2022 NFL Draft: Derek Stingley Jr., Drake London and more prospects with most to gain from pro day workouts

Amid the unpredictable NFL offseason, remember, there is the scheduled pro day circuit that can serve as a calming reprieve from all the chaos. With many prospects choosing not to do much at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine, many pro days will come with big opportunities for a variety of prospects in this class.

This article doesn’t outline every single prospect to watch at every single pro day. It outlines the prospects with the most to gain at their respective pro day workouts over the next two months. 

Illinois

Friday, March 11

Biggest opportunities: S Kerby Joseph

Joseph is hovering under the radar at the safety position in this class, and his 38.5-inch vertical at the combine hints at a fast 40-yard dash upcoming. If he runs anywhere under 4.50, he’ll lock himself onto Day 2, maybe even the second round. He had five interceptions in 2021. Joseph’s range pops on film. 

Tulsa

Friday, March 11 

Biggest opportunities: OT Tyler Smith, OL Chris Paul 

Smith and Paul are big-bodied brawlers on the outside, and while neither had bad workouts in Indianapolis, they could be improved upon. If Smith tests much better, he has sneaky late Round 1 potential. Paul can solidify himself as an early Day 3 selection or could ascend to Day 2 heights with a strong performance.  

Indiana

Friday, March 11 

Biggest opportunities: LB Micah McFadden, TE Peyton Hendershot 

Hendershot ran 4.80 at the combine, which could be the reason he’s not drafted. He’ll need a time much faster to return to the draft radar. As for McFadden, the productive linebacker didn’t work out at all in Indianapolis. We need to see what type of athlete he is to get a better idea as to where he could be selected. He accumulated 26 tackles for loss over the past two seasons for the Hoosiers. 

Arizona State

Monday, March 14 

Biggest opportunities: OL Dohnovan West, CB Jack Jones

Jones is a former top recruit and USC transfer. But running 4.51 at 171 pounds is not going to cut it. West has long been considered one of the best center prospect in this class. His 5.27 time in the 40 at under 300 pounds was slightly alarming. The rest of his combine workout as passable, but behind under 300 pounds is one thing. Running close to 5.30 is not good either. 

Auburn

Tuesday, March 15

Biggest opportunities: CB Roger McCreary 

There’s nothing McCreary can do about his short arms. However, it’s not insane to believe he can improve on the 4.50 he ran in Indianapolis. Now, was 4.50 at 190 pounds terrible? No. But if McCreary has any glimmer of hope to sneak into one of the final picks of Round 1 or even the early stages of Round 2, he’s going to have to be in the low 4.40s at his pro day. Getting a vertical and broad jump — and maybe even a three-cone — could help him, too. 

UCLA

Tuesday, March 15

Biggest opportunities: TE Greg Dulcich 

Dulcich entered the combine with buzz as the fastest straight-line TE in this class. Then he ran 4.70 at 243 pounds. Three tight ends were faster. As a former receiver who hit a variety of big plays for the Bruins in 2021, Dulcich will want to prove he can be faster than 4.70 in front of scouts. 

Minnesota

Wednesday, March 16 

Biggest opportunities: OT Daniel Faalele

We all knew Faalele was massive and long. But we’ve yet to get any workout metrics on him. Of course, his 384-pound body will have to be considered when the numbers are in from his pro day, and actually, it wouldn’t hurt Faaelele if he arrived at his workout somewhere in the 370s. Faalele looks like an impressive mover relative to his size on film.

Clemson

Thursday, March 17

Biggest opportunities: CB Andrew Booth, WR Justyn Ross

Booth is a twitched-up, bouncy cornerback who should have a monster workout. We just didn’t get anything from him at his pro day. Ross could be in danger of going from first-round candidate a few years ago to undrafted due to a serious injury and a disappointing final season at Clemson. A standout performance would go a long way to him getting drafted. 

Coastal Carolina

Friday, March 18 

Biggest opportunities: TE Isaiah Likely

Many were bummed Likely decided to wait to run, because he appears to be explosive on film. He had an awesome 36-inch vertical at the combine. But is he a mid-4.60 guy? Or can he sneak under that threshold at around 245 pounds? Likely averaged over 15 yards per reception as a three-year, full-time contributor at Coastal Carolina. 

Iowa

Monday, March 21

Biggest opportunities: OL Tyler Linderbaum

This is a massive workout for one of the premier blocking prospects in this class. Linderbaum was lighter and shorter-armed than many were expecting, and he didn’t workout at all in Indianapolis. If he’s back on field for his pro day, he’ll need to blow the doors off the facility to garner mid-Round 1 hype again. 

Ole Miss

Wednesday, March 23 

Biggest opportunities: QB Matt Corral

Because of his bowl-game injury, Corral has been the biggest enigma in this quarterback class and has seen stocks rise for those around him, most namely Malik Willis. Simply being on the field, running, throwing, etc. will be a positive development for Corral. 

Cincinnati

Thursday, March 24

Biggest opportunities: EDGE Myjai Sanders

Sanders was apparently sick before the combine, which led to him weighing under 230 pounds at 6-5. He needs to bulk up, probably north of 240, to indicate to teams he can gain weight for the next level. Also, his workout was less than stellar. Hopefully 100% by then, Sanders could ascend with a more reasonable weight-in and on-field performance. There’s plenty of speed-to-power to his game. 

Penn State 

Thursday, March 24

Biggest opportunities: OT Rasheed Walker

We don’t know much about Walker, especially relative to his contemporaries in this class because he was a junior entrant and didn’t work out at the combine. His film has some blips but the natural talent and power are absolutely there. Walker has the makings of being a true dark horse at a marquee position in this draft.

Notre Dame

Friday, March 25

Biggest opportunities: RB Kyren Williams 

Williams can’t run anywhere in the 4.60s at his pro day. Just can’t. Especially if he’s under 200 pounds. If he does, there’s an outside chance he goes undrafted, and optimistically can be penciled into the late stages of Day 3. Enormous opportunity for him at his pro day. 

Washington

Tuesday, March 29

Biggest opportunities: CB Kyler Gordon, CB Trent McDuffie

Gordon had some buzz as someone who could erupt in Indianapolis, and it didn’t happen. He ran 4.52. McDuffie clocked an impressive 4.44 but didn’t do anything else drill-wise. The two Washington cornerbacks are undoubtedly talented and were a tremendous tandem in the Huskies’ zone-heavy defense. Getting a clearer picture of what type of athletes they are will allow teams to zero in on when they should be drafted. 

USC

Tuesday, April 5

Biggest opportunities: WR Drake London

USC actually has another pro day scheduled in late March but are giving London more time to fully recover from his in-season injury. All eyes will be on the 40-yard dash and vertical for the nearly 6-4 wideout who led college football in contested-catches in 2021 and rocked after the catch in each of his past two seasons as a primary option for the Trojans.  

LSU

Wednesday, April 6

Biggest opportunities: CB Derek Stingley Jr.

It’s amazing how Stingley has gone from “sure thing” to mystery over the course of two years, but that’s how it works sometimes. He measured in slightly smaller than expected in Indianapolis, and this close to the draft, teams will want to see him on the field, running, jumping, flipping his hips. A 40-yard dash in the (low) 4.40s would help him, too. If he runs somewhere in the 4.30s, he could sneak back into the top 10 conversation.



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