Nesta Jade Silvera – a former transfer defensive tackle from Miami – was Arizona State's lone invite to the NFL Combine, which took place earlier this March.

However, he was joined by 15 Arizona State players at the team's pro day Monday, which included, among others running back Xazavian Valladay and linebackers Kyle Soelle and Merlin Robertson.

During this event, Silvera was the same player his teammates became accustomed to at practice: loud, energetic, and always setting the tone. He put up 21 reps on the bench press after not participating in that drill at the combine. While other players partook in the vertical jump, Silvera bellowed at the scout overseeing the measurement after each attempt to give them the highest possible tick.

It has been a busy offseason for Silvera as he gears up for a professional football career. The 6-2, 304-pound interior defensive lineman participated in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., where he received coaching from NFL teams and participated in one-on-one interviews. At the combine, Silvera posted a 5.15 40-yard dash, 29.5-inch vertical jump, and a 9-foot-2-inch broad jump.

"I stood on a lot of my combine numbers," Silvera said. "So it was really anything I necessarily wanted to do better here. Obviously, position work, I wanted to show what I could do, show that I can move, show that I'm very agile like a linebacker playing 3-tech."

Versatility has been a big message that Silvera wants to send to scouts about his capabilities on the defensive line.

"I can play anywhere on the line of scrimmage, from a 0 to a 4i to a 5," Silvera said, "so that's one of the specific traits that I feel like I have. A lot of the feedback has been very positive, you know, just stuff like that. I'm trying to just see where the cards fall, see where I go, because a lot of these dudes in this class they've had the luxury of having the same head coach, having the same D-line coach.

"I've been in college five years, had four different D-line coaches, four different head coaches, and four different defensive coordinators. I didn't have the luxury to be comfortable like a lot of these guys, and yet I always produce, I always come through and do what I do."

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Presenting value in multiple areas has been a primary focus of Valladay as well. At the Shrine Bowl in Las Vegas, Valladay (5-11, 204 pounds) wanted to highlight his receiving abilities and work on detailing his route running. That emphasis was present at his pro day workouts, with a plethora of other notable measurements that were a surprise to the NFL scouts in attendance.

Valladay nearly jumped out of the gym with a 40-inch vertical after hanging 22 reps on the bench press a few moments earlier. The number was two more than Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back and Valldays's starting running back predecessor in Tempe Rachaad White put up last season, and White was nearly 10 pounds heavier. Valladay capped the day off with a 40-yard time in the mid-to-low 4.4 range.

If Valladay had received an invite to the combine, he would have tied for first among running backs in the vertical jump, placed second for bench press, and tied for fifth with a 10-foot-3-inch broad jump. His 40-yard dash would have landed him around seventh among his peers.

"I definitely feel like I got more noticed and that I feel like I should gotten in the first place," Valladay said. "Just being able to come out here and feel like I got snubbed at the combine, I didn't get that. I definitely turned a lot of heads today."

The lack of attention by the combine to Valladay in spite of becomes even more befuddling when considering the senior's hearty resume of immense production. The Wyoming transfer has three seasons with over 1,000 rushing yards under his belt. In his first season facing Pac-12 competition as a member of the Sun Devils, Valladay continued to shine with 1,192 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns (second in the conference). He owns a career 5.7 yards per carry average.

"I'm not a normal athlete," Valladay said. "I don't consider myself normal. I consider myself elite, the best of the best. They have yet to find out what Xazavian Valladay has to offer. Whatever they can do to dig in and see what they see, that's up to them. But whoever gets me is going to get one hell of an option, and they will be blessed to have me."

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Valladay wasn't alone at the Shrine Bowl, as Soelle accompanied him to the All-Star showcase. A three-year team captain, Soelle looked right at home there in drills and during the game. His poise as a leader and dependable starter were evident in a new atmosphere with new players to communicate with.

Soelle is another ASU player who had a chip on his shoulder at the pro day and believed he put the negative feedback to rest with his performance.

"I still feel like I'm one of the best linebackers in this upcoming draft, and I proved that today," Soelle said.

The homegrown product who attended Saguaro high school had 24 reps on the bench press and jumped 32.5 inches in the vertical. Soelle then recorded a verified time of 4.57 in the 40-yard dash. He looked fluid and consistent in positional workouts, a testament to his career arc which resulted in a breakout season in 2022 with 110 tackles, two interceptions, and two pass breakups.

"Explosiveness, quick twitch," Soelle said when asked to describe what he wanted to showcase at the pro day. "I don't think I have tight hips. I think I showed that today. I'm an athlete overall. I think a lot of people question my athleticism, but I think we knocked those questions out the door today.

"I thought a lot of teams thought I would run a 4.7 (40-yard dash). I kind of laughed at that. No way would I ever run a 4.7. I've never run a 4.7. I obviously blew that out of the water today."

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Merlin Robertson, who manned the second level with Soelle as Arizona State's strongside linebacker for the past three seasons, also believed training for the pro day paid off with results he was happy with. Robertson repped 20 on the bench press and scored a 33-inch vertical jump. He also had a 10-foot-1-inch broad jump.

Robertson never managed to recapture the magic of his freshman season that saw him sack the quarterback five times, bat down two balls in coverage, and intercept a pass. However, he was a reliable starter who gathered 245 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and five interceptions over his four seasons at Arizona State. Like Soelle, Robertson aimed to put a spotlight on his athleticism for the 25 teams in attendance.

"I can move pretty well," Robertson said. "I really wanted to show my explosiveness, my drops and stuff like that. My hands."

Robertson said he was grateful to work out with Soelle one last time.

"It was a blessing," Robertson said. "It was an honor, man; I love that guy. I will always have him in my corner, and I'm always in his corner. It was an honor to be with him and have this day together. We have been here a long time, but we're here together."

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