Arizona's Unlikely Performers During Pro Day
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The NFL Draft is right around the corner, and the Arizona Wildcats have showcased their skills in both the combine and on pro day, impressing scouts, analysts, and fans who watched it live. 20 Wildcats showed up to display their abilities and build their resumes in hopes of hearing their names called.
The NFL Draft will be held in Pittsburgh, PA, on April 23-25, and Arizona has several players who had a stellar season, which pushed them to the point of being noticed by NFL scouts. Three players in particular are slated to be drafted by day three at the latest.
Arizona's secondary was littered with talented players in Treydan Stukes, Dalton Johnson, and Genesis Smith, three safeties whose ball-hawking skills and physical tackling ability made up for the seventh-best passing defense in all of college football, first in the Big 12.
The three safeties have been stalwarts since entering the program, choosing to stay with the program after a 4-8 season in 2024. Now, they have made their presence known, and they are a feared secondary pass defense.
Stukes, Smith, and Johnson had impressive combine and Pro Day performances, but they are not the only Wildcats to up their draft stock. Let's take a look at others who showed they should be drafted with how they performed at their Pro Day.
Malachi Bailey Shows Impressive Speed and Strength
Bailey was a huge pickup for an Arizona team that needed big, powerful linemen to fit Danny Gonzales' system. After transferring over from Alcorn State, an FCS school located in Mississippi, he fit that prerequisite, and it began to show on the field.
Bailey ended his season with five total tackles, three solo and one assisted, in the Holiday Bowl loss to SMU. He then came into Pro Day weighing 285 pounds, 12 more than what he weighed during the season. The extra weight he put on did not affect his speed, as he ran a 4.72 in the unofficial 40-yard dash.
Had he run that in the combine, it would have been the fastest time amongst all defensive tackles. Coming in second would have been Zane Durant out of Penn State with a 4.79. He also tied for third in the bench press with 20 reps.
Decambra and Buchanan Showcase Incredible Strength
Texas Tech transfer Ty Buchanan and Hawaii transfer Ka'ena Decambra have been key pieces for the Wildcats offensive line since the day they stepped foot on the field. They are the reason Noah Fifita was so well protected in the pass game and why the run game had a strong finish to the season.
Both Decambra and Buchanan showed their impressive strength on the bench press. Decambra benched the highest amount of reps with 28, while Buchanan came in second with 26. Both also displayed incredible footwork and technique.
Ayden Garnes Could Be Under the Radar
Johnson, Smith, and Stukes aren't the only players out of the secondary who showed that they could excel in the NFL. Garnes was a force for Arizona at the cornerback position, tying for second in pass breakups with eight and posting the fifth most solo tackles with 32.
Garnes' Pro Day performance was just as impressive as his season. Compared to the cornerbacks who performed at the combine, he would have been among the top. His 4.37 40-yard dash would have been second. His 7.0 cone drill and 4.1 shuttle would have been first.
Nathaniel Martinez and a set of shoulder pads at 7 years old. He later graduated from Pima Community College in 2023, where he began writing for the Pima Post. He is working to achieve a Bachelor’s in Mass Communication and Media Studies.