The University of Kansas hosted its pro day yesterday before the 2022 NFL Draft, and a number of NFL scouts were in attendance—including two from the Kansas City Chiefs.
As for turnout, I saw 15 scouts at Kansas' pro day. The Chiefs had two. The Browns, Cardinals, Chargers, Falcons, 49ers, Jaguars, Lions, Packers, Patriots, Seahawks, Steelers, Texans and Vikings each sent a rep. Double duty for some as K-State's pro day was this morning. #kufball
— Zac Boyer (@ZacBoyer) March 9, 2022
Given the current underwhelming — to put it nicely — stature of KU football, the list of prospects for the NFL is rather limited on the roster. There was, however, one true standout for the Jayhawks this year: fifth-year senior defensive end Kyron Johnson.
Given the Chiefs dire need for depth on the defensive side of the ball, with an overwhelming 12 defenders hitting the free agent market this offseason, Johnson was very likely be the reason two scouts were dispatched to Lawrence for the Jayhawks’ pro day.
Johnson compiled an impressive stat sheet in his 2021 campaign, which we will go through in a moment, but firstly, let’s take a look at the raw athleticism he displayed yesterday.
We knew @krjohn15 was fast…
— Kansas Football (@KU_Football) March 9, 2022
But 𝟒.𝟑𝟔 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/R3RxiOvqNF
Johnson is undersized for an edge rusher — per NFL standards — at 6’1″ and 225 pounds, but a 4.36 40-yard dash is blazing. The faces on the scouts in attendance say it all. Additionally, his sub 4.40 time puts him in the mix of the historical speed of this year’s draft class. A record 31 players ran sub 4.40 at the Combine, and clearly, more speed will be discovered through the pro day schedule.
As for his senior season, Johnson was the leading performer on the Jayhawks defense, recording career highs in total tackles (63), tackles for loss (8.5), sacks (6.5), forced fumbles (4), and fumble recoveries (2).
With the depth of the edge class in the 2022 draft, Kyron Johnson would likely fall deep into day three, but his speed and overall athleticism could land him an opportunity in the league this offseason. Possibly in Kansas City.