Image via Tacoma News Tribune



With the entire sports world on pause, most people are wondering when or how things like the NBA or MLB will resume. With the NFL Draft still scheduled for April 23rd, prospects and teams are having to make the best of the current circumstances and it has led to a draft process like no other.



Hunter Bryant had 52 receptions for 825 yards and 3 touchdowns in his junior season at Washington, he’s declared for the draft and is one of the top tight end prospects in this class. With the NFL draft the only major event that has not been canceled due to COVID-19 Hunter is dealing with draft preparations never seen before.



I had a chance to talk with Hunter about how this process has been for him and how he and other prospects have had to adapt.



“The biggest obstacle I would say is not being able to meet with coaches in person. We’ve made it work through FaceTime calls so we’re just adjusting.”



When comparing these meetings to in-person meetings he had at the scouting combine prior to the virus major outbreak in the US Hunter said:



“They are [facetime meetings] more just about football. We watch the film and go through plays and they teach me some concepts from their office to see how I retain the information. At the combine, it was half of that and half of getting to know each other but since that’s out of the way we can just focus on ball.”



“For some [coaches] it’s a one-time thing but I’ve kept in consistent contact with most of them.”



A college pro day is a great opportunity for a player to work out for coaches on a more individual scale than the draft combine, as the coaches can conduct further interviews and get to know prospects better. One of the first dominos to fall in alterations of the draft process was the cancellations of most pro days. The University of Washington was one of those schools.



“It was definitely unexpected but that happened with a lot of schools and I feel like as athletes we do a great job of responding to adversity so I think everyone’s been able to take some positives out of it.”



One of the biggest moments for anyone being drafted in any sport is hearing your name called and getting to go up on th stage. Some players opt to stay home and have large gatherings of family and friends. Unfortunately for Hunter, it will be difficult to do either.



“I’ll probably just be with some of my family and loved ones [for the draft].”



Regardless of how the draft and the events leading up to it take place the important takeaway is these young men will realize their dreams and have their lives forever changed and Hunter can’t wait.



“I mean this has been my dream since I was 5 so seeing 16 years of work lead up to this point is pretty amazing. I’m very excited to start this next chapter of my life.”