Draft Dish: Rutgers’ Munoz rises; QB Hiller surprises

As on-campus pre-draft workouts, otherwise known as "pro days," continue to be conducted around the nation, prospects’ stocks are ever changing:

• During Rutgers’ pro day on March 10, much of the talk was about the Scarlet Knights’ top draft prospect, OT Anthony Davis, not working out because of illness. Among the players who did work out, however, OLB Damaso Munoz did well to improve his standing.

When first evaluating Munoz on film, he looked like a fifth- or sixth-round pick with some potential to grow because of his speed and athleticism. However, he hadn’t been getting much attention and didn’t get invited to the NFL Scouting Combine.

Munoz changed the perception of his talents with his workout and is no longer an "unknown." Despite an undersized frame at 5-10 5/8, 221, he drew most of the attention by running the 40-yard dash in 4.49 seconds and recording a 35-inch vertical jump.

• Western Michigan QB Tim Hiller received far less hype based on his play in the MAC last season than Central Michigan counterpart Dan LeFevour, but the reality is, based on workouts, Hiller may have passed LeFevour on draft boards.

Hiller’s performance at the Broncos’ pro day on March 9 wasn’t quite good enough to get him into the top three rounds, but excelled at throwing the ball, looking like an NFL-caliber quarterback. That development was surprising, considering his mighty struggles during practices leading up to the Texas vs. The Nation all-star game. At this point, Hiller is worthy of a late fourth-round or early fifth-round pick.

For information and analysis on these and many other players, see the latest Draft Dish in SN’s Pro Football War Room. For more than 640 player scouting reports from Russ Lande and his team of former NFL scouts — plus updated mock draft, Super 99 rankings and more — go to warroom.sportingnews.com.

As on-campus pre-draft workouts, otherwise known as "pro days," continue to be conducted around the nation, prospects’ stocks are ever changing:

• During Rutgers’ pro day on March 10, much of the talk was about the Scarlet Knights’ top draft prospect, OT Anthony Davis, not working out because of illness. Among the players who did work out, however, OLB Damaso Munoz did well to improve his standing.

When first evaluating Munoz on film, he looked like a fifth- or sixth-round pick with some potential to grow because of his speed and athleticism. However, he hadn’t been getting much attention and didn’t get invited to the NFL Scouting Combine.

Munoz changed the perception of his talents with his workout and is no longer an "unknown." Despite an undersized frame at 5-10 5/8, 221, he drew most of the attention by running the 40-yard dash in 4.49 seconds and recording a 35-inch vertical jump.

• Western Michigan QB Tim Hiller received far less hype based on his play in the MAC last season than Central Michigan counterpart Dan LeFevour, but the reality is, based on workouts, Hiller may have passed LeFevour on draft boards.

Hiller’s performance at the Broncos’ pro day on March 9 wasn’t quite good enough to get him into the top three rounds, but excelled at throwing the ball, looking like an NFL-caliber quarterback. That development was surprising, considering his mighty struggles during practices leading up to the Texas vs. The Nation all-star game. At this point, Hiller is worthy of a late fourth-round or early fifth-round pick.

For information and analysis on these and many other players, see the latest Draft Dish in SN’s Pro Football War Room. For more than 640 player scouting reports from Russ Lande and his team of former NFL scouts — plus updated mock draft, Super 99 rankings and more — go to warroom.sportingnews.com.

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