Oct 29, 2016; Ames, IA, USA; Iowa State Cyclones defensive back Kamari Cotton-Moya (5) tackles Kansas State Wildcats quarterback Alex Delton (5) at Jack Trice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports
Two years ago, it would have been hard to fathom the idea of Kamari Cotton-Moya being one of the forgotten NFL prospects of Iowa State’s 2018 class of seniors. With former teammates Joel Lanning and Allen Lazard sharing most of the spotlight, the safety from Bakersfield, Calif. has been working to find his way onto draft boards.
That process continued on Tuesday when Cotton-Moya worked out for NFL scouts at Iowa State’s pro day. Cotton-Moya was clocked with a 4.62 in the 40-yard dash, put up 18 reps on the bench press and recorded a 37-inch vertical jump.
“I felt good. It was nice to be out there so it was good,” Cotton-Moya said. “Just training as hard as I can. Just staying in it and staying focused and staying strong. I’ve talked to a couple teams so it’s just keep at it and stay with the process.”
Cotton-Moya is most likely to end up as an undrafted free agent following next month’s draft, but there are some experts who see the potential for him to move into the seventh round. It is hard to doubt Cotton-Moya’s production on the field considering he recorded 250 tackles, five interceptions, 9.5 tackles for loss and two fumble recoveries during his career plus earning honorable mention All-American honors from SB Nation following his senior season.
With that said, injuries could be somewhat of a red flag for teams looking at the 6-foot-2, 198-pound safety’s resume. Cotton-Moya missed eight games due to injuries during the last three seasons of his career plus others that occurred out of season, but he is not overly concerned about that holding teams back from adding him to their roster.
“It all depends. You never know, but at the same time I’m going to keep grinding and trying to show what I can do,” Cotton-Moya said. “I’m going back to California and continuing to workout and continuing work.”
