Top-rated safety Eric Berry of Tennessee was working out at his Pro Day, when it came to an unexpected end. Berry’s Pro Day was cut short due to sprained toe during his first position drill of the day.

According to Steve Wyche of NFL Network, Berry pulled up holding his foot after he planted it to change direction during drills. Berry told Wyche that he hurt his foot during his first rep and after he still didn’t feel good following the second repetition, he decided to shut it down. Berry later came out from the training room in sneakers with a noticeable limp.

The Tennessee safety does not believe this injury will affect his status with any of the NFL teams.

Berry is widely considered the top safety in this year’s draft class, with his only competition being Earl Thomas of Texas. The injury should not cause Berry to fall in the draft and he will still be projected as a top five pick.

Photo: AP

On the heels of an impressive performance at his Pro Day, Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow has received an invitation to attend the NFL Draft in New York, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen.

The NFL installed a new format for the draft prior to this year and this will be the first time it is unveiled.

It’s new format includes a move to primetime, with the first round taking place Thursday, April 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by the second and third rounds on Friday, April 23 at 6 p.m. ET. Rounds 4-7 will be held Sat., April 24 at 10 a.m. ET.

If the draw that Tebow has had at the Senior Bowl and Florida’s Pro Day is any indication, the decision to bring the Gator superman to New York will help boost ratings.

Tebow is not projected to be selected in the first 32 selections, so the drama will build up to where he will be drafted. The anticipation as to where Tebow will land could draw in even more viewers for day two of the draft.

It is a smart move by the NFL to invite the draft’s biggest star. Love him or hate him, Tebow draws a crowd and you will tune in to watch where he goes or you will tune in to enjoy the disappointment in his face as he continues to fall down the board.

The big attraction at the University of Florida Pro Day was quarterback Tim Tebow. In front of a huge crowd of fans and NFL scouts, the Heisman Trophy winner showed incredible improvement in both his footwork and throwing motion.

Our friend Mike Margittai of Allied Sports Entertainment was at Florida’s Pro Day and offered this analysis:

- Tebow throwing.. Early analysis- GREAT feet.. Keeping the ball high and snapping the ball off with great velocity.. Still not a tight spiral on every pass

- Tebow very impressive.. Only one pass hit the ground, with help from his receivers, who made a couple of nice adjustments.. Still a work in progress, but great progress has been made.. Looks better throwing to his left than right.. Tends to drop elbow in delivery and winds up a bit too much on some deep passes.

The improvement is excellent news for Tebow who has had doubters since he has entered the pre-draft process. Speculation will now grow as to where Tebow should wind up as the draft draws closer.

Todd McShay of ESPN suggests that going to Jacksonville would be a mistake when he said today on SportsCenter, “The biggest mistake would be for the Jacksonville Jaguars to draft him. Tim Tebow needs time. He’s going to need at least two years to develop in the NFL.”

As to where Tebow would fit in, McShay said, “I would much rather see him in Indianapolis behind a Peyton Manning who doesn’t care if he’s coming off the field for a few plays over the first couple of years. Tom Brady would be another good possibility.”

“Anywhere with offensive creativity and an established quarterback that can handle everything that comes with Tim Tebow would be a better fit than somewhere like Jacksonville where the pressure will be on Tebow immediately,” added Tebow.

More quick hits from Florida’s Pro Day courtesy of Mike Margittai:

- Joe Haden ran very well and Brandon Spikes did not. I hand timed Haden under 4.4 on both runs and Spikes over 4.9 on both.

- Tight end Aaron Hernandez ran right around 4.6 both times. Very low cut, fast grass track.

- Aaron Hernandez looked very good, as did Riley Cooper. If Cooper can concentrate on every pass like he did today, he will be a great player.

- Reflecting on what I’ve witnessed… Haden, Tebow, Hernandez, Cooper, Wright up… Pouncey about even, maybe a little down. Unfortunately, Spikes way down. I’d say Dunlap up, but as much talent as he has, I can’t trust him to play hard every snap… or even every other snap

President of the Cleveland Browns, Mike Holmgren, has been cleaning house since taking over the organization. Over the weekend, Holmgren and the Browns got rid of both quarterbacks — Brady Quinn (traded to Denver) and Derek Anderson — as well as trading outside linebacker Kamerion Wimbley. Cleveland then added quarterbacks Seneca Wallace and Jake Delhomme.

Three of the four first-round picks by former Browns general manager Phil Savage are no longer with the team.

At a press conference on Monday, Holmgren mentioned that he may not be done adding quarterbacks to the roster just yet. Cleveland holds the seventh-overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.

There is also another possibility.

Mary Kay Cabot, beat writer for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, tweeted that Holmgren said he’ll consider drafting a quarterback in the seventh pick, or even possibly trading up. It also said that Holmgren likes former Oklahoma Sooner signal-caller Sam Bradford.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have often been linked to Florida quarterback Tim Tebow. Rumors have linked the two mainly due to the fact that Tebow is a local superstar and Jacksonville needs desperate help both on and off the field. The team has no identity and struggles to put fans in the seats. An addition like Tebow would spark interest in the franchise and give the fans something to get excited about.

Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver has even called Tebow an icon, but don’t believe the rumors of Tebow to the Jaguars just yet. According to Weaver, the team will stick to their draft plan and will not force any picks for the Florida star.

“Personally, I think Tim Tebow is an extraordinary young man and he’s an extraordinary athlete. He’s going to be successful in the National Football League,” Weaver said before a Jaguars Rally Thursday.

“What we’ve got to do is trust our value board in our draft. If we force a pick, then we devalue thousands of hours of work by our scouts. We have to be true to our mission and go take the best player with our pick. When we do that, we get good results,” he said.

Jacksonville has swayed from their draft board before and Weaver acknowledges the mistakes saying, “We all know we’ve done it the other way in the past and it didn’t work. Shame on you if you don’t learn from your mistakes. You stay true to your process.”

While some fans may be begging for Tebow and creating sites such as Draft15.com, the Jaguar nation should be pleased that their owners and scouts are keeping a level head and not letting emotion rule their decision making.

Top-rated cornerback Joe Haden of Florida came in to the combine looking to solidify himself as a top ten pick. Many, including NFL Network’s Mike Mayock, had expected Haden to run in the 4.4 range, but when the Florida Gator hit the track things did not turn out as excepted.

Haden recorded unofficial times of 4.57 and 4.60.

The Florida cornerback looked uncomfortable from the beginning of his runs and it did not go unnoticed. NFL Network analayst Deion Sanders had said, “First of all, it was a horrible stance. I don’t know what he’s being taught — sometimes you’ve just got to let a guy run. Tweak him a little bit but don’t try to change everything.”

Haden’s father, Joe Haden Sr., says that there is a reason his son ran so poorly in Indianapolis. Joe Sr. serves as the personal trainer for his son. According to Joe Sr., his son’s 40-yard dash time suffered due to a lower back sprain. The injury tightened up and caused the defensive back to run a much slower 40 time than anticipated.

“We had stopped doing some of the heavier lifting, but it just stiffened up on him, one of those things,” Haden Sr. said. “It just really affected him. I wish I had known, because I would have had him not even work out.”

Haden will look to improve his time at the Florida Pro Day.

“For Joe, all his life, (speed) has been his biggest strength. So for something to happen like that for him, I mean, Joe ran a 4.5 40 in the ninth grade. It was just something that was a blip,” Haden Sr. said. “But I think that which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. It is what it is, and now it’s just time for us to handle our business.

“You ask (UF strength coach) Mickey Marotti, who was one of the fastest guys, explosive and everything at Florida, and he’ll tell you, it was Joe,” Haden Sr. said. “Joe has never never never had an issue with running, with speed, with anything. We didn’t want to put a lot of stuff out in the media and make excuses. The biggest thing was just to come out and do what we do.”

The great thing for Haden is that speed is that his game film is phenomenal. He also stole the show at the combine when competing in on the field drills. There is no question that he can play defensive back and he is still the No. 1 rated player at his position.

Haden Sr. said that his son is running the 40-yard dash every day. While he would not say the latest times that Haden is recording, he did mention that the Florida corner is “back to his regular self.”

The Alabama Crimson Tide held their Pro Day for the upcoming NFL Draft earlier today. All 32 teams were represented, with notables such as Giants head coach Tom Coughlin and Panthers head coach John Fox.

Alabama’s top stars — CB/KR Javier Arenas, NT Terrence Cody and ILB Rolando McClain — drew the most interest.

Unfortunately for Arenas, a tweaked hamstring that he suffered during the NFL Scouting Combine held him out of the school’s pro day. Arenas did help himself at the Combine where he ran a 4.52 in the 40-yard dash, which was faster than expected.

Nose tackle “Mount Cody” showed up in even better shape than he was in Indianapolis. Major concerns were being raised about Cody’s conditioning and work ethic after he showed up at an unbelievable 370-pounds at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama in January.

Cody trimmed down to 354-pounds for the scouting combine and then today weighed in five pounds lighter at 349.

Lastly, Daniel Jeremiah of MoveTheSticks.com reported that Rolando McClain ran around what most scouts thought he would run in the 40-yard dash when he recorded a time of 4.74.

The No. 1 ranked wide receiver in the 2010 NFL Draft class, Dez Bryant, has announced that he will not work out for scouts at the Oklahoma State Pro Day on Wednesday.

Bryant missed work outs at the NFL Scouting Combine after he tweaked his hamstring. The injury is still lingering and will force the top prospect to push back his work out even more.

Per a report on NFL.com, Bryant plans to go through drills on either March 25 or March 29 in his hometown of Lufkin, Texas. Bryant has not played since September 19 against Rice due to a NCAA suspension.

Bryant’s teammate Perish Cox will be unavailable for Oklahoma State’s Pro Day, as well. Cox won’t be allowed to work out at the Cowboys’ Pro Day because of his Cotton Bowl suspension for curfew violations. He will instead work out for scouts in his hometown of Waco, Texas.

Mays recorded an unofficial time of 4.24 on his first attempt. Wow.

That time, if it stands, would tie Tennessee running back Chris Johnson for the fastest time recorded in combine history. Mays’ time is even more impressive due to his incredible size, 6-foot-3, 230-pounds.

“If a man runs a 4.24 here at 231 pounds, all these egos in these bleachers are thinking, ‘I can work with that,’” said NFL Network analyst and a guy that knows something about having elite speed, Deion Sanders.

There were talks that the USC safety could be slipping into the second-round range, but his unbelievable time could have just secured him a spot in round one.

Mays will need to continue his performance during on the field drill to answer questions about his ball skill and fluidity in his hips. Mike Mayock pointed out that the fast 40 time does not automatically mean elite player.

“I know he’s a specimen,” Mayock said. “I know he’s an unbelievable athlete. I know he’s a freak. I get all that. What you’ve got to see on tape is him making a play. You’ve got two picks in three years. You’ve got to get around the football more often.”

UPDATE: Taylor Mays ran the fastest time of any defensive back at this year’s combine, however, his official time was adjusted to a 4.43.