MADISON, WIS. -- As the journey to the 2022 NFL Draft continues, Wisconsin's Pro Day once again proved to be a popular event.

All 32 NFL teams were represented in some fashion inside the McClain Center adjacent to Camp Randall Stadium, and one member from the XFL also made the trip to Madison. Family and reporters typically frequent the annual extravaganza, but there were plenty of former players in attendance as well.

They all witnessed a Pro Day where several Badgers tested well or exceeded previous marks, including three hitting sub 4.4-second 40-yard dashes and a linebacker displaying his strength in the bench press.

BadgerBlitz.com presents some key takeaways from the event.

Seven players ran 4.6-second or less 40-yard dashes, and as previously mentioned, three ran it in 4.38 seconds or less. That trio included cornerback Faion Hicks (4.37), safety Scott Nelson (4.38) and wide receiver Kendric Pryor (4.38).

Hicks told BadgerBlitz.com last week that he hoped to record a time between 4.3 and 4.4 seconds, but the cornerback mentioned to reporters on Wednesday that others believed his biggest question was his speed.

"A lot of people thought I was gonna run closer to 4.6," Hicks said. "So it's kind of proving them wrong and showcasing my speed and showcasing who I am."

The 20-yard shuttle showcased four players hitting sub-4.0 second times. That included Nelson and Hicks (3.92 and 3.94 seconds, respectively), linebacker Leo Chenal (3.94) and cornerback Madison Cone (3.95). Cone returned to Madison to participate in UW's Pro Day after transferring to Appalachian State after the 2020 season.

Only one player at the Combine -- Sam Houston State cornerback Zyon McCollum -- ran a time under four seconds (3.94), according to NFL.com's combine tracker.

Hicks and Nelson -- more on them in the section below -- and others also performed well in the 3-cone drill. Nine players registered sub-7.0 second times on Wednesday inside the McClain Center. For those that decided to run this drill in Indianapolis, 14 achieved this mark according to NFL.com's combine tracker.

Hicks and Nelson definitely showcased some impressive numbers with their feet, as highlighted above. For the former, he also disclosed to reporters that he tore his left meniscus on the first play of the season-opener at Penn State and underwent surgery the day after the loss. He played in 11 games altogether last season, recording 28 tackles and 10 passes defended.

Hicks trained at PER4ORM in Davie, Fla., and as he discussed with BadgerBlitz.com last week, he incorporated pilates into his routine. The hard work paid off on Wednesday.

Along with his 4.37-second 40-yard dash, 3.94-second 20-yard shuttle and 6.78-second 3-cone drill, Hicks bench pressed 225 pounds 13 times and recorded broad and vertical jumps of 123" and 37.5", respectively.

"Honestly, the only surprise I had was the 40, but all the other numbers I hit, I hit during training," Hicks said. "That was my goal. I even had it on my phone for two months, I had all my goals up. I missed out on the 'vert' and the broad, but everything else, I just killed."

Nelson's 6.62-second 3-cone time placed first among all Wisconsin Pro Day participants. However, that time would have placed third at the scouting combine overall -- for those that participated in the drill — according to NFL.com's tracker.

The safety, who worked out at Cooper Sports Performance in Tampa the last two months, also recorded a 39.5" vertical. That would have placed him tied for first with Baylor's J.T. Woods among those in his position group performing that event at the combine.

"That was my best," Nelson said. "I got 39.5 down there. I was trying to get 40, but it's a good number, and I'll take it."

OK, so Chenal did not break any bench press record for linebackers on Wednesday. He only performed 34 reps of 225 pounds amongst an intrigued mass of spectators.

He called the feat, "kind of disappointing."

"I was hoping for 40-plus, but I don't know, kind of not expecting that," Chenal said. "But it is what it is. I guess I'll settle."

Those 34 reps would have placed first overall at the combine, according to NFL.com's tracker. Lofty expectations, indeed.

Chenal also performed extremely well in the 3-cone (6.84 seconds) and 20-yard shuttle (3.94 seconds) drills. Those two times would have ranked him first in the linebacker group at the combine among those who participated in those drills, again according to NFL.com trackers.

Chenal's NFL.com draft profile lists him at 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds with 31" arms and 9 3/4" hands. He ran a 4.53-second 40-yard dash at the combine -- where he confirmed on Wednesday that he formally met with 11 teams -- along with recording a 40.5" vertical jump and 128" broad jump.

UW listed Chenal at 6-foot-2 and 261 pounds during his junior campaign, one where he accumulated multiple accolades. He noted that he became sick at the end of the season, and he dropped down to 242 pounds. The former three-star prospect worked to regain his weight and "felt best" at 250.

Chenal, the Grantsburg, Wis., native, played in 11 of Wisconsin's 13 regular-season games in 2021. He led the program in tackles (115), tackles for loss (18.5) and quarterback hurries (five), and his eight sacks placed second on the team behind outside linebacker Nick Herbig. He claimed the Big Ten's Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year award and became a consensus first-team All-Big Ten selection and second-team All-American by the Associated Press.

Chenal's testing numbers obviously pop out, and of course, one former teammate was not shocked.

"Leo's a baller," defensive lineman Matt Henningsen said. "He doesn't surprise me one bit. He knows what he's doing. He trains well, he works hard. He deserves every number he gets -- including the number that's gonna be on that signing bonus for him."

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