Path to the Draft: OSU hosts annual Pro Day

Lily Middleton

Lineback Kyrie Fisher-Morris prepares himself for the 40-yard dash during Monday’s Pro Day drills. A total of 13 Beavers made their way through the drills in front of NFL professionals.

Ryan Harlan, Sports Writer

Oregon State Football players showed that they were ready for the pros in front of NFL scouts at Oregon State’s annual pro day on Monday afternoon at Merritt Truax Indoor Center. 

More than a dozen NFL teams were in attendance to watch Luke Musgrave, Alex Austin, and Rejzohn Wright along with other senior football standouts as they showcased their NFL potential. 

In addition to Musgrave, Austin, and Wright, who participated in the NFL combine in early March, there were 13 players in total that participated in Oregon State’s pro day. 

Alongside the trio was nine other players that included running back Mikey Alfieri, defensive lineman Simon Sandberg, linebacker Kyrei Fisher-Morris, athlete Jack Colletto, defensive back Jaydon Grant, wide receivers Tre’shaun Harrison and Tyjon Lindsey, offensive lineman Brandon Kipper, punter Luke Loecher, as well as Portland State University wide receiver Emmanuel Daigbe. 

The pro day doesn’t necessarily mean that a player will get drafted into the NFL, but it’s a significant step for many players who play football professionally as a career. The pro day is a three-hour audition for players that includes various athletic drills, position drills, lifting, and running beginning in the Sports Performance Center, where players start out with the bench press and vertical jump. 

Colletto put up 17 reps of 225 lbs. on the bench press and had a vertical jump of 36.5’ inches. Lindsey put up 13 reps of 225 lbs. on the bench press and had a vertical jump of 39 inches, Lindsey matched his former teammate Alfieri who also had a vertical jump of 39 inches.

After those concluded the players moved over to the Merritt Truax Indoor Center for the broad jump, 40-yard dash, athletic drills, position drills, and the day finished off with a scripted throwing period of offensive plays with former Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion throwing to players during that period of the pro day. 

Mannion threw to both the offensive and defensive players during both individual drills and the scripted throwing session during Oregon State’s pro day and connected on a majority of his throws to Musgrave, Lindsey, Harrison, Colletto, and Daigbe. 

Musgrave participated in all drills at pro day and chose not to participate in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, and broad jump, which he participated in while at the NFL Combine, which began on March 2 and ended March 5 in Indianapolis, Indiana. 

Musgrave is also projected to be the highest drafted tight end in Oregon State history, the current draft projections are that Musgrave will likely be drafted either as a late first round pick or an early second round pick. 

The highest drafted tight end is former Oregon State tight end Tim Euhus, who was drafted in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. Musgrave’s former teammate Tegan Quitoriano was drafted in the fifth round by the Houston Texans in 2021. Musgrave has met with several NFL teams including the Green Bay Packers and the Cleveland Browns, Musgrave’s uncle Bill Musgrave is a senior offensive analyst for the team.

Austin participated in all drills while at the NFL Combine and participated in all drills at the pro day except for the broad jump, vertical jump, and bench press. Austin improved his time in the 40 yard dash from the combine, running a 4.53 at his pro day and is likely a late round pick in the draft. Austin has met with several NFL teams including the San Francisco 49ers and the Miami Dolphins. 

Wright did not participate in drills at either his pro day or the NFL Combine for undisclosed reasons but is projected to be a likely second or third round pick in the draft. However, Wright has met with several teams including the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys, who drafted his brother Nahshon in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Nahshon began his career at Laney College before playing for the Beavers during the 2019 and 2020 college football seasons.

After the conclusion of Pro Day, these players will turn their focus to hearing their names potentially called by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell six weeks from now at the 2023 NFL Draft. The 2023 NFL Draft is set to begin April 27 and will end on April 29, the draft is scheduled to take place in Kansas City, Missouri.

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