Penn State sent a handful of players to this year’s Shrine Bowl and the early results have been encouraging for the Nittany Lions looking to land a job in the NFL. Among the standouts this week leading up to Thursday night’s Shrine Bowl has been cornerback [autotag]Daequan Hardy[/autotag].
Penn State fans were always aware of the kind of speed Hardy could bring to the field, and that was on full display with a big game on special teams with two punt returns for touchdowns against UMass last October. But Hardy impressed with his speed in front of the scouts gathered in Texas for this week’s Shrine Bowl practices. According to multiple scouts and reports coming out of Frisco, Texas, Hardy was the fifth-fastest player at the Shrine Bowl this week.
Hardy received second-team All-American honors from CBS Sports as a punt returner this past season, and he also received All-Big Ten honors for his special teams work from the conference’s coaches and media. His performance on special teams helps boost Hardy’s value at the next level, but he is clearly hoping to land a roster spot in the NFL with his defensive skills. Speed is one thing, but scouts will be playing close attention to how he matches sup with other speedy receivers in the open field. There have been a few discouraging posts on social media about Hardy’s performance in this area, but that is just a small sample of the week and his overall assessment.
Former #Longhorns DB Ryan Watts clocked the fastest time at the @ShrineBowl’s 1st practice. The former #Texas standout was clocked at 20.85 MPH.
Top 5:
5. Daequan Hardy (20.44)
4. Mark Perry (20.53)
3. Tyler Owens (20.54) – one time #UT player
2. Myles Harden (20.84)
1. Watts pic.twitter.com/NcTCkdBORl— Blake Munroe (@BlakeMunroeOTF) January 29, 2024
Hardy is viewed as a late-round draft prospect at the moment, putting him at risk of being an undrafted free agent. This is where the special teams will help boost his value for some NFL teams, although most teams are not going to be interested in a special teams-only player with a draft pick. So showing off a good performance in coverage will be essential for Hardy in the Shrine Bowl and perhaps later on at the NFL combine or Penn State pro day.
Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.