Three Winners From BYU Pro Day

Ten days ago BYU Football held its 2023 NFL Pro Day at the indoor practice facility. All 32 NFL teams were represented watching BYU players put their athletic abilities on display. While coaches and scouts watched on, there were a three players in particular who performed well enough to potentially improve their stock ahead of the NFL draft later this month.

Let’s take a look at those players and how they faired compared to players from this year’s NFL combine.

Blake Freeland - OT

Blake Freeland has been expected to be one of BYU’s players selected in this year’s draft since before the 2022 season. He was consistently among the highest graded offensive tackles by Pro Football Focus with a career average grade of 91. After allowing only one sack in two years as the starting left tackle, Freeland needed to perform at the NFL combine and BYU Pro Day to solidify himself as a draft selection later this month.

Freeland probably didn’t improve his draft stock drastically, but more so solidified what scouts had been saying about him already. With his combine and pro day results, he established himself as one of the most athletic tackles in this class.

At the combine, Freeland displayed his athleticism ranking first among offensive lineman in the broad jump and 10 second shuttle, as well as setting a combine record with a 37 inch vertical. He also finished tied for second in the 40 yard dash and fourth in the three cone drill.

After not competing in the bench press at the combine, Freeland needed to put up reps enough to show he has the upper body explosion to really solidify himself for the draft. Putting up a mark of 25, which would have been the 5th highest total among offensive tackles at the combine, should have done the job.

With film combined with his display of athleticism, scouts will have Freeland’s name penciled down as a name to keep their eye on in the middle rounds of the draft.

Christopher Brooks - RB

Christopher Brooks may not have filled the shoes of Tyler Allgeier as fans may have hoped, but with the strong finish he had to the season put together a solid final collegiate season for the Cougars. Brooks ran for 817 yards and 6 touchdowns and closed out the season with 354 yards and a touchdown in his last three games.

Without a combine invite, pro day was Brooks’ only chance to impress scouts ahead of the draft.

For a 230 pound running back, Brooks had some impressive numbers at his pro day. He started the day off on bench press putting up 21 reps which would have been tied for 2nd at the combine among running backs.

His 4.58 40 time was not near the top of running backs at the combine, but is still a solid time for a player ten to twenty pounds heavier than most of the players ahead of him.

For his other numbers compared to combine performances, his vertical would have been tied for 5th highest and broad jump 6th longest, showing great explosiveness in his lower half. He also would have been 1st in the 20 yard shuttle and 2nd in the three cone drill (only two running backs competed in each at the combine).

Brooks more than likely improved how teams viewed him as a prospect from the end of the season. While it is still unlikely he will be drafted there is potential for him to be an un-drafted free agent for a team.

Kaleb Hayes - CB

Kaleb Hayes was the top performer and benefactor from BYU Pro Day, by far. His high end athleticism was on display for 32 NFL teams to watch.

Prior to pro day, Hayes started 20 of his 24 games played while at BYU. He was a transfer from Oregon State where he spent his first three collegiate seasons.

Hayes’ pro day numbers really pop when compared to other cornerbacks from the combine.

His 20 yard shuttle and three cone drill times each would have finished second among cornerbacks at the combine. His vertical of 40 inches would have been the 4th highest. And perhaps the most impressive part of the team’s pro day was Hayes’ 40 yard dash time running a 4.31. That definitely turned a few heads as that would have been the third fastest time at the combine among all athletes who ran. If teams will take a chance on a player like Hayes his 40 time will be the reason.

His numbers tested so well Hayes was given a RAS (Relative Athletic Score) of 9.89.

A RAS score is a way to score a players athleticism based on his testing numbers which can also be compared historically.

Hayes had an incredible pro day. Once teams get into the later rounds of the draft they tend to draft more on athletic upside and not as much on in game production. Teams are more willing to take a flier on a player who they think they can develop based off of their traits.

Kaleb Hayes fits perfectly into that description as someone with high athletic upside for a team to take a chance on late. He may still become an un-drafted free agent, but Hayes’ pro day may have made himself a potential selection late in this year’s NFL draft.