During what was surely the most well-attended Pro Day Indiana Football has ever held, two players in particular captivated the crowd of NFL scouts and personnel in attendance.
One was anticipated and expected going in; the other, while not a complete surprise, may have tangibly boosted his draft stock.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza didn’t throw at the NFL Combine, but he did on Wednesday. So this was the first chance for teams to watch him throw in a formal workout setting ahead of the NFL Draft in three weeks.
And the Heisman Trophy winner put on a show. He sprayed the ball all over the field, with only three incompletions out of 56 throws. He warmed up with Charlie Becker, then threw during his workout to Omar Cooper Jr., Elijah Sarratt, E.J. Williams Jr., Riley Nowakowski, Holden Staes, Kaelon Black, and Roman Hemby.
All the pass-catchers made plays, but it was Mendoza who stood out the most. Las Vegas Raiders brass, including general manager John Spytek and head coach Klint Kubiak, stood in a group behind Mendoza as he threw inside Mellencamp Pavilion, and they saw their potential No. 1 pick deliver.
“I wanted to best showcase our guys,” Mendoza said after his workout. “Quarterbacks, in the past, have done shorter pro days than that. But I wanted to make sure everybody could showcase their abilities in front of all 32 NFL teams, and really run routes that are applicable to the timing we’re going to be running in the NFL. I think it went great. I thought everyone showcased amazing, and it was great being back in Bloomington one more time with our guys, after such a fantastic finish.”
If the Raiders select Mendoza at No. 1 overall, as is largely expected, he would become the first IU player taken in the first round in more than 30 years.
Meanwhile, D’Angelo Ponds was the biggest standout on the defensive side.
He was already the IU defender with the highest draft projection, as he’s slated as a potential day two pick. He only helped himself on Wednesday.
Ponds drew oohs and aahs from the crowd of teammates and family members after running a blazing 40-yard dash, unofficially clocked at 4.31 seconds. The fastest 40-yard dash time by a cornerback recorded at the NFL Combine in February was 4.32 seconds, by Missouri’s Toriano Pride Jr.
Ponds said he was running even faster in his preparation for pro day, clocking at 4.28. But he was pleased with his time.
“I feel like a lot of people didn’t expect me to run that time. I’m just glad I put it out there on tape,” Ponds said. “I heard it (the oohs and aahs) a little bit. The support from the people here is so amazing. Even at the combine, I’m hearing the oohs and aahs as well. Just thankful to be here, honestly.”
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