That 2018 NFL Draft is rapidly approaching. Once more, NFL teams are eager to select the highly talented prospects from the Washington Football team. Their first chance at up close and personal happens tomorrow at the Washington Pro and Combine Day
The Washington Footbll team had another successul season. Finishing 10-3 and 7-3 in the highly competitive Pac-12 is no easy accomplishment. But as is the case at the end of every season, the team will need to reload. After all, the dream for these young men is to compete in the NFL. And so, there will be defections to the NFL this season. This year, the team loses some incredible talent, most of whom were featured in the 2018 NFL Combine:
Defensive tackle Vita Vea – projected as first rounder phenomenal defensive lineman
Linebacker Azeem Victor – a complex player who projects well in the NFL
Linebacker Keishawn Bierria – a blue collar workhorse who will play hard as a pro
Wide receiver Dante Pettis – an NFL starter who upgrades special teams
Running back Lavon Coleman – a great value for an NFL team looking for RB help
Tight end Will Dissly – considered the best blocking tight end in the draft by Mike Mayock
Center Coleman Shelton – a versatile offensive lineman who can contribute early
More than seven will flirt with pros
There are more hopefuls than this list, however. And as we know, most players from the University of Washington make such a good impression that they stick around on NFL rosters. So it should come as no surprise that this year’s group expects to follow suit. Some, like offensive lineman Andrew Kirkland, played well enough to ensure some NFL team will talk to him about opportunities at the pro level. Other, like safety Ezekiel Turner, have some respected names already talking, and offering plenty of public endorsements:
That’s plenty of talent to replace, isn’t it? Well, we’ll talk about that next.
Pro Day March 10
As last year, the Washington Pro and Combine Day is an event filled with eager anticipation. This year it takes place on Saturday, March 10. As in the past, Pro Day is a closed event. The Combine portion of the day, however, is open to the public and will begin at 2 p.m. PT.
Washington announces it will hold its Pro Day and Husky Combine on Saturday, March 10. Pro Day is not open to the public. The Husky Combine is open to the public and starts at 2 p.m. at the team's indoor facility. #UWHuskies
— Ryan S. Clark (@ryan_s_clark) February 12, 2018
Not only will this be a great time to check out the team, but it will debut recent transfer Jacob Eason as well as returning coach and new offensive coordinator Bush Hamdem.
Schedule
The schedule for combine day is should be similar to last year’s schedule. The public portion of the event is expected to last three hours.
2:00 PM – Returning Seniors
2:30 PM – Wide Receivers and Defensive Backs
3:30 PM – Running Backs, Tight Ends, Quarterbacks, Linebackers
4:30 PM – Offensive Linemen, Defensive Linemen, Long Snapper
All events will take place at the Dempsey Indoor Practice Facility.
Pettis participation doubtful
While the event will feature NFL hopefuls for the Pro Day portion, WR Dante Pettis will not participate this year. He tweaked his ankle against Washington State, and with healing and the NFL Combine, he was not able to fully prepare for the extensive athletic testing slated for Pro Day Participants. It was the Washington Pro Day event a year ago where cornerback Sidney Jones IV popped his Achilles Tendon, rendering virtually his entire rookie season with the Philadelphia Eagles as a redshirt year.
Next: Washington defensive tackle Vita Vea Tops Mayock’s list
We have monitored the situation of DT VIta Vea, but have not found any reports updating his status. He pulled a hamstring at the NFL Combine and ended his competition early.