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Pac-12 schools wrap up Pro Days, prepare for 2023 NFL Draft

by Pac-12 Conference
Mar 31, 2023

NFL scouts wrapped up their tour of the Pac-12 with seven more campuses over the last two weeks.  Here's a look at some of the notable results from the this group of events plus a look back here at the first five Pro Days.  The 2023 NFL Draft will take place April 27-29 in Kansas City.

USC - Tuesday, March 21

Scouts from all 32 NFL teams were on hand in Los Angeles in the rain to watch 13 prospects from USC including five who worked out at the NFL Combine earlier this month and two more who had graduated after the 2021 season.

Projected first round draft pick Jordan Addison did not run the 40 on Pro Day, choosing to stick with his 4.49 from the Combine but did put up a 4.15 in the 20-yard shuttle which would have been tied for third fastest among WR in Indianapolis.

Brett Neilon, who ruptured his Achilles in the Pac-12 Championship Game, had 29 reps on the bench press, which would have been tied for sixth most among offensive linemen.  Teammate Andrew Vorhees, who had a Combine-high 38 reps in Indianapolis, did not work out at Pro Day as he prepared for surgery after injuring his ACL at the Combine.

STANFORD – Wednesday, March 22

Former Cardinal standout and current 49ers GM John Lynch was among the reps for all 32 teams on the Farm to see eight Stanford stars on display.

After doing all his testing at the NFL Combine, QB Tanner McKee kept his Pro Day to strictly throwing and talked about the potential to re-unite with his former quarterback coach Tavita Pritchard, who left the Farm for a job with the Washington Commanders in February.

Ethan Bonner ran a 4.39 in the 40-yard dash, which would have been good for eighth fastest among cornerbacks at the NFL Combine, just 0.01 behind Oregon's Christian Gonzalez who's projected as a first round pick.

UTAH – Thursday, March 23

31 NFL teams made the trip to Salt Lake City to check out the two-time defending Pac-12 champions.

Despite not being invited to the Combine, Mohamoud Diabate might be the most athletic linebacker in the whole draft.  Diabate put up an 11'0" broad jump, which would have topped his position in Indianapolis while his 40-yard dash, vertical jump and bench press all would have ranked in the top 10.

Three of Utah's top prospects, TE Dalton Kincaid, CB Clark Phillips III and OL Braeden Daniels, did not participate in the testing.

CALIFORNIA – Thursday, March 23 

Building on a strong performance at the NFL Combine, safety Daniel Scott continued to impress in front of about 25 scouts in Berkeley.  After running a 4.45 in the 40-yard dash in Indianapolis, Scott did not do any additional testing but did have a formal interview with the nearby San Francisco 49ers, who could pair him with another former Pac-12 star in All-Pro Talanoa Hufanga.

Kekoa Crawford ran a 4.42 in the 40-yard dash which would have tied him for ninth fastest among wide receivers at the Combine.  Crawford was an undrafted free agent last year who spent time on the Indianapolis Colts' roster.

ARIZONA STATE – Monday, March 27

The third and final week of Pro Days kicked off in Tempe with representatives from 25 NFL teams in attendance.  

Despite leading the Pac-12 in rushing touchdowns (16) and topping 1,000 yards on the ground, X Valladay was not invited to the NFL Combine.  Valladay put on an athletic display for the scouts at the Pro Day to prove he belonged in this year's draft.

Kyle Soelle was another Sun Devil who used not getting an invite to the Combine as fuel for his Pro Day.  His 24 reps on bench press would have ranked sixth among linebackers in Indianapolis while his 32.5" vertical jump would have tied for 10th.  

WASHINGTON STATE - Tuesday, March 28

All 32 teams had a representative on the Palouse for Washington State's Pro Day.

After a strong performance at the Combine, Daiyan Henley stood out again at the Pro Day with a vertical of 37.5" (had a 35" at the Combine) and a broad jump of 10'4", both of which would have been top six among linebackers in Indianapolis.  Henley said he invited the pressure and celebrated his performance with a backflip.

Christian Mejia put on a performance that would have ranked him among the top defensive tackles at the NFL Combine.  Mejia would have placed in the top five in the broad jump (9'6"), vertical (32.5") and bench press (25 reps).

WASHINGTON, Wednesday, March 29

The final stop for NFL scouts in the Pac-12 was Seattle for the Huskies Pro Day with all 32 teams represented.

EDGE Jeremiah Martin, a first team All-Pac-12 selection this season, ran a 4.65 in the 40-yard dash while also putting up a 35.5 in the vertical jump which would have tied him for seventh best among his position at the NFL Combine.

Likewise cornerback Jordan Perryman, who started 10 games after transferring from UC Davis, showed what kind of athlete he is.  Perryman ran a 4.39 in the 40-yard dash which would have been eighth best at his position at the Combine (0.01 behind Oregon's Christian Gonzalez) while jumping 37.5" in the vertical and 10'6" on the broad jump.

MOCK DRAFTS

In the latest round of mock drafts, here's which Pac-12 players are currently projected in the 1st round:

  • Cynthia Frelund (NFL.com - March 30):  #16 CB Christian Gonzalez (Oregon), #18 TE Dalton Kincaid (Utah), #20 WR Jordan Addison (USC)
  • Josh Edwards (CBS Sports.com - March 30):  #7 CB Christian Gonzalez (Oregon), #20 WR Jordan Addison (USC), #27 TE Dalton Kincaid (Utah)
  • Jordan Reid (ESPN - March 29):  #8 CB Christian Gonzalez (Oregon), #23 WR Jordan Addison (USC)
  • Diante Lee/Nate Tice (The Athletic - March 28):  #14 CB Christian Gonzalez (Oregon), #26 TE Dalton Kincaid (Utah)
  • Bucky Brooks (NFL.com - March 28):  #7 CB Christian Gonzalez (Oregon), #27 WR Jordan Addison (USC), #28 TE Dalton Kincaid (Utah)
  • Daniel Jeremiah (NFL.com - March 21):  #8 CB Christian Gonzalez (Oregon), #16 TE Dalton Kincaid (Utah), #20 WR Jordan Addison (USC)
  • Matt Miller (ESPN/The Draft Scout - March 20):  #14 CB Christian Gonzalez (Oregon), #26 WR Jordan Addison (USC), #28 TE Dalton Kincaid (Utah)
  • The 33rd Team (March 20):  #8 CB Christian Gonzalez (Oregon), #12 WR Jordan Addison (USC), #26 TE Dalton Kincaid (Utah)

AROUND THE PAC-12

Walter Camp named their Preseason FBS All-America team on March 31 with six Pac-12 players named including five of them on the 1st Team:

  • 1st Team:  QB Caleb Williams (USC), WR Rome Odunze (Washington), PK Joshua Karty (Stanford), DL Bralen Trice (Washington), DB Calen Bullock (USC)
  • 2nd Team:  DB Cole Bishop (Utah)

USC signed Duce Robinson, the nation's #19 overall recruit and #1 tight end in the Class of 2023 according to the 24/7 Composite.  Robinson becomes the sixth 5-star recruit to sign with a Pac-12 school in the 2023 class, its most since 2017 when seven 5-star recruits joined the conference.  Additionally, five of the six 5-star recruits in the Pac-12 footprint decided to stay home on the West Coast.

  • USC (3):  Zachariah Branch (#7 overall, #1 WR), Malachi Nelson (#13 overall, #5 QB), Duce Robinson (#19 overall, #1 TE)
  • UCLA (1):  Dante Moore (#4 overall, #3 QB)  
  • Colorado (1):  Cormani McClain (#14 overall, #1 CB)
  • Oregon (1):  Jurrion Dickey (#18 overall, #2 WR)

UCLA added former Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo to the coaching staff as the Director of Leadership.  Niumatalolo left Navy following the 2022 season as the school's all-time leader in head-coaching wins (109) while winning six of their 10 bowl games in his 15 seasons.

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