As the NFL draft approaches, former Southeastern defensive linemen Kaleb Proctor has made a name for himself at the combine and continued to grow his draft stock throughout the Saints’ pro day.
The results at the combine ranked him fifth in speed over the other defensive linemen and placed him in the top 10 overall among them.
Proctor gave many teams a good reason to take a chance on him through his athletic abilities, but he was told to gain some more weight and condition to improve his chances of being drafted early.
With his performance at the Saints’ pro day and being written down at a much heavier weight, he could be the first Lion drafted since 2016, when Harlan Miller had his name called during the sixth round.
Before Procter was committed to SLU, he left high school with no offers from Oak Grove and walked on at Southeastern, where he became a tremendous leader on the defensive line.
During his tenure as a Lion, Procter earned a spot on the 2024 All-Southland Conference (second team) and then finished his collegiate career with 45 solo tackles, 26 tackles for loss and 16 sacks.
NFL analyst Lance Zierlein wrote a quick overview of what Kaleb Proctor’s talent really caught the eyes of professional recruiters.
“As an interior defender, Proctor is an elite athlete with rare playmaking range. He’s an elusive rusher with an explosive first step and the ability to unlock openings with varied approaches and angles,” Zierlein said.
Since then, Kaleb Proctor has put in significant effort to sharpen his skills and has confidently stated he’s played in all types of formations, showing he’s adaptable to any scheme.
Between the pro day and the combine, he received feedback from many scouts and coaches across the league to help guide his path into it.
“They tell me I’m a great player, letting me know they think highly of me and giving great encouragement, letting me know how I attacked this process well, checking on how I’ve been doing, motivating me to keep doing what I’ve been doing,” Proctor said.
Following his performance at pro day, he’s been accomplishing offseason goals to prepare for many visits with NFL teams before the draft.
“Gaining weight has been an aspect I worked on, and some people looked at it negatively, being small but showing up to the combine and showing up here, getting to perform the best I could, has been a big goal in my mind,” Proctor said.
Many reporters wanted to know what his thoughts were after he finished the combine with a fast time in the 40-yard dash.
“Before the combine, my name was out there sometimes and was lingering around the lead, but after the number I put up, it was tagging. I had guys hit me up and the 30 visits were picked up; from the things I showed during the combine, it wasn’t a surprise for me, but it definitely put some people on notice,” Proctor said.
He mentioned, deeper into the conversation, that his visits to other pro facilities are coming up, with stops in Arizona, Atlanta, and Tampa Bay next week.
Throughout high school, Kaleb Proctor had no offers from other colleges before he walked on at Southeastern. He also told the media that he is honored by the attention he has received from professional teams.
“It’s just awesome to be here, representing my home state, Southeastern and the teammates I played with over there, so it means a lot to me,” Proctor said.
Proctor credited the other players and coaching staff around him throughout his collegiate career for shaping the player he has become today.
“I came into Southeastern as a freshman, and I’ve been there for four years. Just the man I’ve become because of the people who were beside me. It’s unlike any other, and so it’s not a question if I was going to be out here with these guys,” Proctor said.
Later on, he expressed how staying with the Lions was the right decision for him in building a successful career.
“It’s a surreal moment to be here. I had a chance to leave my junior year through and had all the NIL money thrown at me, but the guys that I came in with are the real reason I stayed. They’ll be at my wedding someday, and I wanted to be beside them through my last year and my journey to get here,” Proctor said.
Before the draft, Kaleb Proctor will have many visits with other organizations to see where he best fits into the league, and even though he may not be a first-round pick, he is looking forward to having his name called during the draft on Thursday, April 23.
