A Canceled Notre Dame Pro Day Could Hurt These NFL Draft Prospects

The NFL Draft process is fickle.

After a good performance at an event like the senior bowl, a prospect’s perceived value could sore, only to drop after a bad 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine a few weeks later.

This is the exact scenario that played out for former Notre Dame safety Jalen Elliott.

At the 2020 Senior Bowl, NFL scouts saw him as a player with the coverage skills to matchup with tight ends and wide receivers and the leadership abilities to have an instant impact on a professional roster.

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Fast forward to the NFL Combine a month later and Elliott’s stock has plummeted because, as a free safety, he ran a 4.8-second 40-yard dash, the slowest time amongst his position group.

At the time, he still had the option to improve upon his 40-time at the Notre Dame Pro Day, which was scheduled for April 1.

With the university suspending in-person classes until at least the middle of April due to the spread of COVID-19 and head coach Brian Kelly advising his players to stay at home after spring break, it seems that hosting a pro day is also out of the question.

While players such as wide receiver Chase Claypool and tight end Cole Kmet did enough to cement or improve their draft stock at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, several other players, including Elliott, may be hurt by the lack of an NFL Pro Day.

Nine Notre Dame players were invited to the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, but starting buck linebacker and fifth-year senior Asmar Bilal wasn't one of them.

Bilal finished third on the team in total tackles in 2019 with 79 takedowns and was tied for second in tackles for a loss with 10, which is why it was a bit of a surprise that the 6-2 and 227-pound senior linebacker was left off the combine invite list.

Based on watching him at Notre Dame for the last few seasons, Bilal would have tested well at Notre Dame's Pro Day and possibly could have had a chance to be drafted. Even when he struggled on the field in 2018, no one questioned his athleticism.

Instead, he now seems destined to be a priority free agent.

As a senior, Tony Jones had a productive season in 2019. He led the team in rushing with 857 yards and six touchdowns on 144 carries and also posted 104 yards receiving and a touchdown on 15 receptions.

Yet, questions about his explosiveness and breakaway speed remained.

Heading into the NFL Combine, Jones indicated that a 4.6-second 40-time would be unacceptable and disappointing, but he posted a 4.68 instead, second slowest amongst fellow running backs in attendance.

Does Tony Jones have what it takes to run a 4.5-second 40-yard dash?

Without a Pro Day, it's unlikely very many NFL Scouts will have a chance to find out, even if Jones did prove to be one of the most explosive running backs in college football in 2019.

The former Notre Dame wide receiver did not have a chance to participate in much of the East-West Shrine game due to pulling his hamstring during practice.

This injury lingered through the NFL Combine and prevented Chris Finke from showing off his change of direction in the three-cone drill or 20-yard shuttle.

He also posted a slower than expected 40-yard dash when he ran the drill in 4.57 seconds. At 5-9 and 184 pounds, NFL scouts were hoping he'd be faster.

With a month and a half to recover, Finke likely would have been at full health at the Notre Dame Pro Day on April 1. He could have improved his 40-time and impressed scouts with his agility and speed in space, but now he'll never get the chance.

Due to injuries suffered during the season, defensive ends Julian Okwara and Khalid Kareem were both unable to participate in the workout portion of the NFL Scouting Combine (except Okwara did put up an impress 27 reps on the bench press).

Both should still be drafted in the first four rounds of the NFL Draft, with Okwara still receiving first-round buzz because of his ability to pressure the quarterback, but it does prevent them from having the opportunity to improve their draft stocks.

The only silver lining is that other NFL Prospects who did impress scouts that the NFL Combine will also miss out on their Pro Day, somewhat leveling the playing field.

This could benefit Okwara and Kareem, who both put up impressive statistics and look the part on film.

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