The numbers — 63 representatives from 31 NFL groups, 14 Maryland gamers understanding, seven of whom had been to the NFL scouting mix — spoke loudly.
Maryland soccer’s on-campus professional day Wednesday provided Terps corresponding to cornerback Jakorian Bennett and offensive sort out Jaelyn Duncan an opportunity to amplify their resumes with a month to go earlier than the NFL draft. It additionally gave this system a stage to showcase its progress in creating professional prospects below coach Mike Locksley.
“Last year, we had like two guys at the combine, but this year, we had a good handful,” Bennett stated after zipping fluidly by way of drills with scouts from the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans. “You have to look at the development side. Everybody gets caught up with the facilities and all that stuff. And we have good facilities, but the coaches do a good job of developing players and helping guys develop in life.”
Locksley, who’s going into his fifth yr as Maryland’s coach, stated that is an applicable time to rejoice that observe document, to not point out seize the eye of youthful stars who would possibly come subsequent.
“I think it speaks to what the Maryland football brand has become,” he stated after watching his aspiring professionals work out. “This is the foundation of Maryland football, this group here. Finishing up Year 4, really, it’s the first class of guys that have come through our program for the duration of my time here. … To me, this is the foundation group to what hopefully will be us being able to compete for championships here in the near future.”
Maryland has not had greater than 5 gamers chosen in a yr because the draft went to seven rounds in 1997 however has a very good likelihood to surpass that complete subsequent month.
“It’s a good one, really good,” ESPN analyst Mel Kiper stated of the Terps’ draft class. “Best it has been in recent years.”
Kiper expects cornerback Deonte Banks, who wowed scouts and crew executives earlier this month on the mix, to be a first-round decide, with Duncan and Bennett following him within the second or third rounds and broad receivers Rakim Jarrett, Dontay Demus Jr. and Jacob Copeland all prone to be picked in some unspecified time in the future. Kicker Chad Ryland was the opposite Terp invited to the mix.
Other members of Maryland’s 2022 crew who labored out on the indoor subject at Jones-Hill House have been offensive linemen Spencer Anderson and Johari Branch, defensive linemen Henry Chibueze, Greg China-Rose and Ami Finau, and linebackers VanDarius Cowan and Durell Nchami.
The professional day was a remaining likelihood for these gamers to collect on the identical follow subject the place that they had grown and toiled below Locksley’s steering. Though they are going to quickly disperse to numerous corners of the NFL, they’re optimistic different sturdy courses will observe of their footsteps.
“He’s building a way better program that what it was,” Banks stated. “It’s going in the right direction.”
The 6-foot, 197-pound Banks was one of many stars of the mix along with his 4.35-second time within the 40-yard sprint and his 42-inch vertical leap, so he felt no have to dash or bounce for scouts Wednesday.
“I’m a lockdown corner; that’s really what it is,” he instructed reporters, brimming with confidence.
The Ravens want a cornerback, and Banks’ velocity and aggressive model may make him a match for his hometown crew at No. 22 general. The former Edgewood High star grinned when requested about that risk.
“It could be,” he stated. “Maybe.”
The 6-6, 306-pound Duncan (St. Frances) may very well be the subsequent Terp off the board. “He is a talented kid, a local kid, who tested well,” Kiper stated. “When playing well, when at the top of his game, he’s as good as any left tackle. Some team is going to take him in the second round.”
Bennett may be part of Duncan as a Day 2 decide after he ran the 40-yard sprint in 4.3 seconds on the mix.
Of the three Maryland broad receivers who may very well be drafted, Kiper sees the best upside in Jarrett, who “could be a third-round steal for somebody.” The Prince George’s County native stated he has spoken with former Maryland star Stefon Diggs about life within the NFL.
“I’m doing it for the guys before me and to show the guys after me it can be done,” Jarrett stated, noting that he has ready by practising towards two future NFL cornerbacks in Banks and Bennett.
The 6-3, 212-pound Demus felt he confirmed off “the grit and everything inside of me,” understanding for NFL scouts 18 months after a horrible knee damage briefly derailed his profession.
One sudden participant Wednesday was former Ravens tight finish Nick Boyle, who served as Ryland’s lengthy snapper. They share an agent, and Boyle stated he needed the main focus to be on the kicker, however he was additionally auditioning for a possible new function with NFL groups.
“Maybe I could do this for a couple years if I do well,” the 30-year-old free agent stated. “My knee takes a lot of maintenance for me to play tight end, and I hate going out there and being average. If I can’t play as dominating as I was before, that’s why I transition to long snapper. The whole idea of this is to be around the game, be with players, keep the relationships alive.”
Boyle was set to step in because the Ravens’ lengthy snapper within the 2022 regular-season finale if Nick Moore was dwelling for the beginning of his baby, however Moore finally traveled to Cincinnati. Boyle, in the meantime, got here out of that have pondering a brand new profession path is likely to be so as. He has adopted up by understanding with Ryland, a second-team All-Big Ten kicker who aspires to hitch him within the NFL, in current weeks.
“He was like, ‘I haven’t snapped in a long time,’” Ryland stated. “But after three or four snaps, he was firing dots. I think he could do it.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com