UK pro football hopefuls perform at Pro Day

Kentucky Wildcats receiver Garrett Johnson makes a catch during the open practice at the Joe Craft Football Training Facility on Saturday, August 5, 2017 in Lexington, KY. Photo by Addison Coffey | Staff

Pranavdeep Singh

Scouts from several NFL teams were present in the Joe Craft Football Training Center Friday morning for the UK football’s Pro Day.

Seniors from last year’s UK football team worked out for and spoke with scouts, trying to make it onto the radar of an NFL franchise.

Scouts poured in from across several professional leagues, ranging from the New England Patriots, the New York Jets and Giants, the Atlanta Falcons, the San Diego Chargers, the Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles and CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Wide Receiver Garrett “Juice” Johnson produced impressive numbers on the day, with a 4.39 40-yard dash time, and a 41-inch vertical. Johnson also performed well in the positional drills, and he expects to have improved his stock tremendously.

Johnson’s 41-inch vertical would have been the highest out of all wideouts that competed in the NFL Scouting Combine. Scouts have kept a close eye on him, and he is expected to be drafted in one of the later rounds.

Linebacker Courtney Love put up some quality numbers on the day, logging a 4.74 40-yard dash time, along with a 35-inch vertical. Love also competed in the bench press drill, managing to lift 24 reps at 225 pounds.

Offensive lineman Cole Mosier had an impressive outing Friday, managing to lift 28 reps at 225 pounds. The 335-pound lineman also had a 24.5-inch vertical after tearing his ACL before his final season with the Cats.

Wide Receiver Charles Moushey posted a 4.46 40-yard dash, along with a 9-foot 10-inch broad jump and lifting 225 pounds 18 times. Moushey also put up a 31-inch vertical.

Defensive back Kendall Randolph also competed on Friday, posting a 4.5 40-yard dash, along with a 9-foot 9-inch broad jump and a 35.5-inch vertical.

Punter Matt Panton also competed in the bench press drill and the 40-yard dash, posting a 4.9 in the 40-yard dash and bench pressing 225 pounds seven times.

“I’m going to keep speaking that 4.3 into existence,” Johnson said when asked about his 40-yard dash time. “So, I guess today, God blessed me with that 4.3, so I was happy about that.”

It was a successful day for UK’s seniors and past players, who performed in front of 17 scouts from different teams. The NFL Draft is set for April 26-28 in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. This is the first draft to take place in an NFL stadium and the first to be held in Texas.