Pro Day Features Potentially Historic Draft Class

EUGENE, Ore. — An NFL Draft class that has the potential to be historically deep got one last chance to shine in Oregon's facilities on Tuesday.

The UO football program hosted its annual Pro Day for NFL scouting personnel in the Moshofsky Center on Tuesday. A total of fifteen players were weighed and measured, then did drills for the scouts, who numbered nearly 70 and represented 30 NFL franchises.

This year's draft begins with the first round April 25, with the second and third rounds the following day, and the fourth through seventh rounds on April 27. And based on the current buzz leading up to the draft, the Ducks could be in line to have their deepest draft class ever.

The program record for first-round picks in the same draft is two, set three times, most recently in 2015. That class — headlined by Marcus Mariota, Arik Armstead and second-round pick Jake Fisher — was one of three drafts all-time to include three Ducks selected over the first two rounds. And it was the only draft so far to feature four Ducks in the first three rounds, as Hroniss Grasu was taken in the third that year.

One or more of those program records could be broken in April. Quarterback Bo Nix, offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson, receiver Troy Franklin and running back Bucky Irving all have generated at least some chatter as potential first-round picks. With the likes of defensive lineman Brandon Dorlus, cornerback Khyree Jackson and safety Evan Williams also in the mix, there's a chance the Ducks could break the program record of six total players drafted, set four times, most recently a year ago.

"You talk about what Oregon provides from an opportunity to grow and develop, to have the spotlight on you, these guys are taking advantage of that right now," head coach Dan Lanning said while watching the position drills Tuesday morning. "We'll probably have a lot of guys see success come draft day because of that. It's fun seeing that hard work pay off."

The seven Ducks listed above all participated in the NFL Scouting Combine two weeks earlier. They reunited Tuesday for one more workout in Eugene, and another chance to improve their draft stock.

They're appreciating the chance to go through the pre-draft process in such a large group.

"That's pretty cool," Franklin said. "I think it gives us just a sense of being comfortable, that we're all going through the same thing. So we can talk to each other, do all that little stuff, just to make sure everybody's straight."

Powers-Johnson predicted future Oregon Pro Day workouts will include similar numbers of high-level pro prospects.

"I think it's a testament to coach Lanning and how he runs things," Powers-Johnson said. "There's a lot of great guys coming out, and you're gonna see that throughout the (coming) years. The Oregon football program sets you up so much, for not only just life but football. I feel like I'm ahead of the game.

"Being around such great people, with great talent, great coaching, it breeds excellence. So it's amazing to be here and amazing to be able to represent Oregon."

The visibility of prospects such as Powers-Johnson, as well as Nix and the others who participated in the combine, also helped those Ducks who might have been making their first in-person impression on NFL scouts Tuesday. Among the 15 participants in Pro Day also were defensive lineman Popo Aumavae, edge defender Mase Funa, linebacker Jamal Hill — who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds Tuesday — offensive lineman Steven Jones, placekicker Camden Lewis, defensive lineman Casey Rogers, defensive back Steve Stephens IV and defensive lineman Taki Taimani.

Pro Day

Stephens was Oregon's fourth-leading tackler during the 2023 season. Tuesday, he got the chance to show off his athleticism for the pro personnel on hand, including the best vertical jump of the day at 36 inches, as well as a broad jump of 9 feet, 10 inches.

"It gets me excited," he said. "It's a real opportunity to prove myself. I had a great season; now it's like, OK, let's put the icing on the cake. You're isolated, you're really under the microscope, and thanks to guys like Bo, Troy and all these other guys, we're able to have a bunch of scouts here, and (I can) go out and do my thing."

It wasn't all high-pressure moments under the microscope Tuesday. After position drills, each group would huddle together one final time as members of the same program.

"It's damn good to be back working out and playing football together, doing what we love," said Dorlus, who has been training in Florida. "It was the last time actually playing together, so it was good. I soaked the moment in."

In one case, the post-drill huddle wasn't all draft-eligible Ducks. Nix did passing drills with Franklin and Irving, but also with 2024 Oregon seniors Tez Johnson, Traeshon Holden, Gary Bryant Jr. and Terrance Ferguson.

"It was really fun watching Bo throw, and watching some of these underclassmen — teammates who want to see him perform well," Lanning said. "They worked as a unit. I've had several coaches and scouts come up to me and say that was impressive, just watching those guys work together."

For most of Thursday's participants, though, it was their last time together as teammates. But not, as Rogers noted, the last time they'll see each other on a football field.

"The next time we see each other," Rogers said, "could be on an NFL field. So it's pretty surreal. But I wouldn't want to go out in this building with anybody else."