Yasir Abduallah Louisville vs. Virginia 10-8-2022 Photo by William Caudill, TheCrunchZone.com

16 Cardinals Workout for NFL Scouts During Pro Day

Mark BlankenbakerMarch 28, 2023

A total of 30 teams from the National Football League attended the University of Louisville’s Football Pro Day on Tuesday afternoon at L&N Stadium.

Scouting personnel and coaches saw 16 former UofL players put their skills on display in hopes of being drafted or signed as an undrafted free agent during the NFL’s draft process, which begins on April 27.

“I’m so blessed to have this opportunity to get out there and showcase my skills for NFL personnel,” tight end Marshon Ford said. “Today was a very stressful day for me but it’s no different than a game day. I just needed to focus and leave it all out there today. It was just like a normal game day for us. I’m not trying to get to the next level and take advantage of this tremendous opportunity.”

Malik Cunningham, who was one of five players to work out at the NFL Combine, showcased his ability to get under center and throw the football. Using former UofL wide receivers Tyler Hudson, Jaelin Carter and Marshon Ford, Cunningham threw intermediate routes and a large number of deep routes.

“I did well,” Cunningham said. “The last two months have been very stressful. I have received good interest from a lot of teams since the All-Star games. There was a lot of help from my coaches and teammates I’m not keeping my head down and going to work every day.”

Cunningham fought the injury bug in 2022 but still put-up solid numbers in the passing and rushing. He recorded 12 rushing scores and set the school record for career touchdowns responsible for with 120.

Yasir Abdullah, Kei’Trel Clark and Yaya Diaby, three other combine invitees, bypassed the 40-yard dash, but did focus on their position work.

Clark stood out at the East-West Shrine workouts and in the game and also ran well at the NFL Combine. He recorded a career best 51 tackles and one interception, returning it 46 yards for a touchdown against Pitt.

“I think it went amazing,” Clark said. “Just coming out here and seeing my teammates, going after it after all the training that they’ve been through for the last few months. It’s just been an amazing experience to see that.”

Diaby and Abdullah combined for 18.5 sacks last season and put their talents and speed on display Tuesday in front of the scouts.

“I’m just enjoying the process,” Diaby said. “I want to show, as a big guy, that I can bend and get around the corner. The scouts are looking for my ability to bend and get vertical quick.”

The Cardinals have had 133 players drafted during the course of their history and are looking for their first draftee since Tutu Atwell was selected in the second round of the 2021 draft.