Phillip Lindsay might not have made the Denver Broncos’ 53-man roster if he entered the league during the COVID-19 pandemic. He might not have even made it to training camp.
Because of the coronavirus, many college football programs did not have pro days this spring. So for small-school prospects who weren’t invited to the combine, they didn’t have official 40-yard dash times and face-to-face conversations with NFL coaches leading up to the draft.
Lindsay wasn’t invited to the combine in 2018 but he turned heads with a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at Colorado’s pro day. Denver signed him as a college free agent in April and he went on to impress at training camp.
Lindsay then made the roster after a strong preseason. He went on to win a starting job and became the first undrafted offensive rookie in NFL history to make the Pro Bowl. This year, the Broncos might miss out on similar diamonds in the rough due to COVID-19.
Denver is not expected to have any preseason games and rosters might be trimmed down to 80 players before training camp even begins. A prospect who didn’t get a pro day might be cut before even getting a chance to shine at camp. Players who do make it to camp won’t have any preseason game film for other teams to view if they don’t make the Broncos’ roster.
This year, it will be even harder for underdogs to follow in Lindsay’s path.
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