Feb. 12 (UPI) — Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, showed off his arm strength Friday at his pro day workout amid injury concerns about the shoulder on his non-throwing arm.
The workout, held on the Clemson campus in South Carolina, was televised on NFL Network and the ACC Network.
Lawrence will have surgery on his left shoulder after the workout and is expected to need four to five months to recover from the surgery. Lawrence, his agents and Clemson planned the workout last week.
“It was a good day, considering it was kind of short notice, ” Lawrence told ESPN. “I prepared for a week in California and transitioned back to South Carolina to put the finishing touches on it.
“I was pleased with it. Like anything, I had some throws I wish I could have back and hit better. As a whole, I think it was a good day.”
Jacksonville Jaguars coach Urban Meyer was among several NFL decision-makers who attended the workout. The Jaguars have the top pick in the draft.
New York Jets, Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Falcons representatives also attended the session. The Jets have the No. 2 pick, the Dolphins, the No. 3 Pick and the Falcons, the No. 4 pick.
Representatives from the Denver Broncos, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, Detroit Lions, New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders, New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans also attended.
Meyer told NFL Network he suggested to Lawrence to have the personal pro day. Other Clemson players will work out for NFL decision-makers at the school’s official March 11 pro day.
“I [told] him there are three choices,” Meyer told NFL Network. “No. 1, you can wait until the March 11 pro day, but now your [recovery] is getting near August, because it’s a five-to-six month injury. The second [choice], you can not throw. He’s probably a good enough player, he could’ve said ‘I’m not doing it.’
“Or the third [choice] I said was, ‘Why don’t you just go grab a ball and throw for a little bit? … He said ‘Let’s go.’ That was it. Next thing I know, we’re here at a pro day that they put together. That’s a guy who loves football and is confident in his ability.”
On the money. @Trevorlawrencee
: @accnetwork/@nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/ADrORBWZet— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) February 12, 2021
Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney attended the workout and conversed with Meyer.
Lawrence is listed as a 6-foot-6, 220-pound quarterback on Clemson’s roster. He measured in on Friday as a 6-foot-5 5/8, 213-pound prospect.
He threw 52 passes, including several deep throws traveled at least 65 yards. He also threw slants, hitches, screens, fades and deep outs, in addition to other routes.
Lawrence completed 69.2% of his throws for 3,153 yards, 24 touchdowns and five interceptions in 10 games last season for the Tigers. He threw 36 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 15 games in 2019.
Lawrence’s agents at MGC Sports announced Feb. 5 that he would have surgery on a labrum injury in his left shoulder. He said Friday that he can resume throwing six to eight weeks after the surgery.
“I’m just glad it’s the non-throwing shoulder,” Lawrence told ESPN.
College players this year will not attend the annual NFL combine in Indianapolis. The event, in its typical in-person format, was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Top prospects instead will work out on individual campuses around the United States to try to impress NFL franchises before the NFL Draft, which runs April 29 to May 1.