MN Daily: Cedric Thompson hopes to overcome the odds once again
Navigating the Draft process
Because Thompson wasn’t invited to the NFL Combine, he made sure he impressed teams at Minnesota’s Pro Day in March.
He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.37 seconds, below the 4.40-second range NFL scouts covet. And since then, teams have been frequently reaching out to him. Paguyo said more than 20 teams called Thompson last weekend alone.
“I had some really good numbers, and it made people go back and look at my film because I think the big question was, ‘How athletic really am I?’” Thompson said.
“On my Pro Day, I just opened a lot of eyes. Now, they see I’m athletic and a really good football player as well.”
The draft process can be nerve-wracking because there are no guarantees, especially for a prospect like Thompson.
Vereen has been a key resource for Thompson over the past four months as he’s gone from being a player flying under teams’ radar to a likely selection.
“I was in [Thompson’s] position a year ago,” Vereen said. “You have your workouts with your teams, you have your visits. But the majority of your time, you’re just working out and just waiting. Four months feels like a year.”
Vereen and Thompson talk about once per week, with the one-year NFL veteran Vereen offering advice.
“His name might have blown up after his Pro Day, but [for] anybody who’s played with him, his performance wasn’t a surprise at all,” Vereen said. “He’s just one of those guys who’s just a freak athlete [and] smart — definitely as smart of a [defensive back] as you’ll come across. He just loves the game.”
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