They’ve done the homework and taken the tests. Now, former Navy football players Diego Fagot and Michael McMorris are awaiting their final grades.
Those will be issued this weekend when Fagot and McMorris find out whether they are selected during the NFL draft or signed as free agents afterward.
Most analysts rate Fagot as a third-day prospect, meaning he would likely be taken in the mid to late rounds of the draft.
Fagot first auditioned for NFL scouts during practices for the East-West Shrine Bowl, where he was named Defensive Most Valuable Player. Scouts from 16 NFL organizations attended the Navy Pro Day where Fagot performed well. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound inside linebacker was invited to the “Local Pro Day” sessions conducted by the Baltimore Ravens, Miami Dolphins and Washington Commanders. He also participated in private workouts with the position coaches of certain teams.
Adam Heller of Vantage Management Group, Fagot’s agent, said most of his discussions with NFL general managers and scouts have been positive.
“Diego did very well every time he got in front of NFL scouts. I had a conversation today with a team that said Diego ran faster than they expected,” Heller said. “For the most part, the scouts like that he as position flexibility and can be a contributor on special teams.”
Tony Pauline, chief draft analyst for Pro Football Network, issued a mixed report on Fagot — describing him as “tough” and hard-working” with “average” size and speed.
“Patient, diagnoses plays before they unfold and takes proper angles to the action,” Pauline wrote in a scouting report on Fagot. “Flies around the field, slides off blocks and fills the correct gaps against the run.”
However, Pauline cited a lack of closing burst and a tendency to get “easily sealed” as negatives that could hurt Fagot’s stock.
Fagot posted solid numbers during the Navy Pro Day, bench pressing 225 pounds 22 times and posting a 36-inch vertical leap — figures that would rank fourth and 12th, respectively, among inside linebackers invited to the NFL Combine. He has run the 40-yard dash in 4.65 seconds and notched a top broad jump of 9 feet, 5 inches.
One NFL executive Heller spoke with believes Fagot could play inside linebacker or walk up to the line of scrimmage and become an edge rusher. The Fort Lauderdale native was certainly quite disruptive during his collegiate career, ranking sixth on Navy’s all-time list with 351/2 tackles for loss.
Fagot started 35 games dating back to his freshman season and amassed 282 career tackles. He led Navy in tackles as a sophomore, junior and senior on the way to being named first or second team All-American Athletic Conference each of those seasons.
Not surprisingly considering he was one of four Navy captains, Fagot scores well in all the intangible categories. Heller received glowing feedback from NFL sources with regards to Fagot’s character, leadership, work ethic and commitment.
“I definitely think the attributes that come from attending a service academy and being part of that culture are viewed as a positive by the NFL decision-makers,” he said. “Also, none of these service academy players have been able to focus fully on football, so their ceiling is a lot higher than a lot of other players.”
‘Competitive, feisty, aggressive’
Ryan Williams-Jenkins of Divine Sports and Entertainment represents McMorris and believes it’s possible his client could go in the seventh and final round. If not, Williams-Jenkins is quite confident the cornerback will quickly be signed as a preferred free agent.
Scouts from all 32 NFL teams saw McMorris during practices for the Tropical Bowl senior all-star showcase. He excelled at Navy Pro Day, showing outstanding explosiveness with a 381/2-inch vertical leap and 10 foot, 9 inch broad jump. The Georgia native has run the 40-yard dash in 4.52 seconds.
McMorris also earned invitations to the “Local Pro Day” events hosted by the Atlanta Falcons and Washington Commanders. Williams-Jenkins, a former Navy football player and 2015 academy graduate, said the Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts and New York Giants have also expressed considerable interest in McMorris.
“I’ve talked to a number of scouts that like Mikey a lot. I’m hearing a lot of positive feedback,” Williams-Jenkins said. “Teams like Mikey’s athleticism, versatility and ability to contest balls in the air. They like that he’s such a competitive, feisty and aggressive player.”
Lack of size is why Navy, along with service academy rivals Army and Air Force, were the only Football Bowl Subdivision schools to recruit McMorris out of Buford High. He was measured at 5-foot-8 and 173 pounds during Navy Pro Day.
Williams-Jenkins conducted research that determined there are 36 defensive backs currently under contract to NFL teams that stand 5-foot-9 or less, including All-Pro safety Tyrann Mathieu of the Kansas City Chiefs.
McMorris was Navy’s top cover corner for his final three seasons and routinely matched up against wide receivers that went on to play in the NFL.
“Mikey has has always covered the opponent’s No. 1 receiver and done a great job,” Williams-Jenkins said.
Williams-Jenkins noted McMorris has proven adept at playing in both man-to-man and zone schemes while at Navy. McMorris, who played on special teams as a plebe, feels good about how he performed in front of NFL scouts.
“I think I did really well in terms of showcasing my athletic ability. More importantly, I think I showed the scouts my work ethic and what Navy football is all about,” he said. “During practices and the game at Tropical Bowl, I felt pretty unique as far as playing hard and running to the ball at all times.”
Approval process
Fagot and McMorris are among several Naval Academy senior athletes who have submitted paperwork through the official chain of command seeking to delay their five-year military obligation in order to pursue professional sports.
There has been no response to date from the Department of Defense regarding those applications to be considered for the “pro sports option” established by the Department of Defense during the presidency of Donald Trump. That policy, set forth in Directive-Type Memorandum 19-011, allows service academy athletes to pursue professional sports immediately after graduation.
Perry took advantage of that policy to play immediately for the Dolphins after graduating from the Naval Academy in 2020. However, former Navy cornerback Cameron Kinley was initially denied the same opportunity after signing as an undrafted free agent with Tampa Bay last spring.
Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas W. Harker declined to forward the applications of Kinley and former Navy baseball player Charlie Connolly to the Secretary of Defense. Kinley appealed that decision, which was ultimately reversed.
After reviewing Kinley’s petition, the Board of Correction of Naval Records made a recommendation, which Harker endorsed and forwarded to the secretary of defense.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin then rescinded Kinley’s commission, granted his request to delay commissioning and transferred the 2021 Naval Academy graduate to the Individual Ready Reserve with an enlisted status.
Kinley was eventually released by the Buccaneers, was recommissioned as an officer and began serving as a Naval intelligence officer.
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