Nine former Utes will have one of their last chances to impress NFL scouts at Utah’s pro day on Thursday. Scouts from just about every NFL team should be on hand to see cornerback Miles Battle, offensive linemen Keaton Bills and Sataoa Laumea, wide receivers Devaughn Vele and Emery Simmons, tight end Thomas Yassmin, defensive lineman Jonah Elliss, and safeties Cole Bishop and Sione Vaki go through drills.
Five of those players — Bills, Laumea, Vele, Bishop and Vaki — participated in drills at the NFL Combine, while Elliss, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury that kept him out of Utah’s last three games, went through interviews with teams but did not participate in drills.
For Elliss, along with Simmons, Yassmin and Battle, it’s the first opportunity they have to run drills in front of scouts before April’s NFL Draft, which is held from April 25-27 in Detroit, Michigan.
At pro day, the former Utes will participate in the bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, 40-yard dash, pro shuttle, L-drill and the 60-yard shuttle, along with positional drills.
Here’s a breakdown of the nine Utes that will go through the school’s pro day on Thursday morning
Cole Bishop, safety
- 2023 stats: 11 games, 60 tackles, three sacks, forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions, three pass breakups, All-Pac-12 second team.
- Height: 6 feet, 2 inches.
- Weight: 206.
- Positional Big Board rankings: Mel Kiper: 6; PFF: 9.
Bishop improved his draft stock the most among former Utes at the NFL Combine, answering any questions NFL scouts may have had about his athleticism.
Kent Lee Platte’s Relative Athletic Score, which was designed to compare athletes’ performance at the combine, gave Bishop a 9.82 out of 10 — ranking 19th out of 976 free safeties from 1987 to 2024.
His 4.45-second 40-yard dash time, in particular, was impressive and tied for third among safeties. He added a 39-inch vertical (fifth among safeties) and turned in a 10-feet-4-inch broad jump (eighth among safeties).
It may be best for Bishop to skip the 40-yard dash at Utah’s pro day and let the result at the NFL Combine speak for itself.
Sione Vaki, safety
- 2023 stats: 12 games, 51 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception, three pass breakups; 317 yards and two touchdowns on 42 rushes, 203 yards and three touchdowns on 11 receptions, All-Pac-12 first team.
- Height: 5 feet, 11 inches.
- Weight: 210.
- 2023 stats: 12 games, 51 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception, three pass breakups; 317 yards and two touchdowns on 42 rushes, 203 yards and three touchdowns on 11 receptions, All-Pac-12 first team.
- Positional Big Board rankings: Mel Kiper: N/A; PFF: 7.
Vaki’s 40-yard dash time at the Combine was surprising — 4.62 on both attempts, which was the third slowest among safeties. There’s more to the game than how fast you can run in a straight line — for example, one point during backpedal drills at the Combine, where defensive backs backpedal, change directions, then track and catch the ball, Vaki hit nearly 20 miles per hour — but a good showing at Utah’s pro day could help his draft stock.
His other results at the Combine were good: 39.5-inch vertical was tied for third among safeties, his 10-foot-5 broad jump was tied for fifth, and his 20 reps (225 pounds per rep) on the bench press was tied for second in his position group.
Jonah Elliss, defensive end
- 2023 stats: 10 starts (missed last three games with season-ending injury), 37 tackles, 12 sacks, 16 tackles for loss, forced fumble and three pass breakups, consensus All-American, All-Pac-12 first team.
- Height: 6 feet, 2 inches
- Weight: 246
- Positional Big Board rankings: Mel Kiper: 6; PFF: 8.
Because Elliss did not work out at the Combine while still rehabbing from shoulder surgery, saying that he was planning on participating in Utah’s pro day, this is his shot to impress scouts. Teams already have a good feel for the consensus All-American — he went through interviews with interested teams — but scouts will be interested in his performance after surgery.
Sataoa Laumea, offensive line
- 2023 stats: 12 starts, All-Pac-12 second team.
- Height: 6 feet, 4 inches.
- Weight: 319.
- Positional Big Board rankings: Mel Kiper: 7; PFF: 17.
Laumea’s NFL future is likely at guard instead of tackle, where he played last season for Utah. Laumea can build on his solid NFL Combine performance with another good showings at Utah’s pro day.
Keaton Bills, offensive line
- 2023 stats: 12 starts, All-Pac-12 honorable mention.
- Height: 6 feet, 4 1/2 inches.
- Weight: 321.
- Positional Big Board rankings: Mel Kiper: N/A; PFF: N/A.
Bills had an average performance at the NFL Combine and will be looking to stand out to scouts at Utah’s pro day.
Devaughn Vele, wide receiver
- 2023 stats: 10 games, 593 yards and three touchdowns on 43 receptions.
- Height: 6 feet, 4 inches.
- Weight: 203.
- Positional Big Board rankings: Mel Kiper: N/A; PFF: N/A.
Vele helped himself with his NFL Combine showing, clocking a 4.47 40-yard time and a 10-foot-6 broad jump. He can continue to impress scouts at Utah’s pro day and perhaps slide in at the end of the draft.
Miles Battle, cornerback
- 2023 stats: 13 games, 32 tackles, one interception, four pass deflections.
- Height: 6 feet, 4 inches.
- Weight: 205.
- Positional Big Board rankings: Mel Kiper: N/A; PFF: N/A.
Battle did not earn an invitation to the NFL Combine and isn’t on PFF’s or Mel Kiper’s cornerback big boards, so Utah’s pro day is his first opportunity to perform drills in front of scouts. Battle played a vital role on Utah’s defense last season, his first and only with the Utes after transferring from Ole Miss, and has great size at 6-4. Whether that’s in the draft or as an undrafted free agent, Battle could definitely end up with an NFL team this fall.
Thomas Yassmin, tight end
- 2023 stats: 5 games before suffering season-ending injury, 13 catches for 301 yards and six touchdowns.
- Height: 6 feet, 5 inches.
- Weight: 251.
- Positional Big Board rankings: Mel Kiper: N/A; PFF: N/A.
Yassmin likely won’t be drafted, but is auditioning in front of scouts for a potential undrafted free agent or training camp invite.
Emery Simmons, wide receiver
- 2023 stats: 10 games, one catch for two yards.
- Height: 6 feet, 1 inch.
- Weight: 182.
- Positional Big Board rankings: Mel Kiper: N/A; PFF: N/A.
Simmons’ Utah career never panned out after transferring to Indiana, and he only saw 69 offensive snaps in the 2023 season.