With the NFL Combine long in the books, college pro days are underway as the next phase of the draft process. This allows teams to see prospects who weren’t at the Combine and get a closer look at the ones who maybe were.
The Denver Broncos have been present at multiple pro days, with California’s being the latest. According to Tony Pauline of SportsSkeeda, the Broncos met with defensive back Marcus Harris after the Cal pro day and had edge defender Xavier Carlton meet with defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.
Harris was at the NFL Combine, where he posted a 40-minute time of 4.45 seconds. At his pro day, he ran and was timed from 4.34 to 4.38, improving upon his official 40-minute time. As Pauline notes, he strained a hamstring during his 40 at the Combine.
There is good size with Harris at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds. He spent three seasons at Idaho before transferring to Cal, where he had six passes deflects, two interceptions, and a forced fumble.
Harris is a versatile defender in scheme and alignment, as he can play inside and out and could even see reps in certain looks as a safety. He’s projected to go somewhere in the fifth round at the earliest but also could go without hearing his name called.
Xavier Carlton stands 6-foot-5.5 and 273 pounds. His athletic testing at the Pro Day was lackluster, as he wasn’t a Combine invite. He put up a 5.05s 40 time, and his short shuttle and 3-cone times were also lackluster.
Carlton spent the last three seasons at Cal after 2020 and 2021 at Utah. In 2024, he picked up 37 pressures and seven sacks per Pro Football Focus. Over his three years with Cal, he has 115 pressures and 14 sacks. He also graded well as a run defender in the last two seasons.
Missed tackles were a significant issue for Carlton, and he had a knack for drawing penalties. He has excellent size, but his athleticism may draw concerns about his ability to be an edge at the NFL level. Carlton is not expected to hear his name called.