Preparing for the NFL Draft is like a job interview, only this interview is conducted over days, weeks and months and, unlike most of us, future employers are going to meticulously poke, prod and measure their potential employees with the utmost scrutiny.
NFL franchises spend millions of dollars signing draft picks and each team goes to great lengths to make the most educated decision possible. For former Florida Gators cornerback Vernon Hargreaves, defensive lineman Jon Bullard and safety Keanu Neal, the process can be exhausting. Hargreaves is a lock to be a first round pick and could be a top-ten pick this April. Bullard has been getting first round grades after a stellar senior campaign and Neal, who initially received a second round grade, has been told that teams may look at him in the first as well.
It can all be overwhelming at times, but days like Tuesday remind each of them why they love playing the game of football.
“Talking with the boys, getting the work in with the boys, one last time, finally,” Hargreaves said when asked what his favorite part of pro day was. “Just finishing the workout and relaxing.”
Relaxing is hardly a word any of the three would use to describe how the past three months, or the next month and half will be. Hargreaves, Neal and Bullard will all meet with teams, workout for general managers and head coaches in a whirlwind schedule all leading up to the final week of April.
Hargreaves has always been destined for this. He’s thought of playing in the NFL ever since he put pads on for the first time. The thought that he could be a top-ten pick, however, is much newer.
“Probably last year, my sophomore year, talking to Travaris Robinson, who used to be here, he just gave me the confidence that you can do it. You can do whatever you want,” Hargreaves said. “You can go in the first round. You can be the first pick. You can do whatever you want. From there I just took, put my head down and I’ve been grinding since I got here.”
Hargreaves called himself “the best player in the world” at the NFL Scouting Combine. Tuesday he didn’t go that far, but he did reiterate his confidence level, responding to a question if he was the best defensive back in the draft class saying simply, “without a doubt.”
Bullard is in a different boat. He filed paperwork to the NFL last year but was told to return to school. The defensive lineman made the most of his final season in Gainesville and could serve as the poster boy for what returning for your senior season can do for draft stock.
Bullard showcased versatility on the field, playing two years at defensive end and two inside, mainly as a three technique in 2015. That versatility is appealing to NFL teams but, in Bullard’s opinion, isn’t the most important thing he got out of returning to school for one more season.
“Just my maturity level and how hard I worked. The few years coming in I was a hard worker, but I always had success since I got here, so that kind of slowed me down a little bit,” Bullard said of how he grew in 2015. “But when the NFL comes and tells you you’re not good enough to be what you want to do for the rest of your life, that puts a chip on your shoulder. So I used that chip, went in, worked hard and just proved that I’m one of the best D-linemen in the country.”
Hargreaves’ mind was made up that 2015 would be his final season in Gainesville and Bullard didn’t have any eligibility left. Keanu Neal, on the other hand, had to wrestle with the decision to declare for the NFL Draft this season.
“It was really tough. Just leaving Gator Nation, the coaches. And I love the coaches. This new coaching staff, the old coaching staff, like everyone,” said Neal. “Everyone around here, my teammates. We built so much chemistry together. It was hard.”
As the draft approaches it appears Neal made a good business decision. He was given a top-60 (2nd round) grade initially, but has been told that some teams will look at him in the first round. It’s a surreal feeling.
“This is crazy. It was exciting, sitting in front of John Elway and sitting right in front of him and talking ball with him. It’s a dream come true,” Neal said of meeting with the Hall of Fame quarterback and executive vice president of the Denver Broncos. “You’ve got this Hall of Famer and you’re sitting right in front of him talking ball just chatting it up. It’s still surreal to me honestly. I’m really humbled and blessed to have this opportunity.”
Tuesday provided all of the Florida Gators draft eligible players a chance to relax, even if they were under a microscope. Getting back on campus and into the new indoor practice facility felt right and almost made it feel like they were just college kids getting back together for practice. Almost.
“Seeing those guys, it was good for us. It built comfort. It felt just like a practice,” said Neal. “Jabari Gorman came back, it felt just like 2014 again. We were all together, and we were just playing catch and having a good time. It was fun.”