Pitt Panthers Pro Day Recap

Pitt’s Pro Day Recap

The Pitt Panthers held their pro day yesterday on the South Side and twelve current players were there to showcase their skills to 31 of 32 NFL teams and their scouts.

The players started in the weight room and ended in the indoor facility with running and positional skills. Several players impressed in different ways but two players stood out to Draft Nation. 

Cornerback A.J. Woods 

Woods, for the most part, has been the “third” cornerback with the likes of future NFL players in M.J. Devonshire and Marquis Williams in front of him. He quietly played and produced throughout his Pitt career and with his speed could find his way onto an NFL roster in April. 

Woods measured in at 5’10” and 187 lbs which is a bit undersized for the position these days, but he demonstrated great speed and pro strength on pro day that will cause NFL teams to take a second look. He ran an unofficial time of 4.30 in the 40-yard-dash and was able to put up 225 lbs- 16 times in the weight room. He also looked fluid and showed off his hands in defensive back drills. 

The 5th-year-senior from Germantown, Maryland played in 59 games at the University of Pittsburgh and finished his career with 4 interceptions, 102 tackles, and 25 passes defended. His most memorable play as a Panther came in the ACC Championship games against Wake Forest when he picked off a Sam Hartman pass and returned it 73 yards to set up a Pitt touchdown. The 73-yard return is still the longest interception return in an ACC Championship game. 

Though he wasn’t selected to participate at the combine, he told reporters that he was following former Pitt cornerback Jason Pinnock’s path to the draft. Pinnock was a 5th round pick of the New York Jets in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Linebacker Shayne Simon 

One athlete that was hard not to notice was linebacker Shayne Simon. He started in the weight room measuring in at 6’2” and 229 lbs., and then showcased his power by putting up 23 reps in the bench press. 

Simon’s ability to change direction and to reach top speed had scouts buzzing. He ran an unofficial time of 4.70 in the 40-yard dash, and his overall athleticism was apparent during the entire day of testing. He added a 34” vertical and a 9’8” broad jump. 

Simon, 

from West Orange, New Jersey played four seasons at Notre Dame and then another two for the Panthers. He finished his career playing in 46 games and collecting 120 tackles, 7 sacks, and 13 passes defended.

Simon’s age (he will turn 24 this season) will be a detriment to his draft stock, and his lack of experience for someone that age could keep him from going in the draft. His performance at pro day will boost him, but he’s likely to find himself as an undrafted free agent who could help on special teams and possibly be a depth piece at linebacker.

40 yard times (unofficial)

CB- A.J. Woods- 4.30

RB- C’Bo Flemister- 4.53

CB- Marquis Williams- 4.61

LB- Shayne Simon- 4.70

TE- Malcolm Epps- 4.81

QB/TE- Phil Jurkovec- 4.86

DL- Tyler Bentley- 5.03

DL- David Green- 5.11

OL- Jake Kradel- 5.11

T- Matt Goncalves- 5.16

Bench Press (reps)

DL- David Green- 24

OL- Jake Kradel- 23

LB- Shayne Simon- 23

T- Matt Goncalves- 19

DL- Tyler Bentley- 18

CB- A.J. Woods- 16

RB- C’Bo Flemister- 16

CB- Marquis Williams- 12

CB- M.J. Devonshire- 10

TE- Malcolm Epps- 9

Draft Nation Projections

T- Matt Goncalves- 4th-5th round

CB- M.J. Devonshire- 4th-5th round

WR- Bub Means- 4th-5th round

CB- Marquis Williams- 6th round-UDFA

CB- AJ Woods- 7th round-UDFA

LB- Shayne Simon- 7th round-UDFA

OL- Jake Kradel- 7th round-UDFA

Undrafted Free Agents

DL- David Green

TE- Malcolm Epps

QB/TE- Phil Jurkovec

DL- Tyler Bentley

RB- C’Bo Flemister