Illinois held its annual Pro Day Thursday, and the audience was not reflective of the relatively few Illini leaving for the draft this year. The Irwin Indoor Practice Facility was packed with the players’ families, teammates and most importantly, scouts.
According to head coach Bret Bielema, 30 of 32 NFL teams had a representative in attendance. While senior receiver Pat Bryant is all but guaranteed to be drafted, most of the other participants in Thursday’s pro day aren’t.
“I think a lot of guys helped themselves today,” Bielema said.
Top performers
Eight Illini fully participated in the drills. Seniors Ryan Meed, linebacker, and TeRah Edwards, defensive tackle, stood out. Neither are projected to be selected in the NFL Draft, but they may be added to some teams’ lists after their performances.
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Meed, a former walk-on who played primarily on special teams for most of his career, looked the part of an explosive athlete. He ran in the mid-4.5s in the 40-yard dash and recorded 37.5 inches in the vertical jump. Both of those scores would rank among the leading linebackers at the NFL Combine.
Edwards also impressed. His 29 reps at the bench press would have tied for second-best in Indianapolis. His 40-yard dash didn’t disappoint either, running in the high-5.1s, which would rank in the top 20 at the combine.
“You get to running, and I’m like, ‘Man I feel good,’” Edwards said. “I’m hearing times, and I’m like, ‘That’s me?’”
The Ohio native didn’t just impress himself. Plenty of scouts were keyed in throughout his workouts.
Additional notes
Since he attended the combine, Bryant didn’t participate in most of the events. He did run routes with his quarterback, senior Luke Altmyer, throwing him the pigskin. He looked as sharp as ever, especially in the red zone drills.
His hands were sure on every catch he made. His hands were like glue even when he wasn’t a part of the play. In a red zone drill for senior receiver Zakhari Franklin, the ball went off his fingertips and toward the back of the end zone. Bryant was there and evidently ready — he caught the ball with one hand before it could hit the ground.
A number of other seniors came out for Pro Day, including tight end Carson Goda, defensive lineman Dennis Briggs Jr., outside linebacker Seth Coleman, defensive lineman Ezekiel Holmes and defensive back CJ Bufkin.
Coleman produced solid results but looked slightly flustered at times. He had to redo the three-cone drill multiple times because he was short on one of the lines. His vertical jump was visually impressive, nearly touching the very top rung. The official number was 36.5 inches.
The NFL Draft will take place April 24-26. Over the next month and a half, players will meet individually with teams and try to improve their draft stock. With almost every NFL franchise in attendance, multiple Illini could have a chance to prove their worth to different teams.
@ben_some16
