The Oklahoma Sooners sent 11 players to the NFL scouting combine last week in Indianapolis. For several players, it was their first chance to get in front of NFL scouts and front office members to show why they deserved a spot in the NFL. For others like Perrion Winfrey, Brian Asamoah, and Jeremiah Hall, it was another opportunity to build on impressive performances at the Senior Bowl.
Not all of the Sooners’ 12 players declared for the NFL draft had that luxury. LaRon Stokes, who played three seasons with the Oklahoma Sooners, had one chance to test in front of NFL scouts. Stokes left a strong impression at Oklahoma’s pro day.
LaRon Stokes set out to impress, and he did just that. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.9 seconds, according to SoonerSports.com. The official results also had him reach 33.5 on the vertical jump. He was explosive on a day when he needed to turn some heads.
“I feel good. I definitely (set personal records on) some things. So I was excited to do that. Definitely was my plan going into it. And just to be able to put my best foot forward in front of these scouts because I mean, I wasn’t at the combine like everybody else. So this was my one chance to blow, and I didn’t want to miss it,” Stokes said about his performance.
Stokes saw a decrease in his snap count each of the last three seasons with the Oklahoma Sooners. With bonafide top 100 picks Perrion Winfrey and Jalen Redmond sitting in front of him on the depth chart, making a consistent impact on the field was more difficult. In his best season in 2019, Pro Football Focus credited him with 16 total pressures and a sack. But it feels like there’s more to unlock with LaRon Stokes.
Despite a lack of invites to all-star games of the NFL combine, Stokes didn’t let that get in the way of his preparation.
“The one thing that I want (NFL teams) to take away is that I definitely have improved my explosiveness over these past couple months. That I work hard regardless of what happened and stayed in shape,” Stokes said.
When asked who helped themselves the most during Oklahoma’s pro day, consensus top 50 prospect Perrion Winfrey didn’t bat an eye.
“I probably would say the LaRon Stokes. He didn’t get a chance to go to the NFL Combine and had none of those NFLPA camps, none of that, but he came out here he ran 4.8 (unofficial in the 40-yard dash), he benched 23 reps, and every drill looks smooth and fluid, like he’d been doing it the whole time that we were training,” Perrion Winfrey said following Oklahoma’s pro day.
Even with a strong pro day, LaRon Stokes still has a lot to prove as he meets with teams leading up to the 2022 NFL draft at the end of April. Getting his first opportunity to get in front of scouts, he made a strong impression.
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