UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- With representatives from all 32 NFL teams in attendance, many of Penn State's players who were at the NFL Scouting Combine elected not to re-test at pro day.
That's the norm so while Mike Gesicki contemplated showing off his broad jump again, he ultimately opted against it, satisfied enough with what he did in Indianapolis. Saquon Barkley was there but didn't test or even go through an individual workout. Troy Apke, fresh off his 4.34-second 40-yard dash in Indianapolis, didn't test again either.
Still, for those who did test, there were some impressive times and measurements, marks that could matter most -- or at least help to ease their minds as they all continue to wait out the next month. Who helped themselves during Tuesday's pro day?
• DaeSean Hamilton: 40-yard dash: 4.52 seconds; Broad jump: 10-3
Teams wanted to know if Hamilton had the speed required to make it at the next level and there's a reason why he was elated after his workout. This 40-yard dash time was his fastest and after he clocked it it was good enough that Barkley and Gesicki were jumping up and down ready to greet him, only for Hamilton to tell them to calm down since he still had another one to run and then had to go out and catch passes.
"I didn't want to get too relaxed," Hamilton said. "Didn't want them to tell me any good news to get me thinking that my day was over with."
That start, for someone who said he ran in the mid 4.5s to the mid 4.6s during his time at Penn State, was a boost to Hamilton's confidence. It also will help his draft stock.
"It was my biggest question mark and the majority of the NFL guys didn't know how fast I'd run and I don't think anybody expected me to in the 4.5s to be honest," he said. "Posting a time like that and proving people wrong and honestly just staying in my lane and making sure that I'm taking care of everything."
Hamilton also had a solid workout, catching passes from former Shippensburg quarterback Ryan Zapoticky who was the quarterback for pro day.
Quotable: "I hope I helped myself a lot. I've been trying to do all the things that people want me to do, trying to do all the things to prove people right or prove people wrong at the same time. I feel like these last three months I've definitely impressed myself. I didn't expect myself to do this well."
• Saeed Blacknall: 40-yard dash: 4.39; Vertical: 32.5 inches; Broad jump: 10-7; Bench: 24 reps
Blacknall wasn't invited to any showcase events or the combine so one of the team's top performers in the weight room had one opportunity to impress. Blacknall's 40-yard dash time was on par with his time that's hanging in the weight room as one of the best ones in the program. His 40-yard dash was second of those who either participated in pro day or the combine on this team, right behind Apke's 4.34.
His strength was showcased by his workout on the bench press where he posted 24 reps, but will any of that be enough for teams to take a gamble on the wide receiver? We'll see, but those times and measurements for someone who is 6-2, 208 pounds should turn some heads toward the end of the draft or as an undrafted free agent.
• Marcus Allen: 40-yard dash: 4.59
Allen is an interesting prospect because with 3.5 years worth of game film as a starting safety and plenty of hard hits to go with it he still had to prove that he could hang in a foot race.
The physical safety was well aware that his 40-yard dash time needed to reflect that and by the end of the day it did.
"(They were) all 4.5s and that's something that I wanted to prove that I could run and that I wasn't no 4.7, 4.8 type of guy," he said. "I think I showed that and just in the drills just showing my hips and catching the ball, attacking the ball, doing breaks and things like that because that's something that I love. I love showing that and I knew I could do it."
Allen, a projected mid-round pick, will continue training like everyone else and going through more workouts if and when they're requested. But, lowering that time and pairing it with a 37-inch vertical and a 6-1, 209-pound frame should help him garner quite a bit of interest.
Quotable: "I have to prove anything that they have. Any doubts that's in any of these coaches minds, any of these GMs minds I just want to show them and make them feel good about it."
• Christian Campbell: 40-yard dash: 4.51; Vertical: 41 inches; Broad jump: 11-3
Campbell's testing numbers were expected to be among some of the team's best and they were. He headed into pro day with the top workout numbers in the broad jump and vertical among the entire team and his numbers on Tuesday reflected that yet again.
At 6-1, 193 pounds teams will continue to rave about getting a big corner who can move and explode like many of the smaller guys. Campbell said he recognizes that he's fortunate to have the size that he does and that so far the 49ers, Raiders and Cardinals have expressed the most interest in him.
"I'm a tall corner, most NFL scouts look for tall corners and I'm one of them," he said. "I was blessed to be a tall, athletic, speedy cornerback so I feel like that's my strength, a corner that can bring physicality and has speed."
• Josh McPhearson: 40-yard dash: 4.45
It's OK if you don't know who the running back is. Buried on the depth chart and a former walk-on, most probably won't know about the guy whose lone snap in a game was the kneel down in the Fiesta Bowl, but McPhearson looked smooth running routes and catching passes during the workout. The 5-8, 200-pound back faces an uphill climb to even get his foot in the door and said he hasn't heard from any teams while he's been training in Florida, but with his strength and speed he could potentially get an invite and the chance to continue his career.
• Jason Cabinda: Vertical: 33.5 inches; Broad jump: 10-9
Cabinda has heard the questions about his athleticism and for someone who could go in the seventh round or undrafted the middle linebacker's workout held a lot of value. These measurements could be the difference between hearing his name called or him going undrafted, though the latter is usually a better option late in the draft as the player can then choose where they go.
"I wanted to prove that I'm explosive, prove that I can move well, prove that I can change direction well and I think I really did that in position drills," he said.