With just four weeks until the 2015 NFL Draft officially kicks off, which prospects have helped themselves the most the past few weeks, going from fringe players in the first round to sure-fire invitees to the Windy City?
NFL Media analysts debated just that on NFL Network's "Path to the Draft" and brought up some interesting names that have started to appear earlier and earlier in mock drafts.
"I'll go Vic Beasley from Clemson because every spring, scouts go into a school and they weigh you, and Beasley was 220 pounds," former scout Daniel Jeremiah said. "He checked in at 246 at the combine and still ran extremely well. To me, he is somebody who has flown up the board, largely because of how big he is."
Beasley has long been mentioned as a first-round pick but has moved steadily up the pecking order of elite edge rushers likely be taken in the top 10. In addition to his weight in Indianapolis and an A-plus effort during Clemson's pro day, Beasley has moved into a good position behind Florida's Dante Fowler, Jr. at his position and into the top five for some analysts.
He's not the only player who has teams buying stock in them though. Another combine workout warrior is also moving in the right direction: UConn CB Byron Jones.
"After the season nobody was talking about him," NFL Media analyst Curtis Conway said, adding that Jones' record-setting broad jump at the combine "got everybody's eyeballs" on him. "All of a sudden they're saying they need to go back and look at his tape. He's a big corner, and that's what you see teams going to in the NFL."
Jones set a world record in the broad jump at Indy, leaping 12 feet, 3 inches, and he followed that up with a good showing at his pro day earlier this week.
Another player who tested well and has scouts buzzing about him is UCF wideout Breshad Perriman, who leaped into the Day 1 draft discussion on the strength of his 4.24-second 40-yard dash at his pro day.
"Some people had him solidly in the second round," NFL Media's Charles Davis said. "Then he ran his 40 at his pro day. Now he's almost certainly in the first round."
Other draft risers mentioned in the roundtable discussion: speedy Miami receiver Phillip Dorsett, LSU offensive lineman La'el Collins, and Kentucky edge rusher Bud Dupree.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
