By Mark Pszonak
FCS players, even those who are very productive during their careers, often have to go above-and-beyond to get noticed before the NFL Draft. South Dakota defensive lineman Blake Holden accomplished that yesterday during the Coyotes’ Pro Day.
https://twitter.com/NathanSwaffar/status/1904901869169697160
As mentioned by Nathan Swaffar of The Mitchell Republic, Holden produced 33 reps on the bench in front of 27 NFL scouts. That would have tied the highest amount at the 2025 NFL Combine with Cincinnati offensive linemen Luke Kandra.
Holden, 6-foot-3 and 300-pounds, isn’t just a workout warrior though. As a three-year starter and team captain with South Dakota he totaled 139 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and nine sacks. This included a second-team All-Missouri Valley Conference selection after the 2024 season.
While he won’t suddenly fly into the upper rounds of next month’s NFL Draft, Holden is a name worth remembering in the later rounds. With his combination of strength, size and production, he has the potential to make some noise at the next level.
