Melvin Gordon was the main attraction at Wisconsin's pro day last Wednesday, when representatives from 17 NFL teams, including five running back coaches, were on hand.
Gordon (6-foot 3/4, 215 pounds) stood on his combine numbers, but he worked out and looked pretty good catching the ball. Gordon's running style, along with his improvement as a receiver, reminds me a little of Jamaal Charles, the former Texas running back who is now a star for the Kansas City Chiefs. Gordon is likely to be a first-round pick, and I think he'll be a very good player in the NFL.
Rob Havenstein (6-foot-7 3/4, 319 pounds) only lifted weights at his pro day. He had 33-inch arms and threw the bar up 20 times. Havenstein did not run well at the combine, but he's one of those guys who plays a lot faster than his times would indicate. I think he'll be a second-day draft choice, possibly a third-day pick, but he'll be a good player in the NFL for some time.
One other notable Wisconsin player who worked out was nose tackle Warren Herring (6-foot-2 1/4, 287 pounds). Herring ran 5.2 seconds in the 40. He had a 4.57 short shuttle and 7.38 3-cone drill. He had a 35-inch vertical and a 9-8 broad jump, and he had 28 bench-press reps. He'll be a priority free agent.
Five additional players from smaller schools in the area worked out at Wisconsin's pro day, including Jake Kumerow of Wisconsin-Whitewater, whose father, Eric, was a first-round pick of the Miami Dolphins and whose sister is married to Ohio State LB Joey Bosa. Kumerow (6-foot-4 1/2, 209 pounds) ran the 40 in 4.52 and 4.56 seconds. He posted a 31-inch vertical and a 9-5 broad jump. He had a 4.26 short shuttle and 6.90 3-cone drill. He has 9 1/2-inch hands and put up 15 bench-press reps. Kumerow catches the ball well and is an athlete with good quickness.
Follow Gil Brandt on Twitter at _@GilBrandt_.
