Oklahoma Sooners Football: Oklahoma Pro Day: Preview, Thread and How To Watch

Oklahoma’s Pro Day will stream live from the Everest Indoor Training Center in Norman beginning at 9:00 a.m. CT Wednesday, March 8. Though closed to the public, the event is available to watch by paid subscription on SoonerSports.tv and the Sooner Sports apps. You can also stay up to date on the action on Twitter. The the eyes and ears of the country will be fixed on one Joe Mixon and a Westbrook who goes by Dede.

• Joe Mixon’s day has finally come to sit face to face across from the teams he hopes to play for and the league that he hopes to join on draft day next month. While his workout alone would be enough to gain the attention of league scouts, execs and the national media, his off-the-field concerns will most likely be the focus tomorrow. According to USA Today, after years of extensive research and background screening by NFL scouts and team personnel, the star running back may be looking at going in the first three rounds and is seen by many as a leading candidate to be the steal of this draft.

Horrible as the video is, the word out of OU on Mixon is positive overall. He was the heartbeat of the Sooners’ team. Scouts have done extensive background work, not only speaking to people in the football program, but women who work in athletic training, academic support, etc. Put it this way: there are other top draft prospects that NFL teams are way more concerned with than Mixon from a character standpoint. Their transgressions just haven’t been caught on tape.

- Tom Pelissero , USA TODAY Sports

• It’s still somewhat unclear the exact reasons why Dede Westbrook did not participate in tests or workouts at the NFL Combine. Early reports pointed to his agents advising him to forego the workout and go all in for OU’s Pro Day. But recent reports have surfaced that point toward larger, more concerning issues for the Biletnikoff winner. Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com reports that many teams consider Westbrook “undraftable” and as a prospect with considerable baggage that given his performance in interviews with team personnel last week in Indianapolis, may be looking at a disappointing fall come draft day.

“Beside the reasons previously mentioned such as declining an invitation to the Senior Bowl then not participating in combine workouts, I’ve been told Westbrook’s interviews here in Indianapolis have been horrible,” Pauline writes. “Those at the interviews say Westbrook has been guarded and seemed untruthful. There are also off-the-field issues, many well-documented and some more of a personality nature.”

Considered a top-five receiver in this draft, the 40-yard-dash is crucial for Dede, and if he suffers a lackluster performance in the event and in his presentation tomorrow, the speedster could be in real danger of slipping far below his early second-round projection.

• Samaje Perine enjoyed a positive showing last week in Indy but will work out for scouts again in Norman. The position topper in the bench press at the combine, his overall draft and NFL projection was definitely not hurt by his performance despite a less-than-stellar time in the 40-yard dash. But with the entire running back group underperforming in the event at the combine, Perine certainly stands to help his cause with a slight dig into his sprint time. The buzz around the league on Samaje last week seemed to hint that the all-time rushing leader at Oklahoma may have been overlooked and undervalued going into the NFL Combine.
• This is a great chance for the senior trio of Jordan Evans, Ahmad Thomas and Jordan Wade to make their case for the NFL after not receiving invites to Indy last week. As Corey Stavenhagen touched on in his piece from earlier today, seniors like Evans, Thomas and Wade could boost their overall NFL chances with good interviews and solid performances in drills and workouts. While these three seniors can’t bank on being drafted next month, a good showing in front of scouts and execs could set them apart on the day from their more touted counterparts who are unfortunately saddled with off-field issues that could dampen the mood of the event.

Participants:

Dakota Austin

Jarvis Baxter

Daniel Brooks

Jordan Evans

Geno Lewis

Joe Mixon

Samaje Perine

Austin Roberts

Ahmad Thomas

Jordan Wade

Charles Walker

Dede Westbrook

Hatari Byrd*

Chika Madu*

Casey Walker*

Dominique Whaley*

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