NFL pro days — post-Combine college campus workouts by NFL Draft prospects — can have a profound effect on a player's draft stock.
Should a player perform well in positional and other drills, he can confirm what was seen by teams at the Combine or from game tape. Should that player underperform, especially with no prior workout, he can slide down draft boards.
With the majority of the 2023 pro days in the books, including for the top four quarterbacks in the class — Alabama's Bryce Young, Florida's Anthony Richardson, Ohio State's C.J. Stroud and Kentucky's Will Levis — Sporting News breaks down the biggest risers or fallers:
NFL DRAFT: SN's latest 2023 mock draft | Top 125 prospects
NFL pro days winners and losers
Winner: Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
Richardson had reason to celebrate with another back flip because he crushed his workout in Gainesville as an extension of how he dazzled a much bigger group of evaluators at the Combine. Richardson didn't need to show off anymore with his running and jumping, but he did plenty more to wow with only his passing. He has a real shot at going No. 1 overall to the Panthers after coach Frank Reich was present in Gainesville to gush about Richardson's ceiling.
MORE: Breaking down Anthony Richardson's NFL player comparisons
Loser: Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia
Carter is no longer in play for the No. 1 overall pick given the Panthers moved up for a quarterback. It doesn't appear he will be the first defensive player off the board, either, as high as No. 3 overall to the Cardinals.
Carter couldn't compete at the Combine because it was timed with him facing misdemeanor racing and reckless driving charges he needed to address. When he got a chance to work out back in Athens on March 15, he got off to an OK start before dropping off when getting deeper into his positional drills.
Carter likely didn't slip out of the top 10 because of his explosive upside leading a weak defensive tackle class. But he doesn't have that "can't-miss" feel he had right after the Bulldogs repeating as defensive-minded national champions.
Winner: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
Let's table the whole talk about his lack of ideal size. Focus on the fact Young, who didn't work out with his fellow top QBs at the Combine, picked up where he left off with uncanny playmaking and intangibles back on a field in Tuscaloosa.
Young showed off his accuracy, quick decision-making with a dash of his special improvisational skills. He also reminded of his simple pro-level execution, impressing in methodical fashion.
MORE: Takeaways from Bryce Young's NFL pro day
Loser: Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah
The biggest thing the draft's consensus No. 2 tight end (behind Notre Dame's Michael Mayer) has lost is precious time. Kincaid, who sat out the Combine workout with a lingering back injury, wasn't able to be ready to perform the necessary drills at his Pro Day. With that durability uncertainty set to be cleared only after the draft, it might keep several teams away from targeting Kincaid in the first round.
When Rob Gronkowski fell to the second round (No. 42 to the Patriots) in 2010, there was a similar concern with a similar injury. The difference was Gronk's back issue wiped out his final college season; Kincaid was hurt late and was able to play for the Utes in the Pac-12 championship on Dec. 1.
Winner: Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
Let's make three-for-three on the QBs that had to answer the most questions, given Stroud has been "what you see is what you get" since his emergence at Ohio State. Levis came through on his big arm again back in Lexington, this time showing a more bulked-up and stronger frame and reminding everyone that he has own brand of effective athleticism.
Levis doesn't have the same winning and production resume as Young or Stroud from college or the limitless ceiling of Richardson. He still will be the fourth QB off the board, as high as No. 6 to the Lions as Jared Goff's successor.
MORE: Takeaways from Will Levis' NFL pro day
Loser: Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee
Hooker has gotten some recent first-round hype to join the four QBs above. But it's time to pump the brakes on that. He could do only limited soft passing at his pro day while still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered with the Volunteers last November.
Hooker did use the opportunity to meet with and talk to more teams, but those teams are still anxious about how he might respond in full post knee injury. Hooker, who turned 25 in January, is still a Day 2 pick.
Winner: Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College
Flowers is working to prove to NFL evaluators he's a lot more than a slot receiver. It's hard to ignore his quickness and speed that he showed again at his pro day gives him some No. 1 potential on the outside. His 5-9 frame is becoming less of an issue as he's drawing worthy comparisons to the Seahawks' Tyler Lockett.
Flowers now has a great chance to be the fourth wideout drafted in the first round behind USC's Jordan Addison, Ohio State's Jaxon Smith-Njigba and TCU's Quentin Johnston.
Loser: Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU
Boutte struggled with the Combine agility drills and didn't do in enough positional-wise to stand out from Flowers and others. Boutte, however, felt like he didn't need to show more jumping and running at his pro day to rebuild his stock. That leaves him probably looking at late second-round selection at best.
