Small-school 2025 NFL Draft prospects going big at recent pro days
The NFL Draft cycle has spun forward into the Pro Day circuit for colleges across the country. NFL personnel evaluators fan out and take in as many workouts as they can to build the information database on the players and their athletic testing, plus chances to spend a little time with prospects to get to know them better.
For prospects who toiled out of the national spotlight in the smaller college divisions, the pro days are the best chance to make a bigger name for themselves. A few such prospects from the FCS, D-II and D-III levels have done just that in some recent pro day workouts.
One of the more interesting aspects of the college pro day circuit is when bigger schools allow prospects from nearby small schools to showcase themselves in the larger setting. That happened at Wisconsin, where invitee Dylan Brown from Wisconsin-River Falls had himself a day. Brown, a big defensive back from the D-III level, proved he's got NFL athleticism and size:
Another player taking advantage of the bigger stage is Austin Peay cornerback Jesse Johnson. The nephew of longtime NFL CB Antonio Cromartie, Johnson showed off his quickness and explosiveness at Tennessee's pro day. He met with several teams at the Volunteers' pro day, including the Falcons, Titans, Colts and Lions.
Wideout Efton Chism from Eastern Washington proved himself in both the Hula Bowl and then the Shrine Bowl. The nifty slot receiver posted some impressive numbers at his pro day, too. Those three-cone (3C) and short shuttle (SS) times are very good for an inside WR, more important than the slow 40-time:
East Texas A&M has itself a prospect in cornerback Kendall Paul, who blazed a hand-timed 4.27 40-yard dash. He's an undersized (measured 5-9/161) outside CB who isn't afraid to hit, even though his speed and quickness (4.02 short shuttle) are his calling cards.
Finally, safety Ian Kennelly from D-II powerhouse Grand Valley State had a great workout at the Lakers pro day. He's a rangy safety with good ball skills and no problem crashing the box to make a tackle, and his size and athleticism check NFL boxes:
Having a great pro day is just one piece of the puzzle for these small-school talents. It's an important one, however; the strong performances increase their chances of getting into an NFL rookie minicamp or signed as an undrafted free agent.
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