Friday Headlines: Kentucky Football Pro Day

Which Wildcats will see their draft stock improve?

By John Morgan Francis@MonJorgan Apr 1, 2022, 8:56am EDT

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NCAA Football: Citrus Bowl-Kentucky at Iowa

Today is the day for several Kentucky Wildcats to secure their spot in the 2022 NFL Draft later this month. Kentucky will hold their football pro day at 11 AM today with live streaming available here. The three-day draft is scheduled for April 28th, so we’re just under four weeks from the weekend that several Wildcats could very possibly hear their name called. While the Wildcats most likely won’t have a first round pick this year, it’s a draft that several players will most likely hear their name called starting at the beginning of Day Two.

Despite seeing his name in several first round mock drafts towards the end of 2021, star left tackle Darian Kinnard has apparently slipped to the second round. Kinnard didn’t have the best Senior Bowl at tackle, but can play both guard as well and that versatility is heavily valued in the NFL. Most likely joining him on Friday’s portion of the draft will be fellow Wildcats star Wan’Dale Robinson. While he’ll never be the biggest player on the field, he’s among the best in this wide receiver draft class. His speed, quickness and will to dominate his matchup every snap should entice several teams during the draft.

It’s been a heck of a road for Josh Paschal and you can argue no one deserves the NFL Draft moment more. After battling melanoma in 2018, he made his way back to the football field in 2019 and had a stellar 2021 season with a promising combine to set him up well for April 29th. Joining this trio could very well be center Luke Fortner. Kentucky is becoming known for their development of offensive linemen and Fortner, coming off a strong season, could hear his name called on the second day of the draft.

Dare Rosenthal, Marquan McCall and Yusuf Corker arguably need the Pro Day more than the players already mentioned above. While Big Blue Nation knows how impactful each can be on and off the football field, scouts may need to see certain skills with their own eyes on Friday. Josh Ali, Justin Rigg and Quandre Mosely are other names that could wind up sliding into the later rounds of the NFL Draft or prove themselves as undrafted free agent signings.

Again, some NFL scouts find a lot of value in Pro Days and the Wildcats could very well see their stock rise with strong performances in the comfort of their own facilities.