Monday morning was the final time for many former Auburn players to show their on-field abilities to NFL scouts.
Auburn had its annual pro day, an event that 18 former players participated in prior to next month’s NFL Draft. Personnel from across the league was on hand to watch the players go through drills and physical testing.
A handful of under-the-radar players stood out more than others on a day that was especially beneficial for those who weren’t invited to the NFL combine or Senior Bowl.
Here are three players that stood out at Auburn’s pro day:
Wesley Steiner, LB
After spending his final college season away from Auburn, Steiner had arguably the best performance out of all of Monday participants.
He was back on the Plains after transferring following the 2023 season, spending 2024 with Washington State. Steiner’s athleticism was on display from when he first arrived on Monday.
He had the best vertical, broad jump and 40-yard dash among the players that participated and the third-most reps on the bench press.
For Washington State in 2024, he tallied 11 tackles with one forced fumble. Steiner’s most productive season came in 2022, tallying 46 tackles for Auburn.
Austin Keys, LB
Monday’s pro day was a big opportunity for Keys, who wasn’t invited to the Senior Bowl or NFL combine. He seemed to take advantage of the opportunity too.
Walking into the building, he looked to be in great shape and his performances in the drills and testing backed it up. He jumped 36.5 inches in the vertical leap, the second highest jump of the day, behind Steiner
In the 40-yard dash, he ran a 4.63, a solid time for a linebacker. That ranked third among the players that ran on Monday and second among linebackers, only trailing Steiner.
Keys played his final two years at Auburn after starting his career at Ole Miss. He tallied 39 tackles and had two pass deflections in 2024.
Philip Blidi, DL
Blidi was another under-the-radar performer Monday morning, excelling most in the bench press. His 30 reps were the most among Monday’s participants.
He also jumped 34 inches in the vertical leap, the third highest of the day and the best of the participating linemen by a wide margin.
Blidi spent one season at Auburn in 2024 after spending time at Texas Tech and Indiana. He tallied 21 tackles and one sack for the Tigers in 2024.
Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports forAL.com. You can follow him on X at@peter_rauterkus or email him atprauterkus@al.com