Sights and Sounds From Virginia Tech's Pro Day: Hokies Excited For Next Journey

BLACKSBURG, Va. — With the 2026 NFL Draft right around the corner, Virginia Tech prospects took the next step in their professional journeys on Friday, showcasing their talent in front of NFL scouts at Tech's pro day in Blacksburg.

Next Wave of NFL Hokies

Among the 11 Hokies working out was quarterback Kyron Drones.

"I feel like I did good," Drones said after the pro day. "I showed what I was supposed to show. Had a good overall day. I'm excited for what's next."

Drones showcased his athleticism in several drills, notably recording a 33-inch vertical jump. However, the signal-caller said that he doesn't anticipate that athletic ability turning into an opportunity outside of quarterback.

"Not really. Not many teams really brought that up," Drones said on if a position change had been talked about. "Mainly me just being a quarterback. I've been that all my life, not really trying to do anything else, so no."

For linebacker Jaden Keller, the approach is almost the opposite — embracing change and showing he can play all over the field.

Keller participated in drills for the three different positions on Friday and ran in the 4.4s during his 40-yard dash.

"Did a little bit of d-line, did a little linebacker, doing a little DB stuff, so, just kind of showing off my versatility and doing all I could do," Keller said.

The six-foot-three senior says that he anticipates his versatility helping him out as he prepares for the pros.

"You see [versatility] all the time," Keller said. "Kyle Hamilton, a guy that can play safety, guy that can play in the box. [Being] versatile is just a better chance of getting on the field. If you can do it all and just be everywhere, that's a problem. It's hard for offenses to game-plan against that if we're all over the field."

Despite working around at other positions, Keller said he still feels most at home at linebacker.

"[Linebacker drills] kind of become natural to me, especially," Keller said. "But doing some of the DB drills brought me back to high school days. Still felt like normal."

For many young players, the draft process can be a stressful and uncertain time, filled with waiting, anticipation, and pressure to impress. For Drones, that pressure is met with a steady, day-to-day approach.

"Just staying level-headed," Drones said. "I know that it can get anxious, waiting on the draft, just to see where you end up. But it's still going to work each and every day, trying to get better... show off your brain, show off your board skills, and hopefully [scouts] like it."

For defensive lineman Kelvin Gilliam Jr., embracing the unknown of the process is a source of faith rather than fear.

"That's the beauty of it," Gilliam said. "The unknown is the beauty of it. Leaning on God, don't even know where you're going to end up and stuff, but you focus in on trusting God, you're going to be fine."

In preparation for their workouts, several Hokies spent months training, knowing how much was riding on each rep during pro day.

"I was training in Tampa, Florida, with House of Athletes," Drones said. "Really good facility, really good people out there. I love training out there."

"Really just taking care of my body," Keller said. "Just keeping my speed and adding on good weight, eating good for the last three months with the meal plan, everything. Really just diving full into treating your body like a pro."

Keller, like the rest of the Hokies, will now look ahead to visiting with teams in preparation for the draft.

"So, next is about top-30 visits," Keller said. "Teams will fly you out, bunch of Zoom calls to see how much you know. ...But really just more interviews. Just talking about how much you know ball, how much you know all this stuff, and just showing the type of person you are."

"Definitely taking some top-30 visits and stuff," Gilliam said. "Hearing a lot of answers from NFL scouts and just answering my phone when the phone rings. Still getting in football shape, because whoever the team that gets me [is], I got to be a pro by that time.

Drones mentioned the Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers, and Baltimore Ravens as teams that have reached out to him during the pre-draft process.

Gilliam noted that he had breakfast with the 49ers on Friday morning and has also heard from the Arizona Cardinals.

As pro day came to a close, it marked the end of months of preparation — and a few hours of opportunity. For Hokies prospects, it marked their first steps towards turning that work and opportunity into a professional future.