WVU Football: Stedman Bailey’s Pro Day Performance Elevates His Draft Stock

December 1, 2012; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Stedman Bailey (3) on the field before playing the Kansas Jayhawks at Milan Puskar Stadium. The West Virginia Mountaineers won 59-10. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Wednesday’s performance at the Caperton Indoor Practice Facility went a long way to pumping up the draft prospects of West Virginia’s top three recruits. While many were expecting quarterback Geno Smith and receiver Tavon Austin were expected to blow their pro days out of the water, not as many expected to be wowed by WVU’s Stedman Bailey.

Bailey, who reeled in 210 receptions for 3,128 yards and 41 touchdowns in his Morgantown career, showed off for NFL scouts this week. He ran his routes really well and showed off the tremendous hands that he exemplified all season long.

What should have been obvious on film is only now being recognized by scouts. Bailey has NFL caliber hands, decent speed, and an incredible knack for finding the ball in traffic. His talents were more than deserving of his Biletnikoff award nomination, a fact that many NFL scouts have seemed to overlook until they saw him work out in person.

As NFL Network’s Mike Mayock said of Bailey:

"“What I see is an instinctive, smart receiver that catches the ball; he’s a natural hands catcher,” and “I’d be surprised if he gets out of the third round,” Mayock on Bailey."

Later on NFL Network’s Path to the Draft, Mayock speculated that their cold be some NFL teams that might make a move to secure Bailey’s services in the late second round, depending on how much of a run on receivers there is in the April draft.

Both Bailey and Austin are scheduled to work out with the Carolina Panthers this coming week, the first of many private workouts for the Mountaineer wide-outs. For more West Virginia Pro Day coverage, see the WVU Sports Buzz video in the tweet below: