USA Today's Tom Pelissero worked with the University of Pittsburgh's T.J. Clemmings for a **diary entry** by the offensive line prospect.
Clemmings, a tackle, was invited to participate in the Senior Bowl in January and the NFL Scouting Combine in February.
Teams soon will begin hosting up to 30 top prospects for visits at their respective headquarters in preparation for the 2015 NFL Draft, which is scheduled for April 30-May 2. Teams have been allowed to work out prospects and attend pro days hosted by universities.
Clemmings wrote:
I haven't gotten on the visit circuit yet, but some teams have come and worked me out: the Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and, then on Wednesday, the Arizona Cardinals. They're pretty much all looking at me at tackle. That's been what people are thinking, and that's all me.
The workouts usually last no more than a half hour. They put you through bag drills to see your punch, some run blocking stuff to see your get-off ... some footwork drills for your pass sets, pulling around cones and things like that. It's nothing I haven't done before, so it's not too bad.
Clemmings wrote that some sessions include watching game tape and drawing up blocking schemes and talking terminology. He said that he's enjoyed the opportunity to meet with multiple teams and isn't stressing out too much about where he'll wind up or when he will be selected. Clemmings, who noted how fast time has gone since he was a freshman, likely will soon learn what it's like to be new on another campus.
Everybody around me is being positive, too. Nobody's crazy about anything, because at this point, they know that there's nothing more that can be done other than take my visits, finish up my private workouts and literally wait until the draft comes. It gives you some peace, because it's out of my hands.
The other day, I went on campus to take care of a few things, and I was walking on some of the streets where I had class, and I couldn't believe how fast the time has passed since my freshman year. I'm just enjoying the moment because, really, when the day ends, you can't get the day back, can't get those moments back. I'm enjoying every bit of it.
2014 NFL Draft Redux
Speaking of the draft, NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks this week released a "**2014 Draft Do-Over**" based on performance and potential of last year's picks.
Based on what he saw last year and expects to see going forward, Brooks slotted Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater as the first overall pick by Houston instead of Jadeveon Clowney. Brooks dubbed Bridgewater a "polished pocket passer with all of the intangibles needed to develop into an elite player at the position."
He doubled-down on the Vikings selection of linebacker Anthony Barr at the ninth overall spot. Barr was one of five players in the top 10 that Brooks had going to the same team a year later. On Barr, Brooks wrote, "Mike Zimmer already has Barr looking like a Pro Bowl-caliber defender at a new position."
When Bridgewater remained on the board, the Vikings traded with the Seahawks to move to the final spot of the first round and select Bridgewater. Brooks projected as if Minnesota would have been as aggressive if Bridgewater had been off the board, and slotted QB Jimmy Garoppolo to the Vikings instead of Johnny Manziel, who was not drafted in the first round of Brooks' re-do. It's unknown, however, if Minnesota's interest in any other player was as strong as it was in Bridgewater, which is part of what makes the draft so intriguing for fans and the media.
