Indiana Football Pro Day '21 Recap
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Image: Indiana University Athletics
Written by Evan McShane
Seven former Hoosiers participated in Indiana’s Pro Day in preparation for the 2021 NFL Draft. The following players had a chance to display their abilities to NFL scouts: Safety Jamar Johnson, running back Stevie Scott III, wide receiver Whop Philyor, O-lineman Harry Crider, punter Haydon Whitehead, and defensive tackles Jerome Johnson and Jovan Swann.
“We had all teams represented, which was awesome. Just a really, really great day for our guys. I thought they came in well prepared,” head coach Tom Allen said. Pro Day marks the beginning of a long journey for these players in pursuit of continuing their football careers at the professional level.
While it may not seem as pressure-packed as gameday, for these individuals Pro Day is a monumental opportunity. “The way you perform in that moment, there's so much that goes into it,” Allen explained. I think that people sometimes don't quite get how much stress those guys feel on that day to perform and the jumps and the lifts.” Below are the final numbers each player registered on Pro Day:
Jamar Johnson
Height: 6022
Weight: 205
Hand: 9 1/4
Arm: 30 1/8
Wing: 75 1/2
40-yard dash: 4.58
Vertical jump: 35.0
Broad jump: 10-2
Short shuttle: 4.41
3-cone drill: 7.22
Bench press: 17x
Whop Philyor
Height: 5095
Weight: 184
Hand: 9 1/4
Arm: 30 5/8
Wing: 74 7/8
40-yard dash: 4.57
Vertical jump: 31.0
Broad jump: 10-0
Short shuttle: 4.34
3-cone drill: 7.20
Bench press: 14x
Stevie Scott
Height: 6003
Weight: 225
Hand: 9 3/4
Arm: 33 1/8
Wing: 79 3/4
40-yard dash: 4.66
Vertical jump: 31.0
Broad jump: 9-11
Short shuttle: 4.57
3-cone drill: 7.14
Bench press: 18x
Jerome Johnson
Height: 6022
Weight: 296
Hand: 9 3/4
Arm: 33 1/8
Wing: 81 1/2
40-yard dash: 5.12
Vertical jump: 27.5
Broad jump: 9-5
Short shuttle: 4.66
3-cone drill: 7.70
Bench press: 21x
Harry Crider
Height: 6027
Weight: 307
Hand: 8 7/8
Arm: 32 3/4
Wing: 79 5/8
40-yard dash: 5.25
Vertical jump: 27.0
Broad jump: 8-6
Short shuttle: 4.68
3-cone drill: 7.63
Bench press: 31x
Jovan Swann
Height: 6020
Weight: 291
Hand: 8 5/8
Arm: 30 7/8
Wing: 75 3/4
40-yard dash: 4.90
Vertical jump: 30.5
Broad jump: 9-1
Short shuttle: 4.75
3-cone drill: 7.74
Bench press: 34x
Safety Jamar Johnson is in perhaps the best position of any Hoosier heading into the 2021 NFL Draft, set to take place April 29-May 1. Johnson is ranked as the 14th best free safety in the draft according to Sports Illustrated’s NFL Draft Bible. "I think he's going to be a good NFL player. I think he'll probably be mid-round draft pick, maybe he's a third-rounder," former NFL head coach Jim Mora said. "I think he can be an eventual starter in the NFL, and I think he's going to have a good career."
Tom Allen praised his wide receiver’s performance on Pro Day: “Whop's not a big guy, but even a couple scouts commented to me about his fitness was different than they anticipated.” Philyor will have a chance to get himself drafted, most likely as a slot receiver at the next level. If he doesn’t get selected during draft weekend, he will likely get an opportunity as an undrafted free agent signing.
Stevie Scott III demonstrated his strength on Pro Day. “Stevie is a big back and he's lean. I thought he looked great physically,” Allen said. “You can see how hard he worked.” Scott is currently projected to be a late-round draft pick. While Scott’s lack of speed will prevent him from being selected earlier in the draft, his size and strength will give him ample opportunity to carve out a niche in the league. As more teams shift away from having a feature back in favor of a run game by committee, Scott should be able to find himself a role at the next level.
Defensive tackle Jerome Johnson posted solid numbers on Pro Day. Johnson is projected to be a late-round draft pick and is ranked as the 12th best defensive tackle prospect per NFL Draft Bible. While Johnson’s athleticism doesn’t pop off the screen, his film shows how well he utilized his size and length. Johnson racked up 13.5 sacks throughout his college career at the defensive tackle position, including nine sacks over his final two seasons. While Johnson may not have the raw ability seen in high-end draft picks, his production at the college level speaks for itself.
Offensive lineman Harry Crider demonstrated his strength on Pro Day, piling up an impressive 31 reps on bench press. "Maybe late draft pick, probably priority free agent. The thing that makes him valuable is he can play guard and he can probably play center," former NFL head coach Jim Mora said. "When you're putting your seven guys on the active list on Sundays, you want someone on the interior that can fill both roles, guard and center, and you want three tackles. But he's a tough, smart, fundamentally sound guy.”
Defensive tackle Jovan Swann posted 34 reps on the bench press and impressed with a 4.9-second 40-yard dash. Swann is not projected to be selected on draft weekend, but he will get a chance to earn a contract as an undrafted free agent.
Last but not least, punter Haydon Whitehead showcased his ability on Pro Day. The ambidextrous kicker from Australia put together a storied career in Bloomington. Whitehead ranks third all-time in program history with a 41.4-yard average on 226 punts. During the 2020 season, Whitehead won Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week after IU’s road win over Wisconsin in which he played a vital role. Whitehead was a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award and a third-team All-Big Ten selection.
“As a collective group, those guys did a lot of good things and they helped their stock for sure. I think it was really, really critical they had a chance to do that,” Allen explained. With the NFL Combine cancelled this year, Pro Day took on even greater importance than usual. “Good day for our guys and great way to showcase a small group but a very talented group of guys,” Allen proudly stated. Coach Allen will always be his players’ biggest cheerleader. “The important thing I share with the scouts is that these guys came here, and they believed in the vision for what we could become at Indiana,” Allen said. They helped create that vision on the field, so it's a really special group of guys.”