Former Boise State players try to turn NFL scouts’ heads with Pro Day marks
A former Boise State defensive tackle may have worked his way into the NFL Draft on Tuesday afternoon, thanks to a highly impressive 90 seconds.
Braxton Fely produced a monster 38 reps in the bench press during Boise State’s Pro Day workouts at the Bleymaier Football Center. Fely reached the 40-rep mark, but two were deemed not to have reached full extension and were subtracted from his total.
Since 2000, just 20 athletes have reached the 40-rep mark at the annual NFL Combine.
“I’m super stoked,” Fely told reporters Tuesday. “That was one of my goals, just to get super high on the bench, because you rarely see that. A lot of training and work went into it.”
Fely entered Pro Day as a non-inclusion on most draft boards, but NFL front offices could find themselves looking for a strong 296-pound lineman late in the draft. Fely also managed a 29.5-inch vertical jump and appeared to run a pretty good 40-yard dash, but official times were not provided to the media.
Fely, who played all four years of his college career at Boise State and was a two-time All-Mountain West second team selection, said he hasn’t heard from any NFL scouts, but one from the Denver Broncos praised him following the bench press performance.
Fely said he hopes to hear from some teams ahead of the NFL Draft on April 23-25.
“A lot of people from smaller schools get overlooked, especially a lot of people that are shorter, like myself,” said Fely, who’s 6-foot-1. “So I’m just giving them my all, showing people that it doesn’t matter based on height, based on what school you go to, it’s if you have the right work ethic.”
Fely was one of 18 former Broncos to work out during Pro Day, along with Idaho State wide receivers Tsion Nunnally and Mike Shulikov, the latter a Centennial High School graduate.
And though Fely’s bench press was the highlight of the day, he wasn’t the only one to impress.
Safety Zion Washington drew roars when he recorded a 41.5-inch vertical jump. His mark would have ranked second among safeties at this year’s NFL Combine.
“All the training is paying off, and that was actually higher than what I was shooting for,” said Washington, who noted his goal was 40 inches.
Washington recorded a respectable 20 reps on the bench press and also looked extremely quick during the 40-yard dash. The 6-foot-1 safety isn’t expected to get too many looks from NFL teams in the draft, but said he’d take any free agent opportunity a team is willing to give him.
“I can play all over the field, I have experience, my snap count is high, and I’m very productive,” said Washington, who played in 52 games for the Broncos across five years. “And obviously, (I’m) a leader, a good guy who can come out there and not shoot for anything less than I know I’m capable of.”
Many of the scouts in attendance on Tuesday — from about half the NFL teams — would have been keeping a close eye on left tackle Kage Casey. He participated in the NFL Combine earlier this month and is projected as a fifth-round pick, having just finished his redshirt junior season at Boise State.
However, the 311-pound lineman looked displeased with himself following a 20-rep performance in the bench press. He also recorded a 31-inch vertical jump and partook in multiple on-field drills with scouts, including taking reps as a center alongside former Bronco center Mason Randolph.
Casey was unable to talk to the media following Pro Day due to meetings with NFL teams. A Boise State team official told the Idaho Statesman that Casey was meeting with the Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints, who are coached by former Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore.
