Former Oregon Ducks cornerback Dontae Manning has a chance to gain some interest from the from his hometown team ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft next month.
Per NFL insider Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 Houston, the Kansas City Chiefs have invited Manning to their local prospect day, which gives the Kansas City native another chance at impressing scouts after Oregon’s pro day last week.
Manning spent all four of his collegiate seasons at Oregon. He appeared in 53 career games while posting 84 total tackles (60 solo), 16 pass breakups and two interceptions. He nearly had a pick-six in Oregon’s win over Penn State in the Big Ten Championship this past season but was tackled at the one-yard line.
Manning met with the media after Oregon’s pro day and reflected on his time in Eugene along with the future ahead.
According to Wilson, Manning’s Pro Day numbers consisted of a 4.26 40-yard dash, a 39.5-inch vertical, a 10-6 broad jump and a 4.38 time on short shuttle.
“It’s nothing smaller than a blessing,” Manning told reporters. “Like this is ultimately a blessing to come out here and really train for the eight weeks that we put in. All our guys are spread out all across the country training, and then we come back for one day where we basically trying to change our families lives. So, I mean, it’s a real sentimental moment, but it’s also like energetic, because it’s like this the last time this group is all gonna be together under one roof. So it’s real, real sentimental.”
Manning’s Pro Day was impressive, as he made the most of one of his last chances to show off in front of scouts before the draft. He’s certainly got no shortage of confidence in what he brings to the table, something the Chiefs will now get an opportunity at seeing for themselves.
“I really just showcased, my abilities, my natural God-given abilities,” Manning said. “And then when you put that on top of a scheme, I feel like I’m a great player for the league. So just being able to put it on film and make sure everybody knows that I could do what I said I could do.”
Pro Day also marked one final goodbye for Manning and some of the other notable Ducks that have helped lead the program over the past few seasons. Manning called it a “beautiful” experience.
“It was honestly beautiful, even the work the eight weeks that led up to this, even when you’re training, you got guys who find the same goal as you,” Manning said. “So it was real beautiful. And then come back and see everybody’s body change, and see how serious everybody’s taking it. It’s just beautiful.”
The 2025 NFL Draft will begin on April 24 in Green Bay.
