Up until three weeks ago, Matt Goncalves was unable to properly train for his future.
An injury sustained to his left big toe in Week 3 of the 2023 season shelved the All-ACC offensive tackle for the remaining nine games of the Pitt football season and then some. Draft projections as early as November had Goncalves tabbed as a fringe-top-100 prospect for this 2024 NFL Draft class, but the lengthy setback resulted in some projections tossing Goncalves to the wayside.
Though he isn't 100 percent healthy, Goncalves' last shot at impressing NFL scouts came during Pitt's annual pro day at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. He was unable to work out at the NFL Combine, but his final on-field showcase in front of 31 NFL teams and one Canadian Football League team Wednesday had to produce results.
"It was definitely a quick turnaround for me," Goncalves said. "The first eight weeks I was down in Pensacola (Florida) I had to rehab it, get it back to where I could start running and stuff like that. I only had three weeks. It was a quick turnaround, but I was confident in my athletic ability to come out here and perform. I really wanted to at the Combine but I couldn't. I thought this would be the perfect time. I had an extra month to get ready and things like that. I feel really good about that."
The 6-foot-6, 317-pound tackle is currently projected as the Panthers' top-rated prospect in this draft class. The Mock Draft Database ranks Goncalves 125th overall which would slot him somewhere inside of the fourth round. On Wednesday, Goncalves measured 10 pounds lighter than his weight at the NFL Combine. He began his day by putting up 19 reps on the 225-pound bench press, which fell one rep shy of his goal. Across the parking lot at the complex's indoor practice facility, Goncalves jumped a 30 1/2-inch vertical and ran an unofficial 5.10-second 40-yard dash and an unofficial 5.53-second shuttle before testing out in position drills led by Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland.
If done at the Combine, Goncalves' vertical would have surpassed the jump of Notre Dame's Joe Alt, the consensus top tackle in this class. His 40 time would have beaten Penn State's Olu Fashanu, Oregon State's Taliese Fuaga, and Oklahoma's Tyler Guyton -- all projected first-rounders. Goncalves confirmed he has a pre-draft visit scheduled with the Steelers on April 3.
Pat Narduzzi watched Goncalves closely Wednesday. He said he was most impressed by how Goncalves endured throughout the event's closing moments.
"I think he was limping a little bit at the end, which just tells you how tough he is," Narduzzi said. "That just tells you toughness. That's who Matt is. He's played with injuries throughout his career. That's the game of football. Everybody gets banged up, but he's tough. That just tells you that on a short (time training), he was impressive as well, so throw that on top of it. There's a little of favor, I think, in that toe, but it's just a matter of time."
All of the NFL's teams with the exception of the Bengals had their eyes on Goncalves, along with the 11 other former Panthers who were auditioning for their spots in pro football.
One of the fastest risers among draft-eligible wide receivers is Bub Means. Since weighing in at 212 pounds a the NFL Combine, he has astonishingly put on 15 pounds and checked into Wednesday's pro day at 227 pounds despite saying his playing weight is in the 218-to-220-pound range. Means claims he runs faster than his Combine time of 4.43 in the 40-yard dash despite this weight gain.
Means did not participate in the bench press, vertical jump or broad jump, or 40-yard dash Wednesday, but his work in the individual skill position portion showcased more of what some draft prognosticators have been catching on with over the last month-plus. Among those in attendance to watch Means work out Wednesday was Tiquan Underwood, the Panthers' former receivers coach who is now on the Patriots' staff.
"I just put on a little weight just to stay hydrated," Means said. "Just making sure that I keep my muscles healthy. That's all. ... I just made sure that I was really hydrated today. It was going to be a very intense workout so I wanted to make sure I stayed on top of it."
The standout of the athletic testing portion was cornerback A.J. Woods, who showcased speed that would have rivaled the top times at the NFL Combine. His unofficially timed 6.50-second three-cone drill would have led all participants at the Combine by 0.12 seconds, and his unofficial 4.30 40-yard dash would have been second behind Clemson's Nate Wiggins, a projected first-rounder.
"Everything felt solid. I felt smooth on everything," Woods said. "I thought I really showed out and showed these NFL scouts who I was."
Narduzzi believed Woods turned the most heads Wednesday.
"Some guys are 'pro day guys' out here that can run around the cones really good, but if you look a what he did out here today and then you go back and put the film on, A.J. Woods is a good football player," Narduzzi said.
After participating at the Combine, M.J. Devonshire only participated in the three-cone and short shuttle drills Wednesday. He confirmed he has pre-draft visits scheduled with the Steelers and Bills.
For Devonshire, Wednesday was about soaking in one of his final moments in his Panthers career.
"After the Combine it was a relief," Devonshire said. "I was more relaxed than ever. I calmed down and in this process I was more anxious to get back out here and competing and working out with my guys. ... That might be the last time we ever touch the field together, so trying to cherish that moment with them. I've been here three years with them guys. It hit me. Kind of emotional about that."
Here are the measurements and results for each participant from Pitt's pro day, with notable statistics in parentheses with respect to those who tested at the NFL Combine. Please note that timed events are unofficially recorded times:
• DL Tyler Bentley
Height (feet-inches): 6-2
Weight (pounds): 285
Hand width (inches): 10
Arm length (inches): 32 4/8
Wingspan (inches): 72
Bench press reps: 18
Vertical jump (inches): 28
Broad jump (feet-inches): 8-11 (13th among DTs)
40-yard dash (seconds): 5.00 (8th among DTs)
Short shuttle (seconds): 5.43
Three-cone drill (seconds): 7.53 (2nd among DTs)
• CB M.J. Devonshire
Height: 5-11
Weight: 189
Hand width: 8 7/8
Arm length: 33 4/8
Wingspan: 79 1/8
Bench press reps: 10
Vertical jump: N/A
Broad jump: N/A
40-yard dash: N/A
Short shuttle: 4.55
Three-cone drill: 6.92 (4th among CBs)
• TE Malcolm Epps
Height: 6-5
Weight: 257
Hand width: 9 2/8
Arm length: 35 1/8
Wingspan: 82 4/8
Bench press reps: 9
Vertical jump: 33 (8th among TEs)
Broad jump: 9-9 (T-8th among TEs)
40-yard dash: 4.65 (T-7th among TEs)
Short shuttle: 5.21
Three-cone drill: 7.72
• RB C’Bo Flemister
Height: 5-11
Weight: 205
Hand width: 8 7/8
Arm length: 31 3/8
Wingspan: 75 4/8
Bench press reps: 16
Vertical jump: 37 1/2 (T-6th among RBs)
Broad jump: 9-10 (T-13th among RBs)
40-yard dash: 4.50 (9th among RBs)
Short shuttle: 5.00
Three-cone drill: 6.88 (4th among RBs)
• OT Matt Goncalves
Height: 6-6
Weight: 317
Hand width: 9
Arm length: 33 7/8
Wingspan: 81 2/8
Bench press reps: 19 (9th among OTs)
Vertical jump: 30 1/2 (9th among OTs)
Broad jump: N/A
40-yard dash: 5.10 (10th among OTs)
Short shuttle: 5.53 (9th among OTs)
Three-cone drill: N/A
• DL David Green
Height: 6-0
Weight: 317
Hand width: 9 4/8
Arm length: 33 1/8
Wingspan: 79 2/8
Bench press reps: 25 (most at Pitt pro day, T-8th among DTs)
Vertical jump: 31 (T-8th among DTs)
Broad jump: 8-7
40-yard dash: 5.07 (13th among DTs)
Short shuttle: 5.56
Three-cone drill: 7.53 (2nd among DTs)
• TE Phil Jurkovec
Height: 6-4
Weight: 243
Hand width: 10
Arm length: 33
Wingspan: 78 2/8
Bench press reps: N/A
Vertical jump: 33 (8th among TEs)
Broad jump: 9-4
40-yard dash: 4.88
Short shuttle: 5.26
Three-cone drill: 7.10 (5th among TEs)
• IOL Jake Kradel
Height: 6-3
Weight: 294
Hand width: 9 1/8
Arm length: 31 4/8
Wingspan: 77 3/8
Bench press reps: 24 (T-14th among IOL)
Vertical jump: 27 1/2
Broad jump: 8-10
40-yard dash: 5.00 (T-3rd among IOL)
Short shuttle: 5.41
Three-cone drill: 7.44 (T-5th among IOL)
• WR Bub Means
Height: 6-1
Weight: 227
Hand width: 10 2/8
Arm length: 32 7/8
Wingspan: 79
Bench press reps: N/A
Vertical jump: N/A
Broad jump: N/A
40-yard dash: N/A
Short shuttle: 5.13
Three-cone drill: N/A
• LB Shayne Simon
Height: 6-2
Weight: 229
Hand width: 9 7/8
Arm length: 31 4/8
Wingspan: 74 7/8
Bench press reps: 23 (1st among LBs)
Vertical jump: 34 (10th among LBs)
Broad jump: 9-8 (T-13th among LBs)
40-yard dash: 4.73
Short shuttle: 4.90
Three-cone drill: 6.93 (1st among LBs)
• CB Marquis Williams
Height: 5-8
Weight: 176
Hand width: 8 4/8
Arm length: 30 7/8
Wingspan: 74 4/8
Bench press reps: 12
Vertical jump: 34
Broad jump: 9-5
40-yard dash: 4.61
Short shuttle: 4.85
Three-cone drill: 7.08 (7th among CBs)
• CB A.J. Woods
Height: 5-10
Weight: 187
Hand width: 8 4/8
Arm length: 30 4/8
Wingspan: 71 5/8
Bench press reps: 16
Vertical jump: 37 1/2 (T-14th among CBs)
Broad jump: 10-3
40-yard dash: 4.30 (2nd among CBs, 3rd overall)
Short shuttle: 4.62
Three-cone drill: 6.50 (1st among CBs, 1st overall)
