In recent years, NFL Draft Prospects have had the opportunity to show off their talents at program-specific Pro Days. And, in most, instances these Pro Days serve as the final step in the NFL Draft Process. That is no different for the Miami Hurricanes 2026 NFL hopefuls who will reach their final official benchmark of the draft process on Monday.
The intimate Pro Day experience should give the draft-eligible players the most exposure to media, scouts, coaches, and GMs prior to the NFL Draft at the end
of April. To that end, an impressive ten Hurricanes were invited to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis earlier this month, and it is anticipated that more players beyond Rueben Bain, Francis Mauigoa, Akheem Mesidor, Keionte Scott, Anez Cooper, Carson Beck, Jakobe Thomas, Markel Bell, CJ Daniels, and Wesley Bissainthe will try to make the most of this opportunity.
In past years, the pro days on college campuses served as one portion of the multifactorial draft process. The pro day, in the NIL era, serves as a one-stop shop for combine drills, face-to-face interviews/networking, and a personalized platform for NFL evaluators to test prospects with individualized workouts.
NFL DRAFT PROCESS SCHEDULE:
February – Senior Showcases: Complete – (East-West Shrine Bowl, NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, Hula Bowl, and CGS Bowl)
February 26-March 1 – NFL Combine, Indianapolis: Complete
March 9-11 – NFL Free Agency Begins: Complete
March 23 – Miami Pro Day
April 15 – Deadline for team to host draft-eligible players
April 22: Deadline to time, test, and interview draft-eligible players
April 23-25 – NFL Draft, Pittsburgh
So how does one value a Pro Day Workout and What Should Viewers Look For?
The exact answer to this question will drastically differ depending on the position, as well as the individual’s strengths and weaknesses at the position. In particular, the workouts and focus on certain drills will greatly differ for Carson Beck at QB compared to CJ Daniels, compared to lineman on both sides of the ball like Rueben Bain, Akheem Mesidor, Francis Mauigoa, Anez Cooper, and Markell Bell and then linebackers and defensive backs in Wesley Bissainthe, Jakobe Thomas, and Keionte Scott. At the NFL Combine – where the talk of the town was Bain’s arm length – only Markel Bell did some testing but more Canes, if not all, will participate in testing. Other players looking to continue their football career at the professional level and are done with college football eligibility may also test.
When accounting for how a prospect will pan out at the next level, the specific pro day workouts do not necessarily provide a foolproof mechanism of the college player’s success. For example, the 40-yard dash is largely an overrated metric as players are almost never running in a straight line for 40 yards undeterred.
To that end, a word of caution when reviewing Pro Day results and potential inconsistencies: Similar to standardized tests being used as a barometer for earning school admission and/or professional licenses, the Pro Day workouts/combines are a necessary evil in order to evaluate talent, athleticism, and the like. Through these drills, evaluators can fill in gaps and script areas that do not necessarily show up on game film (i.e. bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, shuttle run, 3-cone, as well as size measurements). Also, scouts and coaches could force the players to workout in a way to expose potentials areas the player struggle in during game tape. That is, in the position drills, a coach may request a pass catcher run a certain route a few times if that player appears to struggle with it during live action. Scouts essentially want to make sure the traits match the tape.
So, even though the pro day results are not a perfect science and are in fact like apples to oranges when compared to game film, there is immense value that will come out of Miami’s testing. Position drills for those who did not get to go to the Combine will be integral, as well as the in-person interviews.
Will There Be Current Canes and Older Alumnus in Attendance?
Teams have been unique with their Pro Days. For example, a lot of underclassmen have participated in some of the drills especially where a wide receiver and quarterback have strong rapport.
To that end, we could definitely see Malachi Toney, who is projected to be an early pick in 2028, in attendance as he has developed significant rapport with Beck. Toney has been garnering serious national recognition and this could provide invaluable exposure to NFL scouts and coaches for him early in the process. Other players who did not declare may do the same. This is especially true as spring camp starts on Tuesday.
Also, keep in mind that older NFL free agents have the opportunity to try out at the Pro Day in front of the NFL personnel if they so desire.
Regardless, the focus (beyond Bain’s arm length) will be on the 10 prospects who are eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft as this will likely be the last, and most important, opportunity to impress NFL evaluators. There is a chance the players opt for additional individualized pro days before the draft in late-April. However, without more information on that front, the Pro Day and upcoming interviews will be the final steps in the process before April’s Draft.
