Ben Portnoy is The State’s South Carolina Gamecocks football beat writer. He’s a five-time Associated Press Sports Editors award honoree and has earned recognition from the Mississippi Press Association and the National Sports Media Association. Portnoy previously covered Mississippi State for the Columbus Commercial Dispatch and Indiana football for the Journal Gazette in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.
NFL Draft season is here.
The league put on its annual scouting combine two weeks ago in Indianapolis — where five former Gamecocks were able to work out in front of professional teams.
Monday, those same players and a handful of others will have another chance to impress NFL squads during South Carolina’s annual Pro Timing Day at the Jerri and Steve Spurrier Indoor Practice Facility.
Here are some lingering questions heading into the auditions:
Will DB Cam Smith cement himself as a first-round pick?
Cam Smith is one of those ex-Gamecocks who worked out at the NFL Scouting Combine.
The former Blythewood High standout didn’t quite wow athletically in Indianapolis — though that was somewhat expected. He ranked 11th of 29 prospects who ran the 40-yard dash at 4.46 seconds and didn’t participate in the bench press or three-cone drill.
In fairness, Smith isn’t a prospect who’s going to jump off the page speed-wise. He’s rangy, with a wiry 6-foot-1, 180-pound frame that plays at an elite instinctual level. He plays the game naturally and has a knack for anticipating where to be.
Smith’s projections have ranged from the middle of the first round to the back end. It’s not totally inconceivable NFL teams pass him up on Day 1 given his speed leaves a smidge to be desired out of a top 30-ish pick. That said, this week makes for another chance to impress during on-field drills.
What else can ex-5 star Zacch Pickens do to boost his stock?
Zacch Pickens has been in the spotlight plenty after coming to South Carolina as the No. 8 player nationally in the 2019 class.
The ex-TL Hanna star opted out of the bowl game in order to prepare for the NFL Draft, despite having another opportunity against a solid Notre Dame offensive line. Still, that seems to have worked out given how Pickens looked in Indianapolis.
He tied for the best broad jump among defensive tackles at the NFL Combine at 9-feet, 8 inches and was one of just six interior defensive linemen to break five seconds in the 40-yard dash (4.89 seconds). Pickens did leave a bit to be desired with 22 reps on the bench press (10th out of 12 defensive tackles), but the speed numbers are legit.
It’s unlikely Pickens needs to go through many of the speed drills again on Monday given how he performed at the combine, though NFL teams will likely want to see more strength out of a player slated to take on multiple blockers in the middle at the next level.
Where is DB Darius Rush going to be drafted?
Speaking of defensive backs, Darius Rush has done more to improve his draft stock than any other former South Carolina player this cycle.
Rush earned rave reviews during the Senior Bowl last month, where he matched up with some of the best upperclassmen in the 2023 NFL Draft. He largely backed that up in Indianapolis last week, where he ran an impressive 4.36 40-yard dash (tie for fifth among 29 cornerbacks).
The Kingstree product has steadily climbed up draft boards this offseason and has likely played his way into the Day 2 discussion (second and third rounds). Scouts will likely want to see where his explosiveness is in the broad jump and a few other drills, but Rush has the potential to keep climbing with a nice showing this week.
Which non-NFL Combine invitees could stand out in Columbia?
Each of the last three guys mentioned worked out in Indianapolis, but there are a few others who figure to give it a go this week and could sneak into an NFL training camp.
Receiver Josh Vann is an intriguing prospect given his 2022 campaign in which he led the Gamecocks with 43 receptions for 679 yards receiving. He also tied for the team lead with five touchdown catches.
Vann’s numbers dipped significantly this fall, in part, due to the emergence of Antwane “Juice” Wells and Jalen Brooks — Brooks also worked out at the NFL Combine. That said, Vann did some impressive things in the punt return game this past fall, including bumping his average yards per return almost five full yards. He figures to get some looks as a special-teamer at the next level.
Offensive linemen Dylan Wonnum and Eric Douglas are unlikely to get drafted, but could get a chance to stick with a team in training camp. Douglas has been a leader on the Gamecocks line the past couple seasons and will interview well, when given the chance. Wonnum battled injuries the last two years and saw his role diminished at times. Still, he’s got NFL bloodlines via his brother D.J. — a fourth-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2020 — and he’ll likely get some benefit of the doubt from that.
The other big name to watch here is tight end Nate Adkins. The son of South Carolina assistant coach Greg Adkins, Nate flashed in a big way down the stretch in games against Tennessee, Clemson and Notre Dame. He’s got major upside as a blocker and has better hands than he gets credit for. Adkins also has some special teams upside and could do some long-snapping work at the next level, among other things. He’s the kind of guy who could sneakily end up playing a long time at the next level, if he latches on with the right team.