Once the college football season ends, none of the 262 prospects slated to be picked in the NFL Draft play a single meaningful game between January and April. But in that three-plus month stretch, those players will see their pro stock rise and wane based on how they look in workouts and exhibitions.
For a player like Georgia’s Travon Walker, that pre-draft season is an opportunity to make a case to be the top overall pick by showcasing the traits that may have been overlooked in the middle of a roster loaded with talent. For Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton, it’s a chance for a slow 40 time to unravel the three years of on-field results that preceded it.
Plenty of players have rebounded from underwhelming workouts to become draft steals. Cooper Kupp, the reigning offensive player of the year, fell to the third round amid questions whether he could dominate the NFL like he did the FCS following a 40 time in the 4.6-second range. Zach Martin recorded below average strength and speed numbers in 2014, but the Cowboys still selected him in the middle of the first round. He rewarded that faith with seven All-Pro bids (and counting). Alfred Morris was one of the slowest running backs in his class, but managed to have three 1,000-yard seasons in the NFL despite sliding all the way to the fifth round of 2013.
Who could join the list of sliding players who became stars in 2022? Hamilton is an obvious example — and he isn’t alone.