Insider Notes on Cal, William & Mary Pro Day: Cowboys meeting with Marcus Harris, AFC Giants eyeing Charles Grant, and more 

The schedule was light on Thursday, as besides the continuation of the Big 12 workout, Cal and William & Mary were on the pro-day schedule. Here’s a breakdown of what went on.

Big 12 - Defensive Linemen

Tyler Batty: NFL: Combine - Source: Imagn

Tyler Batty of BYU stood on his combine numbers, but he looked good during position drills. Batty will battle Sean Martin of West Virginia to be the first defensive lineman drafted from the conference. He’s a true defensive end in a 4-3 who is effective in rushing the passer and defending the run.

Though he lacks great sack numbers, the tape proves that Batty is a disruptive force behind the line of scrimmage. Batty met with the Minnesota Vikings, has a private workout set up with the New Orleans Saints, and is drawing interest from the Indianapolis Colts and New York Jets. He projects as a Day 3 pick.

Colorado’s B.J. Green II, who lined up at defensive end for the Buffalos, measured 6-foot-1 and 255 pounds. He timed the 40 in the mid-4.6s on several watches and was clocked at 4.45 seconds in the short shuttle and 7.23 seconds in the three-cone. Most teams project Green as a 3-4 outside linebacker who will occasionally come out of a three-point stance.

Green met with the Colts, Baltimore Ravens, and Washington Commanders, three teams expected to address their pass-rushing needs in the draft.

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Notes from Cal Pro Day

NFL: Combine - Source: Imagn

The Golden Bears have four players on defense who are expected to be drafted, and one of them, cornerback Marcus Harris, was the star of the show Thursday. A combine participant who was also at the Shrine Bowl, Harris was timed in the 40 between 4.34 and 4.38 seconds while also hitting 36.5 in the vertical jump and 10 feet in the broad jump.

His mark in the 40 was significantly better than his combine time of 4.45 seconds, where he strained his hamstring 10 yards into his first attempt. Later, Harris looked terrific in position drills.

I’m told almost of handful of defensive back coaches were on hand, including the Vikings and NY Giants. After the workout, Harris met with the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos.

Linebacker Teddye Buchanan, who entered the season graded as a street free agent and will now be selected somewhere in the middle of Day 3, rested on his combine numbers but looked good in position drills.

Teams project Buchanan as an ILB in a 3-4 alignment, though he is getting some consideration as a weakside linebacker in a 4-3. And teams are also looking at Buchanan as a special-teams player on coverage units, an area where he excelled last season.

Buchanan met with the Commanders, Tennessee Titans, Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, and Las Vegas Raiders in the lead-up to pro day. Buchanan, like his teammate, played in the Shrine Bowl.

Defensive end Xavier Carlton, who entered the season with solid Day 3 grades, has been forgotten since the end of the season, but he made his case Thursday as to why he deserves to be drafted.

Measuring 6-foot-5.5 and 273 pounds, Carlton timed 5.05 seconds in the 40, 4.58 seconds in the short shuttle, and 7.6 seconds in the three-cone. He looked good in defensive line drills, which were run by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Carlton met with the Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph after the workout as well as the San Francisco 49ers, and he will be attending the team's local pro-day workout. He’s also drawing interest from the Colts.

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Notes from William & Mary Pro Day

The William & Mary workout saw the long-awaited performance of offensive lineman Charles Grant. Graded as the top small-school NFL prospect in the nation prior to the season, a strained meniscus kept Grant out of the Senior Bowl and delayed his preparation for the combine.

Six offensive line coaches were on hand, including the Bills, Falcons, Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Chicago Bears to watch Grant.

Weighing 309 pounds Thursday (his combine weight was 311 pounds after measuring just under 6-foot-5), Grant timed as fast as 5.05 seconds in the 40 with a 10-yard split of 1.76 seconds.

He also completed 20 reps on the bench, one better than his combine mark of 19, which isn’t bad since Grant’s arms measured 34 7/8 inches at the combine. He met with the Los Angeles Chargers last night, then spent extensive time with the Ravens, Steelers, and Houston Texans before Thursday’s workout.

A left tackle in college, teams believe Grant can stay there on Sundays or move into guard. Some even believe he’ll eventually end up at center. While that is debated, the consensus is that Grant best fits a zone-blocking scheme.

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