BROOKINGS — South Dakota State held its annual Pro Day on Wednesday afternoon and for the first time in awhile, there wasn’t a clear-cut guy that is going to hear his name at the NFL Draft come April.

Last season, Mason McCormick and Isaiah Davis had their names called in the NFL Draft and in 2023 Tucker Kraft heard his name. Dallas Goedert, Pierre Strong Jr., Jordan Brown and Chris Oladokun are also Jackrabbits that were drafted in the past six years.

This year, eight Jackrabbits participated in Pro Day. Running back Amar Johnson and linebacker Adam Bock highlighted a group that also included cornerbacks Dalys Beanum and Steven Arrell, defensive lineman Jarod Depriest, tight end Kevin Brenner and offensive linemen Gus Miller and Marcus Hicks.

Johnson seemingly stole the show with his performance. He ran an unofficial 4.40 40-yard dash on Wednesday and also had 21 reps on the bench press. Johnson said he came into Wednesday with the hopes of putting up strong numbers and thought he did that in front of NFL scouts, along with showing them that he’s willing to do anything to get on a team.

“I have to give it to God at the end of the day,” Johnson said. “I prayed about [this] since January 1 since [I started training]. I knew it was going to be the small details that were going to make me run faster, like eating right. … The scouts were asking, ‘Do you catch punts?’ Of course I catch punts. 

“At the end of the day, special teams is a way to stay on the team. I had to do it my freshman to junior year, so [I’m ready to step] back into that role at the next role and doing whatever I have to do for the team at the next level. Then [it will be about] establishing myself from there and from there, working to the running back spot and getting some stuff on film.”

Bock came into Wednesday with a bit of nervousness considering this would be his only chance to prove his worth in front of the NFL scouts. He had been training in Eagan, Minn., for the past two months after recovering from a meniscus surgery that he had after his final season at SDSU ended.

“I was a little nervous. It was a lot of work leading up to one day and one shot, so there’s always going to be a little bit of nerves. … I felt like I had a solid day. Not everything can be perfect. There were a couple things that I think I can do better at, but overall I thought it was a solid day,” Bock said.

Bock’s biggest accomplishment on Wednesday was running the 40-yard dash in under 4.60 seconds. Wednesday was needed for Bock as he has had to deal with more than just the meniscus injury. He broke the same foot in each of his final two seasons and he said he feels like he came into this process as underrated because of the injury history.

“It’s never fun playing through injuries, especially when you’re not playing your best. You’re fighting to stay on the field with your guys. Just doing that throughout my career, I think it helped me deal with adversity. But yeah, I think that does kind of put me under the radar a little bit and any shot I get I’m going to make the most of and hopefully turn some heads,” Bock said.

Johnson and Bock are both coming from position groups that have had success in the NFL. If Johnson would be drafted, he would be the third-straight SDSU running back to do so after Isaiah Davis and Pierre Strong.
Johnson said NFL scouts talked about the success that SDSU has had at the running back position and he thinks that should help his case for getting drafted.

“It gives me a lot of confidence, seeing guys come from an FCS spot and go to the NFL and work hard and earn a spot like [Davis and Strong]. For a guy like me, coming from SDSU, we already have to prove ourselves more, but to see those guys do it and follow their footsteps and paths, it showed today, trusting them and learning from them,” Johnson said.

Christian Rozeboom has put SDSU linebackers on the map in the NFL. After playing mostly on special teams in his first two seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, he started 16 games over the past two seasons and has 123 career tackles. He signed a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers this offseason that was worth $2.5 million.

Bock said Rozeboom is a guy that he looks up to and it makes him think that he will have a chance in the NFL.

“That put us on the map a bit. I look up to [Rozeboom] a bit and I really look up to what [he’s] been doing at the next level. That just really gives me a lot of confidence, like, I know I can do this and I know I can play with the best of the best. It just gives me a lot of confidence seeing [him] do it and get that opportunity and make the most of it,” Bock said.

The NFL Draft begins on April 24 and concludes on April 26. It is in Green Bay, Wis., this year.