Western Kentucky hosted an action-packed Pro Day showcase at Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium on Wednesday morning as scouts from 23 NFL franchises were in attendance to check out the Hilltoppers.

In addition to the NFL representation, former WKU quarterback Bailey Zappe stopped by to check in with his old college team.

The Hilltoppers showed off the jets to kick things off on the field, followed by different positional drills.

Western Kentucky continued to show off their talent in defensive drills as the Hilltoppers' defensive talent worked to outperform each other.

Western Kentucky closed things out with some offensive drills as quarterback Caden Veltkamp shocased his arm strength with several deep bullets to the Hilltoppers' receiving talent, consisting of receivers Daewood Davis and Jaylen Hall.

WKU head coach Tyson Helton, defensive end Juwuan Jones, defensive lineman Brodric Martin, defensive lineman Darius Shipp, linebacker Will Ignont and defensive back Kahlef Hailassie sat down with InsideHilltopperSports.com after positional drills to detail their thoughts entering the 2023 NFL Draft.

Shipp, who was a huge weapon on Western Kentucky's defense last season, said that he's been working hard this offseason, dropping baby weight, working on his agility and focusing on stretching.

Martin, another crucial piece to the Hilltoppers' defense last year, said he's been training for three months and said all that hard work showed on the field.

The former Hilltopper said that he's had an assortment on NFL franchises express interest in him since announcing his intentions to play professionally.

Jones, who has been a huge piece of the Hilltoppers' defense for several seasons, said that he feels good after showing off his skill. Jones said that while the entire process has been a bit stressful, there has also been a lot of joy. He added that he's been working for this since he was a kid.

Hailassie said that it felt good to be back out on the field today after three months of training. He said it felt good to be able to show off what he's been working on and getting it overwith.

Hailassie said a few aspects of his game he felt was going to be attractive to NFL scouts was his overall versatility, his positional knowledge and his ability to play anywhere on the field.

Ignont, another notable performer under WKU defensive coordinator Tyson Summers last season, said he felt like he was making the most of his reps, showing off his movement and explosiveness.

Helton said that he was very pleased with what he saw on the field as he's very excited for all his players and their future careers. He added that their was great NFL representation.

Western Kentucky will return to Houchens-Smith Stadium to continue their spring practice schedule on Thursday.

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