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2015 NFL Draft: What we learned from Wednesday's pro days

The NFL Scouting Combine has come and gone, and the calendar flipping over to March means only one thing on the road to the 2015 NFL Draft: pro days. College Football 24/7 will be your one-stop shop for information on workouts from Alabama to Yale and everybody in between.



Here's a look at the key takeaways from Wednesday's jam-packed pro-day action.

Alabama: Cooper shines at packed event

Big draw: WR Amari Cooper
Don't forget: RB T.J. Yeldon
Notable attendees: Several New Orleans Saints coaches along with at least one representative from all 32 teams, including Giants GM Jerry Reese.
The skinny: The most notable 40-yard dash of the day came from Yeldon, who dusted his 4.61 clocking at the NFL Scouting Combine with times of 4.52 and 4.53. With Cooper and Collins sitting out the 40, Yeldon was the star attraction among those who worked out. Cooper didn't run the 40-yard dash but said the Jacksonville Jaguars will be the first club he will visit following pro day. Meanwhile, Tide coach Nick Saban dove into the style differences of Cooper, a potential top-five pick, and former Alabama star and Atlanta Falcons first-rounder Julio Jones. Pass rusher Xzavier Dickson, who ran 4.77 unofficially, said he met with the Detroit Lions and St. Louis Rams on Wednesday. From the sound of NFL Media analyst Charles Davis' Twitter feed, it looks like Cooper won't be the only Alabama receiver to get the dream phone call on draft day. Read more about Alabama's workouts in NFL Media senior analyst Gil Brandt's full pro-day report.

Central Arkansas: Lewis runs fast 40

Big draw: WR Dezmin Lewis
Don't forget: K Eddie Camera
Notable attendees: Scouts from the Rams were among the dozen or so teams to send a representative.
The skinny: There were several reports that Lewis ran an unofficial 40-yard-dash time in the 4.4 range, a great time, considering he is one of the bigger receivers in the draft.

Cincinnati: Luc tries his hand at FB

Big draw: LB Jeff Luc
Don't forget: DE Terrell Hartsfield
Notable attendees: The Steelers, Browns and, naturally, the Bengals were among the dozen teams who sent a scout to watch the Bearcats.
The skinny: Luc was a workout warrior Wednesday, going through a full slate of testing while also putting in work at linebacker and fullback, where some teams are considering him. He reportedly bettered his vertical jump from the combine and had a solid workout.

Colorado State: Sambrailo takes center stage

Big draw: OL Ty Sambrailo
Don't forget: LB Aaron Davis
Notable attendees: All 32 teams sent a scout or coach out to the Rams' pro day.
The skinny: QB Garrett Grayson figured to be the main draw at the event but opted to skip the workout because he is still recovering from a minor injury. Grayson has scheduled a personal pro day for March 24. That put the focus on Sambrailo, who had a good position workout, according to observers. Former Rams tailback Dee Hart opted to skip going to Fort Collins and instead worked out at his former school, Alabama, on Wednesday.

Louisville: NFL head coaches on hand to see Parker

Big draw: WR DeVante Parker
Don't forget: DB Gerod Holliman
Notable attendees: Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and Bengals coach Marvin Lewis were among the 80 NFL representatives on hand.
The skinny: Former Cardinals players such as Marcus Smith and Brian Brohm were among those who watched Parker go through a solid day of drills, catching nearly everything thrown his way. Parker revealed that he has already met with four NFL teams, including the Minnesota Vikings. Parker, linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin, Charles Gaines and safety James Sample stood on their numbers from the combine and also only did position work on the field. TE Gerald Christian said after he worked out that he's already scheduled visits with the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals next week after lowering his 40 time and looking athletic during drills. The big winner of the day, however, was former Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who tweeted about the big day while taking a subtle shot at critics of his pro day last year.

Marshall: Cato and Shuler hook up one more time

Big draw: OL Chris Jasperse
Don't forget: QB Rakeem Cato
Notable attendees: Scouts from the Patriots, Colts and Ravens were among the scouts at the workout.
The skinny: The Thundering Herd's pro day offered one more chance for the prolific college duo of Cato and WR Tommy Shuler to hook up on the field, this time in front of nearly a dozen NFL teams. Each is a long shot to get drafted, but Wednesday they flashed some of the skills that allowed them to light up defenses the past four seasons. Former Marshall wideout Darryl Roberts also attended the workout and ran a 40-yard dash under 4.4 seconds, according to one unofficial time.



Oklahoma: DGB keeps momentum going

Big draw: WR Dorial Green-Beckham
Don't forget: DL Jordan Phillips
Notable attendees: Nearly every NFL team sent a scout to the Sooners' pro day.
The skinny: Green-Beckham was naturally front and center as he tries to convince teams he's worthy of a first-round pick, something he appeared to do while plucking passes out of the air from former Ohio quarterback Tyler Tettleton. Converted tight end Blake Bell stood on his numbers from the combine and only ran routes, catching just about everything that was near him. Interestingly, Geneo Grissom worked out at his natural defensive end spot as well as going through tight end and linebacker drills. Long cornerback Julian Wilson ran an unofficial 40-yard dash in the 4.4 range to help his stock.

Rutgers: Kroft delivers strong showing

Big draw: TE Tyler Kroft
Don't forget: QB Gary Nova
Notable attendees: Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio was among representatives from all 32 teams on hand.
The skinny: After not being able to run at the combine because of an injury, Kroft ran an unofficial 4.67 in the 40-yard dash and looked really good running routes. He appears to be helping his stock after a few weeks of trying to get healthy. Nova displayed his strong arm and looked accurate when throwing to receivers.

USC: Williams shines for Titans

Big draw: DL Leonard Williams
Don't forget: CB Josh Shaw
Notable attendees: Titans defensive line coach Giff Smith led a large contingent of coaches and scouts, which included several CFL representatives as well.
The skinny: Williams looked like a man among boys. He destroyed bags and sleds during drills and made a good case that he should fall no further than No. 2 overall in the draft. Williams stood on his combine numbers and focused on the handful of defensive line drills run by his potential future coach in Giff Smith. Wide receiver Nelson Agholor caught passes and looked extra quick during shuttle drills, appearing healthy after a hand injury limited him at the combine. Shaw also did only positional work and was more than happy to convey that teams didn't seem concerned about the August incident that landed him a 10-game suspension; Shaw was suspended after fabricating a story about rescuing his nephew from drowning. Wideout George Farmer ran an electronically timed 4.35. Nearly a half dozen former USC players also took part in the workout.



Wisconsin: Gordon shows off skills as receiver

Big draw: RB Melvin Gordon
Don't forget: OL Dallas Lewallen
Notable attendees: Michigan State cornerback Trae Waynes, who was Gordon's high school teammate; 1999 Heisman winner Ron Dayne.
The skinny: Gordon has already proved he can run the ball effectively, so his workout at the Badgers' pro day was focused on his ability to catch passes. Gordon looked good running a variety of routes Wednesday and was able haul in most of the passes. There was plenty of interest in the offensive linemen being worked out, and OT Rob Havenstein had a solid day as one of the standouts. A handful of small-school players also were worked out by scouts at Wisconsin's indoor facility.

Also in action on Wednesday: Eastern Washington, Emporia State, South Florida.

On tap for Thursday: Buffalo, Delaware, Fresno State, Idaho, Kentucky, Miami (Ohio), Michigan, Oklahoma State, Oregon, UNLV, Washington State, Wyoming.

You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.