Three Drills to Watch At Pitt Pro Day

There are some major questions a few Pitt Panthers prospects can address at Pro Day.

PITTSBURGH -- 13 Pitt Panthers will perform their final public auditions in front of NFL scouts and executives at Pro Day this week. There, they will run, jump, lift and catch inside the familiar confines of their college team's practice facility, hoping to raise their draft stock before the

Each of the baker's dozen Panthers that will participate in drills at Pro Day have questions hanging over their heads but will have opportunities to quell some of the noise with strong showings. Here's three players who can do that and what drills they can do it in. 

Israel Abanikanda's 40-Yard Dash

I don't think there's any debate that Israel Abanikanda is fast. He built an ACC Player of the Year and All-American candidacy largely on his legs, rushing for long touchdown after long touchdown fuel the Panthers' offense in 2022. If you didn't wrangle Abanikanda at or behind the line of scrimmage, the odds you'd catch him anywhere else were slim. 

But just how fast is Abanikanda relative to his peers? And how far up draft boards can that speed carry him? Those were the questions facing Abanikanda entering the NFL Combine earlier this month and they remained when he revealed that he had tweaked his hamstring and would wait until he was fully healthy to participate in drills. We'll finally have something tangible to latch onto with Abanikanda and this should be where he can shine as one of the top backs in the class. 

Carter Warren's Bench Press 

Upon announcing his return to school last season, Warren cited improvements in run blocking as a reason why scouts felt he needed one more year to fine-tune his skills at the college level before taking his shot at the NFL. A shoulder injury cut his season short before Warren could really show off what he can do in an offense centered around the run game and he won't be putting on pads or running in a full game before the NFL Draft, but Warren can still showcase some of the skills that will tell if he's ready to run block at the 

In addition to the agility drills that will tell if his 311-pound frame has good enough short-range quickness, the bench press will be key too. Because NFL teams have discussed a position change across the line to guard, his strength will be important. Whether Warren, who played tackle for his entire college career, is strong enough to move heavier interior lineman as a guard, will impact his draft stock.

Brandon Hill's Vertical Leap

Hill is an explosive athlete - his 4.43 40-yard dash, the fastest of any safety at this year's NFL Combine, proved that, but he is on the smaller side in terms of his height at 5'10. Hill has the speed to play in space and cover but whether he can contend with bigger opponents when the ball is in the air is more of an open question. 

Hill's film proves he is capable in coverage but he can alleviate some of the size concerns that will be raised when he matches up against NFL wideouts by showcasing more of that athleticism in the vertical leap. He posted a 35.5" leap at the Combine earlier this month, good for 10th among attending safeties. Solid, but considering his height, Hill could really help himself with improved numbers in that department. 

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