.com/blog/acc/post/_/id/5 ... enior-bowl

There will be lots of NFL folks watching practice all week. I'm really looking forward to following Vernon in the NFL.

[Bob Green]

Here is a video clip which includes an interview with Vernon and some practice footage:

http://www.panthers.com/media-vault/vid ... f2123da14a

And a couple of articles:

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013 ... ack_i.html

http://cheeseheadtv.com/blog/from-the-s ... tice-notes

At the bottom of the second article, Vernon receives some solid praise.

[The Football Fan]

Stats from the Senior Bowl...

Vernon put in his usual workman's like game. Led the South in receptions with 4 catches for 36 yards.

http://www.seniorbowl.com/files/2013%20 ... 0stats.pdf

At this point, I think he's a lock to get drafted even if he runs 4.5, but anything greater and all bets are off. If he runs the 40 in <4.4, I'd bet on 4th-6th. There's a chance at the 3rd as there's not that many WR this year that are projected as elite.

I really hope he gets picked in that range though as it would give him a solid chance of not just making a team, but actually getting on the field. From there, I think he'll be a solid pro.

[Bob Green]

CV's second 40 yd dash time was 4.47 seconds today at the NFL Combine. He clocked 4.59 in his first dash.

[Bob Green]

Those times were unofficial. NFL.com is now listing his official 40 yard dash time at 4.68 seconds.

[The Football Fan]

That's disheartening. He could do well on an NFL team, but that 40 time is going to affect his draft stock adversely. He's probably looking at the 5th round at best now. I still think he'll get drafted, but I'm guessing it'll be 6th or 7th round. There's zero guarantee he makes that team. Even so, I think once he gets on a team, he'll do fine. He's smart, gets open, and makes catches in traffic, that should get him a roster spot.

[lawgrad91]

That's disheartening. He could do well on an NFL team, but that 40 time is going to affect his draft stock adversely. He's probably looking at the 5th round at best now. I still think he'll get drafted, but I'm guessing it'll be 6th or 7th round. There's zero guarantee he makes that team. Even so, I think once he gets on a team, he'll do fine. He's smart, gets open, and makes catches in traffic, that should get him a roster spot.

Will he run again at Duke's Pro Day, and will it make a difference? How did he do in the other running things (I don't know what they are called)?

Sorry for the ignorance, but who will be working out at our Pro Day, and what do they do? Is it just basically a do-over of the Combine, or do they do other things?

[The Football Fan]

Will he run again at Duke's Pro Day, and will it make a difference? How did he do in the other running things (I don't know what they are called)?

Sorry for the ignorance, but who will be working out at our Pro Day, and what do they do? Is it just basically a do-over of the Combine, or do they do other things?

I'm sure he will, but it's hard to say whether that'll make a difference. At the combine, everyone is on the same playing field. It may matter how he's timed. If you're a scout, do you trust a time from a Duke coach?

As for the rest of the combine stuff...
http://www.nfl.com/combine/workouts

This provides a pretty good review if you have the time to watch it all. Vernon didn't bench, but did all the other drills. Comparatively, he was on the bottom end for 40 times for Wide outs, but did much better in the shuttle runs and 3 cone drill. Essentially he met needed benchmarks. His broad jump was his best compared to the other wide outs at the combine. He just missed being a top performer. His vertical jump wasn't that good comparatively, but his worst event by far was the 40. So, that means the Oakland Raiders will NOT be drafting him. I didn't see the combine, but I would've been interested to see how he handled the gauntlet. Good hands and running good routes were suppose to be his forte, so I hope he did well in that drill.

[lawgrad91]

Thanks!

I didn't see any of the Combine. Tigerdevil said she DVR'ed it and said the announcers were very impressed with Conner's hands and route-running.

It is discouraging to hear how much stress is put on the 40 yard dash. When do these guys ever run 40 yards in a straight line, especially in running clothes?

[DevilWearsPrada2.0]

The Best to Conner!!!! He is a remarkable young man!!!!!

[Bob Green]

Pro Day video interview with Conner Vernon:

http://bluedevilnation.net/2013/03/one- ... e-pro-day/

Video interview with Coach Cutcliffe:

http://bluedevilnation.net/2013/03/coac ... s-pro-day/

[The Football Fan]

I think this is a pretty good summation of Conner. I have a small issue with him being considered below average for big play ability. Yeah, he missed a few big plays and I was disappointed he wasn't open enough for us to go to him more against some weaker competition (Richmond), but he certainly made some big plays for us when the other team knew we'd be going his way. That's gotta count for something. Before Jamison makes the play against Carolina, Vernon set us up to be there.


http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/pl ... fresh=true