ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Detroit Lions checked in on Sammy Watkins' pro day three weeks ago. They loved what they saw. They had a meal with his parents.

And now it's Mike Evans' turn.

Lions coach Jim Caldwell and general manager Martin Mayhew will depart the NFL owners' meetings in Orlando on Wednesday, but head directly to College Station, Texas, instead of returning north. (And given the wintry conditions that have assaulted the area, who can blame them?)

Evans, from Texas A&M, is considered the second-best receiver in the NFL draft and is a top target for the Lions at No. 10. His pro day is slated for Thursday.

Caldwell said he often gets more value out of the pro days because they are more intimate and can be tailored.

"I think the combine and the pro day are similar in nature. The difference is you get a bit closer," he said. "You get a chance to watch some other types of maneuvers, other than what you see at the combine. The combine is pretty well-scripted. Everybody pretty much knows exactly what you're going to do. Pro days are not.

Caldwell said he used to personally work out quarterbacks to see how they would respond to his team's system and drills. He said he won't do that this cycle, but still likes to get as personable as possible in the draft process.

That included having dinner with Watkins' parents after the Clemson pro day, which gave Detroit yet another opportunity to get a feel for the receiver beyond what he can do on a field and a stop watch.

"You get a chance to see them in a little different light," Caldwell said. "You do have an opportunity to interview them -- the interview session at the combine, it's only an assigned duration -- and so in this particular case, we get him for a bit of an extended period of time on his turf. He's a lot more comfortable, and also in this particular incident, we had a chance to visit with his mother and father. So I think you get a pretty good feel."

Caldwell said he wasn't sure yet whether he would meet with Evans' family at the Texas A&M pro day, but has valued that opportunity with prospective players dating to his days at Wake Forest.

"One of the things I learned from my days back in college, is I've always loved to watch the interaction between an individual and his parents," he said. "You know that old scripture in the Bible, honor thy mother and father? Well typically you can tell what kind of young man it is (by how they treat their parents).

"Most people think you can change them. But you watch the people they are closest to, and hold dearest to their heart, and how they treat them? Gives you a pretty good indication of what's going to happen in your program when you get them. So, obviously I think some of those things still hold true, even at this level, just watching that interaction."

Though the Lions are tight-lipped on their thoughts about Evans -- "If you answer Mike Evans, you're going to ask me about 330 other guys, right?" Mayhew said -- they're clearly intrigued by what the draft's top two receivers have to offer.

That, or they're just looking for a reason to expense a couple meals.