EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan State football program welcomed NFL coaches, scouts and personnel to the Duffy Daugherty Football Building on Wednesday as the Spartans hosted their annual Pro Day.
Walker, who is considered the top running back in the upcoming NFL Draft by several media organizations, kept his impressive testing numbers from the NFL Combine and only participated in the position drills. Walker ran a blazing time of 4.38 seconds in the 40-yard dash in Indianapolis, tied for the third-fastest among the 27 running backs. He also recorded a leap of 10'2" in the broad jump and posted a 34-inch vertical jump, both of which ranked among the top 10 for running backs in those respective drills.
For Walker on Wednesday, it was all about showing the scouts what he can do on the field.
"I think it went pretty smooth – it was a fun day," said Walker, won was named the Walter Camp Player of the Year and the Doak Walker Award winner after ranking No. 2 in the FBS last season with 1,636 rushing yards along with 18 touchdowns. "It was good to come back and see everybody – trainers, coaches, and most importantly, my teammates.
"It's been a dream of mine since I was a kid, but these past couple of months, it was pretty much just stay focused on doing what you have to do, training every day – I was down in Pensacola (Florida) – just enjoying the process, day by day."
— Michigan State Football (@MSU_Football) March 16, 2022
Heyward and Nailor, who also were at the NFL Combine, kept their testing numbers from Indianapolis (Heyward: 32.5-inch vertical, 4.72 40-yard dash; Nailor: 38-inch vertical, 4.5 40-yard dash, 7.03 seconds in 3-cone drill, 4.28 20-yard shuttle, 10'8" broad jump), but both did lift in the bench press (Heyward: 18 reps; Nailor: 14 reps). Connor Heyward runs through position drills during MSU's Pro Day on Wednesday.
Several Spartans who weren't able to showcase their skills at the NFL Combine had strong showings on Wednesday.
Offensive tackle AJ Arcuri, who made 25 starts for the Spartans during his career, measured in at 6-7, 308 pounds. He then promptly recorded a vertical leap of 33.5 inches, which would have been the highest for any offensive tackle at the NFL Combine and tied for first among all offensive linemen. Arcuri also lifted 225 pounds 27 times on the bench press, which would have tied for second among offensive tackles at the NFL Combine, and recorded a broad jump of 9'0".
"My athletic ability, my explosiveness with the jumps, my length, (and) versatility being able to play multiple positions," remarked Arcuri on what he was trying to display on Pro Day in front of the NFL scouts.
— Michigan State Football (@MSU_Football) March 16, 2022
Defensive end Drew Beesley led all Spartans with 30 reps on the bench press, a total that would have been No. 1 among defensive ends in Indianapolis. He also had a 28-inch vertical jump.
— Michigan State Football (@MSU_Football) March 16, 2022
Linebacker Noah Harvey also tested well, pacing all of the participants with a vertical leap of 34.5 inches. In addition, he put up 225 pounds 25 times on the bench press.
The 2022 NFL Draft is set for April 28-30 in Las Vegas.
