Unofficial Pro Day Numbers | Quotes

By Chad Conine
Special to Baylor Bear Insider

Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty had barely wiped the sweat from his brow following 30 minutes of throwing for pro scouts on Wednesday at the Allison Indoor Practice Facility when he set up a meeting with the Dallas Cowboys.

With a throng of media members standing close by while waiting to hear from Petty, Cowboys quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson invited the former Baylor quarterback to a meeting in Dallas.

Petty was all for it.

"That's why I answered him ... `Whatever you want me to do, I'll do,'" Petty said about his conversation with Wilson. "Growing up in the Metroplex, all my friends were Cowboys fans, so it's awesome to see him out here and the support and the interest is great. Like I said, God's got a plan and he's going to put me exactly where I need to be, whether that's Cowboys or whoever else. I'm having a blast doing it."

It was different from three years ago when the Washington Redskins' top brass all but drooled over Robert Griffin III, but the Cowboys and Texans each had contingents attending Baylor's pro day and they seemed to have keen eyes on Petty. Baylor reported 35 NFL personnel were in attendance representing 27 teams.

And Petty was keen to impress. He threw 77 passes, including 32 deep balls. He threw to wide receivers running routes and to receivers as fixed targets at the sidelines as a support staffer waived a broom to force Petty to throw a lofted pass.

Petty shut out the broom guy and posted a solid pro day. Baylor reported that he completed 69 of the 77 passes with five drops.

"All in all, I felt pretty good about it," Petty said. "There were a couple of throws here and there I want back. A couple of them kind of fluttered out of my hand a little bit."

Wilson told the Dallas Morning News that Petty, the No. 5 quarterback and 117th overall prospect as rated by NFLDraftScout.com, has what it takes to throw the ball at the next level.

"You know, he demonstrated he could make all the throws, which is necessary to play in the league," Wilson said. "He had good touch. Every time you see him, he's a little more fluid dropping back under center." Petty was one of 10 Baylor players, including six off the 2014 Big 12 Champions, to work out for the pro scouts. Wide receivers Antwan Goodley and Levi Norwood, linebacker Bryce Hager, defensive back Collin Brence and punter Spencer Roth represented the latest class of Bears. Also working out were running back Glasco Martin, defensive backs KJ Morton and Tyler Stephenson and wide receiver Jeff LePak.

Hager grabbed scouts' attention at the NFL Combine when he tied for the sixth-fastest linebacker time in the 40-yard dash at 4.6 seconds and tied for fifth in the same category with 26 reps on the 225-pound bench press.

The former Baylor linebacker said his approach doesn't change from the game to the combine to Wednesday's pro day.

"Yeah, you have pressure, especially with the combine, being in front of all the coaches and scouts," Hager said. "But it's kind of like playing a game. When you're out there performing you don't really notice the outside noise, don't really notice people watching you. You just kind of get in your own zone and do what you've been doing your whole life."

Baylor coach Art Briles began the Bears' pro day by talking up Goodley, who is ranked the 30th wide receiver and 231st overall prospect by NFL DraftScout.com.

"He's got an unusual skill level to go with his body type," Briles said. "Those don't exist. A guy that comes to mind is Steve Smith. I don't know how fast Steve Smith is, but I bet he's not as fast as Antwan Goodley. But he is a powerful guy playing a skill position, with the muscle mass and the explosiveness to back up the outcome."

Goodley said some scouts have told him he needs to lose some weight, but the former Baylor wideout isn't going on a diet.

"I like to play heavy," Goodley said. "I feel like that's when I'm the most explosive and I feel the most healthy. Just a different aspect to the game, a lot of corners don't expect the physicality like that so I just definitely like bringing it to them."

Goodley said he's scheduled to have a private workout with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Tuesday and could add another one leading up to the NFL Draft on April 30.

"This is a long process," Goodley said. "Now I'm just waiting to hear my name called. Hopefully it gets called."