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Northwestern pro day recap: Brian Arnfelt posts would-be-combine best bench press, Brian Mulroe sits

Brian Arnfelt's 38 reps on the bench press would've been tops at the NFL Combine, good news for a player not high on many people's draft lists.

By Rodger Sherman
Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports

Northwestern's pro day was yesterday, and that's the most important thing, but there's other stuff, too. Let's start with Pro Day.

'Felt Good: A lot of people wrote off Northwestern's pro day because a) Nobody was invited to the combine b) nobody seemed particularly likely to get drafted. But Brian Arnfelt put on a little bit of a show:

38 reps at 225. If he'd been at the combine, that would've been tied for the best showing on the bench press by anybody, with Margus Hunt of SMU and Brandon Williams of Southern Missouri State. (Not Northwestern's punter.) You throw in decent speed results - 4.81 is not bad for a defensive tackle - good size - 6'4, 305 pounds - an alright senior year - 25 tackles, three sacks - and the fact he was a team captain this past year, he could become an undrafted free agent, or even peek into the seventh round. Right now, most draft sites don't list him as a potential draftee, but I have to imagine that will change a little bit with a head-turning strength showing.

I don't really think anybody else is close right now. Cornerback Quinn Evans jumped 37 inches and ran an unofficial 4.37 40. Those both would've been elite numbers for a defensive back at the draft - top ten on the jump, No. 2 amongst DB's in the 40 yard dash - but the 40 numbers are unofficial, so he likely ran a bit slower. Besides, Evans was a real weakness in NU's pass game, and measurables won't change that.

David Nwabuisi has a chance for an undrafted free agent slot, but he ran a 4.92 in his first 40 and only got it down to 4.71 it his second time around, slow for a linebacker who has room to make up. Patrick Ward couldn't do weight drills due to injury, so his relatively low draft stock remains unchanged. I think both guys could wind up on NFL rosters, maybe for training camps.

The other guys - defensive end Quentin Williams, wide receiver Demetrius Fields, and kicker Steve Flaherty - are all even longer shots than the long shots we've already discussed.

You might notice a name missing from here: Brian Mulroe, Northwestern's left guard. He was considered the most draftable player in Northwestern's class, but didn't participate in pro day as he's "not pursuing the draft". Assistant AD Paul Kennedy explains:

Great news for Mulroe, although not the news you expect to hear out of a football team.

So that's that! If you really want more, NUSports had video from the proceedings. Sips and Never Made The Tourney madness later.

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