The NFL Draft pro day circuit begins next week, with thirteen programs scheduled to hold workouts for scouts between March 10 and March 14. The pro day is where players who underperformed at the combine — or simply had better settings to show their skills on a familiar field — get a second chance to make an impression.

The most anticipated pro day of the opening week is Indiana's on March 12, where Fernando Mendoza will throw in front of the largest scout gathering the program has hosted since Andrew Luck's 2012 pre-draft process. Mendoza's combine week was deliberately conservative — he didn't risk anything, didn't try to audition, just confirmed what teams already knew. Pro day is where he throws with conviction, in his system, to his receivers, against a script he's worked on for weeks. This is where quarterback evaluations get specific.

Colorado's pro day is March 11, and Shedeur Sanders will use it to address the questions his combine week raised. Sanders is a technically accomplished passer with legitimate feel for the game, but the combine's controlled throwing drills can be an awkward format for quarterbacks who operate primarily from structure. On his own field, with his own receivers, in his own system, the argument for Sanders is easier to make.

Ohio State holds its pro day March 19. Josh Simmons, the consensus top offensive tackle in the class, will draw the heaviest scout attendance of any position player that week. Teams selecting in the top fifteen have already done their homework; the Ohio State pro day is where that homework gets confirmed in person.

The pro day circuit is where the draft board stops being a projection and starts becoming a decision. Teams that are still evaluating between two players at the same position use pro days to break ties. The visits, the private workouts, the conversations with position coaches — all of it is processing information that will get converted into picks at the end of April.