VILLANOVA, Pa. - With less than a month to go until the NFL Draft, which takes place in Philadelphia from April 27-29 and will the first outdoor draft in league history, Villanova defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon and several other local players took part in a pro day for NFL scouts and talent evaluators on Monday morning. Kpassagnon was one of four Wildcats who participated in the event. Linebacker Austin Calitro and offensive lineman Brad Seaton also took part in the pro day activities, as did 2015 graduate running back Kevin Monangai. The pro day event was held at Temple's indoor practice facility.

There were 24 teams in attendance at Monday's event, and Kpassagnon also had private workouts with several squads and will have additional workouts to come. He took part in the NFL Combine earlier this month and the Senior Bowl in January.

"They're making an investment in me," Kpassagnon said of the teams that attended Monday's pro day. "They have to see what they're getting and I'm just trying to prove that I belong. Coming from Villanova, I have to prove I can play with the big boys. I think I've shown that. Everything is coming at you fast. I just see this as another opportunity to do better."

Kpassagnon was a consensus All-American as a senior this past season and was named the CAA Football Defensive Player of the Year. He was a first team CAA All-Conference selection for the second straight season and wound up making 21.5 tackles for loss, including 11 sacks, while helping the Wildcats reach the second round of the FCS playoffs. Kpassagnon led a Villanova defense which led all FCS teams in both scoring defense and total defense during the 2016 season. His final collegiate career totals include 105 tackles, 37.5 tackles for loss and 22 quarterback sacks.

"[Professional teams] are not always going to give you pats on the back," Wildcats head coach Mark Ferrante said of the pro day workout. "They are going to be screaming at you, seeing how you follow directions, how quick can you pick stuff up. If they give you a command, can you carry out that command? They look at body language. Can a guy that size bend, extend, accelerate, play with leverage, get low, change direction? [Tanoh] can."

Calitro was another anchor of the Villanova defense this season. He tied for the team lead in total tackles with 86 and ranked second on the team in tackles for loss with 12. He also had four pass break-ups and 3.5 quarterback sacks. Calitro was named a first team CAA Football All-Conference selection after previously being a third team selection as a junior in 2015. He was invited to the East-West Shrine game which was held in Tampa in January.

Seaton started all 13 games on the Wildcats offensive line in 2016 and finished his collegiate career with a streak of 30 consecutive starts dating back to the beginning of the 2014 season. He started all but three of the 33 career games he played in. Villanova averaged 206.3 rushing yard and 378.8 yards of total offense per game during the 2016 season. The team ranked third in CAA Football and 24th nationally in rushing offense, and was also fourth in the league in total offense and fifth with a scoring average of 24.4 points per game.

Monangai played in 45 games for the Wildcats from 2011-14 and was a three-time All-CAA selection. He was a first team all-league performer as a sophomore in 2012 and earned third team honors in both 2013 and 2014. Monangai accumulated 3,455 all-purpose yards during his career, including 3,167 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns. He also had 274 receiving yards and five scores. Monangai previously spent time on the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad.