No NFL Combine, no pro day and no problem for Ron’Dell Carter.

That’s at least what NFLPA Collegiate Bowl advanced scout Ric Serritella, also the creator of NFL Draft Bible, told the Daily News-Record in regard to the draft hopes of the former James Madison standout defensive end.

“When he came out to Pasadena at the NFLPA [Bowl],” Serritella said of Carter, “he acted the part and arguably out of all the defensive linemen that were there, I think him and [Texas Tech’s] Broderick Washington – and Washington got the call up to the Senior Bowl because he had a such a good week at the NFLPA Bowl, but I’ll tell you Ron’Dell Carter was just as good throughout the week. He definitely, I thought, solidified his case to be drafted.

“I have a fifth-round grade on him.”

Serritella said he appreciated Carter for competing and participating during an intense week of practices in front of scouts from every NFL team just days after the Dukes completed their season at the FCS national championship game. Carter racked up 66 tackles, 27 tackles for loss and 12 sacks during the 2019 campaign when he was named Colonial Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Year.

The NFLPA Collegiate Bowl was played on Jan. 18 at the Rose Bowl, and the primary purpose of the trip for Carter was to meet and talk with scouts who were also able to watch him go through drills and collect all the data they needed on the consensus FCS All-American.

“I do think getting those measurements in,” Serritella said, “and he’s got a great wingspan, checked off all the boxes that he’s a traditional 4-3, hand-in-the-dirt, pass-rush defensive end.

“And unfortunately, the Combine votes are cast before the all-star circuit, so teams had already voted on the Combine guys before the NFLPA Bowl. But I do believe had that Combine vote been held after that event, there’s no doubt Ron’Dell would’ve been in Indianapolis with the Combine invite because he was that impressive.”

Out of 254 selections made during last year’s NFL Draft, only 33 were of players who didn’t get invited to the NFL Combine. Of those 33, five were FCS products including former Dukes cornerback Jimmy Moreland.

But Moreland played in the East-West Shrine Game, Senior Bowl and put together an outstanding pro day performance. This year, most prospects who didn’t get an NFL Combine invite also never got to have a pro day since many schools canceled due to coronavirus concerns.

And as of this week, the league still planned on holding the NFL Draft as scheduled, April 23-25.

“Because there aren’t enough hand-in-the-dirt traditional defensive ends coming out of college these days, there’s going to be a big value and need for a guy like Ron’Dell Carter,” Serritella added. “And so I do anticipate him hearing his name called and being one of these few – and in the past, you ballpark it at about 30 non-combine invites that get drafted every year and I think we’ll be more in the 15 to 20 range this year – but I think Ron’Dell Carter will be one of them.”

As for other ex-Dukes with aspirations of a pro football future, the ramifications of a scrapped pro day workout varies depending on the player, according to Serritella.

Some JMU prospects needed the pro day more than others, and Serritella has seen them all in person having visited Harrisonburg this past season to evaluate them.

“I continued to keep tabs on [quarterback Ben] DiNucci and as they made their little run, he tended to grow on me,” Serritella said.

DiNucci was a first-team AFCA All-American and the CAA Offensive Player of the Year for his 3,441 passing yards and 36 total touchdowns compared to only six interceptions.

Last month, DiNucci told the DN-R he knew some NFL clubs had a late-round grade on him and that he expected to be a high-priority free agent.

“The way the NFL is trending, too, with mobile quarterbacks,” Serritella said, “the Lamar Jackson, Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes of the world, I think that DiNucci’s playing style kind of fits that mold with his ability to improvise, bide time in the pocket and move around on the run. Now the size will come into factor. Does he have elite arm strength? No, but he’s got good enough, adequate arm strength that he won’t hurt you.”

Serritella said DiNucci’s agent, Joe Linta, has plenty of cachet with NFL franchises, too, which will help generate interest in the former Dukes signal-caller. A couple of Linta’s other clients are longtime NFL quarterback Joe Flacco, a Delaware product, and former Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel.

A pro day workout Serritella said NFL teams would’ve been eagerly intrigued by was Rashad Robinson’s, had it not been canceled.

Robinson emerged as an NFL prospect during his redshirt junior season in 2017. The Richmond native was actually more highly thought of going into 2018 than Moreland, but Robinson was sidelined with turf toe that year and didn’t return until this past fall.

He had 52 tackles and three interceptions while helping the Dukes back to the FCS national championship game.

“You take out the equation that [scouts] can’t run and can’t test a guy like Rashad Robinson, who has previous medical issues,” Serritella said, “but can’t be tested or met by NFL teams and there’s no medical evaluation on a player like that.”

Serritella said on his trip to JMU, he was encouraged by what he saw from Robinson, coming back from injury, and that he’s a believer in the cornerback.

“That’s a guy I’m targeting as an immediate signing right after the draft,” Serritella said. “Somebody that has a huge potential upside with great size, length and speed, and the footwork. If Rashad Robinson is one of the more slept on players in this year’s draft, he is an undrafted free agent candidate that has a very strong shot at making a 53-man roster.”