If you had one last shot to live your dream, what do you think you would do with it? This past Wednesday, twelve Rams were made to answer that very question as NFL scouts and media members descended upon the campus of Colorado State University for CSU’s 2022 NFL Pro Day.
However, with the limited roster spots and draft picks teams have to work with, it goes without saying that a majority of these Rams would not hear their name called on draft night. That being said, there were several Rams who seized the opportunity to ball out and made quite an impression. Here, Braidon and I will give you our takes on who we thought could be dark horse candidates to land a spot on an NFL roster in the offseason and who improved their draft stock the most after their performances on Wednesday.
While Trey McBride garnered most of the attention out of the offensive prospects, and deservedly so, I thought wide receiver Jordan Kress made a better case for himself than many were expecting. The graduate transfer from New Mexico showcased his physical prowess with his impressive vertical ability and blistering speed in the high jump and 40-yard dash drills. He also proved himself a more than capable route-runner, although there were some question marks around the Loveland native’s hands as he had a few big drops on a couple of deep routes. Nonetheless, you may see Kress appear on a practice squad roster after the draft.
On the defensive side of the ball, I was extremely impressed with defensive lineman Manny Jones. The 290 pound Georgian showcased that he has the potential to be a truly formidable pass-rusher as he looked comfortable and strong on the pads. As if being big wasn’t enough, we clocked him with an unofficial 4.7 40 yard dash time. I’m sure there are a few teams that would love to have that amount of size and speed on their roster.
As for whose draft stock rose the most, I would say punter Ryan Stonehouse takes the cake. Stonehouse was locked in and was booming punts upwards of 55 yards into the wind with his longest punt of the day being a 70 yarder. Stonehouse will be the first to tell you that he doesn’t expect to hear his name called until after the draft, but don’t be surprised if you see a team use a late-round pick to secure the punter’s services.
Separate blurb for Trey McBride:
Going into CSU’s Pro Day, Trey McBride had little left to prove to the scouts in attendance. Having already been to the combine, McBride had already showcased his physical ability as well as his hands. The only thing he didn’t do at the NFL combine was run the 40-yard dash. McBride said this was intentional, as he wanted to get as many eyes as possible in Fort Collins for his teammates. McBride gave all the scouts what they came for as he shattered expectations with a 4.53 40 yard dash time which cemented him as the top tight end prospect in the draft.