The Cavalier Daily
Serving the University Community Since 1890

Projecting Virginia’s top NFL Prospects

Harold, Valles, Harris projected to join NFL draft

Dating back to 1984, Virginia has had a player selected in the NFL draft for 31 consecutive seasons. And in 2015 — with the likes of Eli Harold, Max Valles and Anthony Harris headlining a list of 18 draft eligible alumni — the streak is sure to continue to 32 years.

The trio of Harold, Valles and Harris showcased their physical abilities at the NFL Combine a week ago. And on Monday morning, the three joined their teammates at Virginia’s Pro Day, which hosted scouts from all 32 NFL teams.

The stakes are high for many chasing their NFL dreams, which the players are well aware of as they go through workouts including the bench press, 40-yard dash and positional drills.

“It’s your first job-interview,” receiver Darius Jennings said.

Draft gurus such as ESPN’s Mel Kiper, Jr. and Todd McShay make a living out of projecting where the players will fall in the April’s draft. After Virginia’s pro day, here is a breakdown of the top-five Cavalier prospects:

Eli Harold

Position: 4-3 Defensive End or 3-4 Outside Linebacker

Breakdown:

The state’s former top high school prospect, according to Rivals, was declared for the NFL draft after three seasons in the orange and blue. He finished his career with 17.5 sacks and 36.5 tackles for loss.

Harold has impressed scouts with his astounding athleticism. The Virginia Beach native — who measured in at 6-3 and 247 pounds — had a team-high 24 bench-press repetitions of 225 pounds on Monday. He clocked in a 4.60 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, including a 1.56 second 10-yard split — a testament to his burst off the line of scrimmage.

“He looked like a ‘create-a-player’ [from a video game] out there,” Valles said.

Although Harold played as an end in coach Mike London’s 4-3 defense, he showed the ability to rush from both a two and three-point stance in nickel situations, leading many scouts to project him as a 3-4 outside linebacker.

“I told [the scouts] I feel more versatile standing up,” he said. “I feel like I can do and see more.”

Harold’s biggest weakness is the fact he did not produce eye-popping numbers at Virginia — he recorded just seven sacks in 2014.

Still, Harold possesses the same athleticism as the league’s best pass-rushers. At this rate he is likely to continue to climb up teams’ big-boards.

Projection: Late first-round (Note: McShay has Harold projected to Arizona at the 24th overall pick. The Cardinals were one of the few teams with multiple scouts in attendance at Virginia’s pro day).

Max Valles

Position: 4-3 Defensive End or 3-4 Outside Linebacker

Breakdown:

Valles left his mark in just two seasons at Virginia. As the bookend opposite Harold, the sophomore racked up nine sacks in 2014 — the second most in the ACC.

A third-team All-Conference selection, Valles — who measured in a 6-4, 246 pounds — has the perfect frame for a 3-4 outside linebacker, although he also participated in defensive line drills on Monday. Additionally, his long arms make him a threat to bat down passes at the line of scrimmage.

But Valles — who is recovering from a shoulder injury — has struggled in traditional pre-draft drills. His 40-time was just 4.83 at the Combine, and scouts consistently had to remind him to correct his footwork and to bend his knees during positional drills on Monday.

“I’m more of a just go out there and play type of guy,” Valles said.

After just two seasons playing linebacker, Valles — the youngest draft-eligible player — is still considered very raw. He has not helped his draft-stock with his pedestrian workout, but the scouts showed a noticeable willingness to help him at Virginia’s pro-day.

Valles will start his career as a situational pass-rusher, with the potential to develop into more of an every-down player as he gains experience.

Projection: Rounds 4-5

Anthony Harris

Position: Safety

Breakdown:

Harris was joyfully welcomed back by Cavalier fans after he returned for his senior season in 2014, despite leading the NCAA with eight interceptions during his junior campaign.

Although his interception total dropped to just two last season, he still provided a ball hawking threat in the Virginia secondary.

The former All-American has been limited in pre-draft workouts as he recovers from offseason shoulder surgery. He did not participate in any Pro Day festivities, and he only ran the 40 at the combine – he clocked in a 4.56 seconds.

At just 6-1 and 184 pounds, some scouts have doubts as to whether his frame is durable enough to play consistently at the next level. Still, Harris never missed a game in his four-year career at Virginia.

In a draft that is short on safeties — Alabama’s Landon Collins is widely considered the only safety to go in the first two rounds — need could push teams to take Harris as early as the second round. He will be a solid day-two prospect.

Projection: Rounds 3-4

Kevin Parks

Position: Running Back

Breakdown:

Parks finished his Virginia career ranking among the all-time greats in nearly every rushing category. The 5-6, 207 pound North Carolina native amassed 3,219 yards in his four years – good for fifth best in program history.

However, for a player of his stature, scouts often look for blazing speed, which Parks does not provide — he ran an unofficial 40-time of 4.73 seconds on Monday.

Still, as Cavalier fans know, Parks more than made up for what he lacked in speed with other attributes. He has tremendous vision as a ball carrier, and his team-high 39-inch vertical drew praise from scouts and teammates alike.

“I just felt the energy from the guys that were in there,” Parks said.

Parks — who has been training in Tampa, Fl. since January –– strained his calf on the second day of practice at the Medal of Honor Bowl – a pre-draft all-star game. However ,he was still able to meet with 18 teams.

The former Cavalier great will face an uphill battle to make an NFL roster, but his stellar Virginia career will likely get him a training-camp invite.

Projection: Undrafted

Henry Coley

Position: 4-3 Mike Linebacker

Breakdown:

The hard-hitting thumper was Virginia’s mike-linebacker his junior and senior seasons, taking over the position after Steve Greer’s graduation. He earned Second-Team All-ACC honors in 2014 after his eight-sack performance.

Coley provided consistent play against the run and as a pass-rusher, but the Bayside High School product struggled in pass coverage. At the end of the season, he did not play in nickel situations.

Coley — who measured in at 6-1 and 239 pounds on Monday — cranked out 23 repetitions on the bench press at Virginia’s pro-day.

The former Virginia captain could provide a steady presence as a two-down linebacker. Unfortunately, though, as NFL teams continue to use more nickel looks, Coley’s opportunities could be limited.

His path onto an NFL roster involves continued excellence against the run and superb special teams play _ much like Virginia alum and current Jacksonville Jaguar LaRoy Reynolds demonstrated in his draft experience two seasons ago.

Projection: undrafted

Comments

Latest Podcast

The University’s Associate Vice Provost for Enrollment and Undergraduate Admission, Greg Roberts, provides listeners with an insight into how the University conducts admissions and the legal subtleties regarding the possible end to the consideration of legacy status.



https://open.spotify.com/episode/02ZWcF1RlqBj7CXLfA49xt