Pro Day Brings Out Dozen Prospects, Half the UW Team to Watch

Pro Day at the University of Washington on Tuesday brought out a dozen prospects to the Dempsey Indoor facility, most of them but not all former Huskies, and two dozen or so NFL scouts to observe and and copiously chart the leaps, sprints and reactions on sheets of paper.

Besides media and other curious on-lookers, roughly half of the players on the current UW roster showed up, too, to support those guys and maybe dream a little themselves.

Perhaps the loudest response came when Kyler Gordon went up and touched 39.5 inches in the vertical, which was admirable though a couple inches below his personal best. Otherwise, there weren't any startling times and performances recorded.

Over three hours, defensive backs Trent McDuffie, Bookie Radley-Hiles and Gordon, and running backs Sean McGrew and Kamari Pleasant, tight end Cade Otten, center Luke Wattenberg, quarterback Patrick O'Brien and edge rusher Ryan Bowman from the most recent UW team, plus former wide receiver Quinten Pounds, who finished up in 2019, went through the testing rituals.

Dempsey Indoor a half hour before Pro Day activities began.

Husky safety Asa Turner had a comfortable view of Pro Day.

Trent McDuffie says he's not following the mock drafts, which have been flattering to him.

New UW coach Kalen DeBoer, in the purple jacket, watched all the proceedings.

Kyler Gordon waited on a football tossed his way to see how he'd react.

Bookie Radley-Hiles briefly considered returning to the Huskies for a second season.

McDuffie and Gordon, both first-team All-Pac-12 selections, have been projected as possible first-rounders in many mock drafts because proficient cornerbacks always hold great value.

"I have no idea what it's saying or where I'm at," McDuffie said, who likely knows a little more than that with millions of dollars at stake. "I'm just enjoying the process, enjoying what I can control and enjoying my life."

New coach Kalen DeBoer and many of his assistant coaches also attended the proceedings, plus recruiting director Courtney Morgan and strength and conditioning coach Ron McKeefery.

Nickel back Bookie Radley-Hiles, the Oklahoma transfer and one-year Husky, said he briefly considering returning for a second season at the UW but decided to chase the pros.

"It was time," he said.

Radley-Hiles, who flew in from California, said he would be back in Seattle again on April 2 to hold a defensive-back camp at Federal Way Stadium at 1 p.m. that day, just to give to the area.

McDuffie said he's been in contact with his ousted coach Jimmy Lake a couple of times and said he was doing well. Yet the corner was pleased to see DeBoer reward Mishael Powell, his fellow corner and former walk-on, with a scholarship almost as soon as he took over. He also felt welcome, as an alum, by the staff.

The old and current Huskies greeted each other throughout the three-hour NFL audition.

The difference was some had classes to go while others such as McDuffie didn't.

"I was talking to Kyler Gordon about this: it's like the greatest transition being all football now," McDuffie said. "I finally get to focus all my time and all my energy on me. This has been so much fun."

The NFL draft will be held in Las Vegas on April 28-30.

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