Northwestern Taishan Holmes over 100lbs lighter since high school

“It was a blessing,” Northwestern nose tackle Taishan Holmes said of participating in the event.

The Chicago Bears hosted their local pro day in advance of the NFL Draft on April 14, 2023, at Halas Hall. It is a rare opportunity for NFL prospects to don an NFL uniform. It might be the closest these prospects get to playing in the National Football League.

“It was a blessing,” Northwestern nose tackle Taishan Holmes said of participating in the event. “It felt surreal having that jersey on going through drills. I actually felt like I was part of the Chicago Bears at that moment, and that’s how I treated it.”

Playing his final season of college football 15 miles north of downtown Chicago led to Holmes' invitation to the Bears' local day. Still, his journey to the ‘Windy City’ was filled with a vast number of miles across the United States.

Holmes grew up big. Real big.

At one point during his high school career at Essex High School in Tappahannock, Virginia, he hovered around 430 pounds. His size was something he dealt with early on. Weight limits as a youngster had him playing in metropolitan leagues since he was simply too big to play with others.

With that type of size, there is no question Holmes has an appetite, but his appetite to play football exceeded his hunger to eat. Holmes craved football. Holmes realized the pit in his stomach from missing the game he loved had to be satisfied.

“I didn’t think it was going to happen,” Holmes said. “I just didn’t see it for myself but at the same time, I didn’t feel right not to play football. I worked and grinded and whipped myself into shape.”

While Holmes was flashing his skill set at the Bears' local day, he weighed 320 pounds, over a hundred pounds lighter than his high school days on this 6-foot-2 frame; a rush of emotion had to come to fruition looking back on his football journey.

In 2018, he walked on at Virginia State. A year later, he walked on at Garden City CC in 2019. In 2020, Holmes arrived at UMass and played two years with the Minutemen prior to Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald offering a scholarship to Holmes on New Year’s Eve of 2021.

“One thing I learned in JUCO is that hungry dogs run faster,” Holmes said.

Two different types of hunger led Holmes to be at the precipice of his football life to the pinnacle of his football career. Holmes has carved out a niche for being an extremely physical rotational roadblock for offenses to maneuver around. His thick base and raw brute strength are the on-the-field attributes that shine but his determination to stay the course has led him this far.

Holmes is on the fringes of making it to the next level in the National Football League. The Bears' local day was a priceless commodity for Holmes to showcase himself in front of an NFL team. Those rare chances to imprint yourself into a staff’s mindset are few and far between.

“I feel like it was one of those greatest days,” Holmes recalls of the workout. “I felt so smooth, fluid, snappy, explosive. I’m leaving the workout feeling like they got to come to get me. I felt really good that day.”

A one-gap penetrator, Holmes is most likely a priority free agent prospect after the NFL Draft concludes. Felt it only appropriate to mention him as the days close in on the 2023 NFL Draft. I’ve been at this for a long time and when you feel there is a substance in a prospect to make it, then make it known to the NFL Draft community.

Especially at the NFL Draft Bible, where we focus on the entire group of prospects from the top to bottom of NFL Draft boards.