In February, former Syracuse Orange football players Jamal Custis and Chris Slayton participated in the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Both were reasonably successful, but it’s not the only opportunity they’ll get to show teams what they can potentially do in the league.
SU’s Pro Day will take place on Monday, March 18 in the Ensley Athletic Center (indoor practice facility) at 1 p.m. Drills will include weight room sessions as well as the 40-yard dash, pro agility test, broad jump, L-drill and more.
While getting invited to the Scouting Combine is usually a good start to a prospective NFL career, it’s also not the only way to get drafted. Just last year, Zaire Franklin didn’t get an invite, yet was drafted in the seventh round by the Indianapolis Colts and became a major contributor for the playoff team.
Here’s who will be working out on Monday:
- Ben Brickman, wide receiver
- Cody Conway, offensive lineman
- Jamal Custis, wide receiver
- Eric Dungey, quarterback
- Brisly Estime, wide receiver/kick returner
- Ryan Guthrie, linebacker
- Matt Keller, long snapper
- Koda Martin, offensive lineman
- Ravian Pierce, tight end
- Chris Slayton, defensive lineman
- Dontae Strickland, running back
- Kielan Whitner, linebacker
Obviously some of these players have greater NFL prospects than others. But still, you never know what a scout might see from a strong Pro Day effort. Increasingly, players seem to be doing less at the Scouting Combine and putting further emphasis on Pro Day — where they work out in the friendly confines of their own school/facilities.
Every player above was part of last year’s Camping World Bowl team, except for one — Brisley Estime, who last suited up for Syracuse in 2016. The former receiver was not drafted out of school, but had joined the Jets’ roster as a free agent. Unfortunately he tore his Achilles and was waived a year later. This will serve as a workout for all the teams in attendance to see what he’s capable of a couple years later.
While Custis and Slayton are the names that may be most likely to get picked, the biggest story of Pro Day may be Dungey, who was not invited to the Combine but has some outside potential to get picked — or at the very least, he’ll be one of the top free agent targets after the draft. He spoke to SU alum Mike Tirico recently about Pro Day and how he’s prepping for the event.
We’ll have Brandon on-site for Pro Day, which is partially open to the media (on-field drills are, weight room is not). If there are any major updates, we’ll be sure to share those during/after, too.