Each week, FanHouse's Rollercoaster Report will take a look at several NFL Draft prospects to find out which players' stocks are on the rise, and who's stuck in freefall.There are three big stops for NFL Draft prospects on the way to April: the combine, their college pro days and individual workouts with teams. We're at station two on that journey, with the pro-day workouts in full swing (You can see the full schedule of pro days here). As with the combine, there are plenty of players making their cases to move up draft boards, but not everyone puts on a perfect show -- and some of the prospects struggling should be familiar by now.
On the Rise
Pat White, QB, West Virginia: Throughout White's collegiate career, the general consensus was that he was destined for an NFL career at a position other than quarterback. White's slowly chipping away at that notion, and his pro day performance -- where WVU coach Bill Stewart refused to let him run routes as a wide receiver -- did nothing to hurt White's chances of playing under center at the next level. In fact, White's pro day went so well that no teams even asked White to go through any non-quarterbacking drills.
Evander Hood, DT, Missouri: NFL teams covet guys that can disrupt offensive lines simply by their physical presence in the middle, and Hood's capable of that. He had a solid career at Missouri, and his recent workout numbers simply improve his stock. Hood had a strong combine, then followed that up with a nice showing at Mizzou's pro day that included 35 bench-press reps of 225 pounds, one of the best performances out there.
Kevin Barnes, CB, Maryland: Barnes suffered a devastating shoulder injury back in October, but is starting to show that, assuming he tests out healthy, he will be a first-day pick. At the Terps' pro day, Barnes ran a 4.45 40, then put up a 41-inch vertical jump. There's no question that Barnes has some great athleticism, and he's a capable cornerback. Oh, and his teammate, Darrius Heyward-Bey made scouts drool as well.
Dudley Guice, WR, Northwestern State: If you've never heard the name, consider this an introduction, because you'll hear it at the draft. In addition to his 6-foot-3 frame and 34-inch arm length, Guice is a flat-out burner. He ran a 4.4 40 at his pro day, and added a blazing 4.01-second short shuttle time and 39-inch vertical.
Kory Sperry, TE, Colorado State: This is a good draft class for tight ends, and Sperry is starting to look like he could be the real deal in the NFL. He kept his combine numbers, instead of running those drills again, but worked out in positional drills and showed flashes of brilliance, according to NFL.com.
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Dropping Off
Andre Smith, OT, Alabama: We've already been down this road, but Smith doesn't seem to seem to be able to right the ship. Depending on the reviews you read from Smith's pro day, he either looked okay, or he looked absolutely miserable.
Sen'Derrick Marks, DT, Auburn: Whether or not Marks, a redshirt junior, should have declared for the 2009 draft in the first place is a talking point, but he's certainly not easing concerns about him being ready. Between a lingering hamstring injury limiting his action, and a miserable performance on the bench press at Auburn's pro day -- 16 reps at 225 pounds -- Marks looks like he's moving closer to falling out of day one.
Nic Harris, SS, Oklahoma: This is Harris' second appearance on the wrong side of the rollercoaster, and just like in his first appearance, he's failing to do anything to assuage doubts about a likely move to linebacker. He ran back-to-back 4.83 40s at the Sooners' pro day, hardly eye-opening numbers.
Brian Johnson, QB, Utah: Seemingly every NFL team is hunting for that dual-threat player who can pass and run. Johnson showed some elusiveness while at Utah, but he's looking more and more like he'll have to go the undrafted free agent route. His 4.88 and 4.89 40 numbers at the Utes' pro day won't have anyone overly excited to bring him in as a slash-type player.
Brennan Marion, WR, Tulsa: You've got to feel for guys -- especially fringe prospects -- when they get hurt just before all this pre-draft fuss begins. That's the case with Marrion, who suffered a knee injury in Tulsa's Conference USA title game apperance. He originally thought he'd be healthy by the combine, but he's still struggling, and had to sit out Tulsa's pro day.
