Joe Kupcikevicius is not a name that many people probably know about in the pre-draft process, but the hulking offensive lineman from Azusa Pacific participated in the APU pro day in front of the eyes of scouts looking to see if this mostly unknown prospect could potentially be a steal in the draft or free agency.
A former player at South Dakota State who spent one year with the Jacks, "Kup" eventually moved on to Mt. San Antonio Community College for a season before ending up at Azusa where former stars such as Christian Okoye and Terrell Watson have made the jump from D2 to the NFL.
But though his path has been a winding road from near the highest level of football to arguably its lowest in CC, the left tackle with the unmistakable dread locks may have just paved his way to a potential chance in the NFL.
Take a look at what his pro day means for his future in the game, and maybe if he could be a sleeper late round pick.
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Measurements
No official measurements have been released on the Cougar standout, but we do know that his size translates to that of a successful tackle prospect. Take a look at what we have been able to find on the mysterious draft prospect.
| HT / WT | 40-YD Dash | Vertical | Broad | Bench |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6-4 3/4 / 310 | 5.42 | 24.5 | 99 | 16 |
The values above place "Kup" in the average range for tackles, showing less athleticism than some, but good size for the position overall. As a right tackle, he will be asked to be more of a road grater than pass blocker, so he doesn't need to have the killer back foot that most left tackles need to succeed.
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Workouts
According to Kupcikevicius' agency TRI, the tackle performed well based on what they were hearing from the Packers scout who ran the drills.
"He performed really well in the on-field drills, showing good technique and football IQ," said a representative from TRI.
Other scouts from the Steelers and Rams talked to the Azusa alum as well, giving some indication that teams are at least aware of the hulking prospect and could give him a shot based on their impressions from workouts.
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Draft Stock
Coming Out of The Shadows
Honestly, that is the best way to describe Kupcikevicius at this point because his name has not been mentioned all that much in draft circles that I have been able to find. But because he workout went well, then we can begin to place the prospect in the realm of free agent signee.
If we are able to find that the former SDSU player took some pre-draft visits, then we could maybe move him up to a priority free agent on the D2 Big Board which will be updated in the coming weeks before the draft.
Like so many other players from D2 or lower level play, all "Kup" needs is a chance to show he has what it takes, and his career could take off.
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