SEATTLE - The wait is over for NFL fans. On April 25, commissioner Roger Goodell will read out loud the names of the new prospects hoping to make their childhood dreams a reality and join an NFL team through the draft. Among the more than 250 players, one name stands out for Latinos: Bayron Matos.
He might not have the buzz of USC's QB Caleb Williams or Washington's Michael Phenix Jr., but Matos represents the dreams of an entire region as he will be the only player of Latin American descent to enter this year's NFL Draft.
Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, Matos moved to the United States during his high school years and initially played basketball. After a successful high school career, Matos received up to 16 collegiate offers and ended up playing basketball for the New Mexico Lobos before transferring to the University of South Florida, where he switched from basketball to football in 2022.
After joining USF's football team in 2022 as a walk-on, Matos worked as a defensive end and kick blocker on special teams until he found his calling as an offensive tackle. Matos' hard work opened the doors for an opportunity within the NFL's International Player Pathway Program (IPP), designed to give international players an opportunity to play in the league.
Introducing the International Player Pathway Class of 2024!
— NFL (@NFL) January 18, 2024
Established in 2017, the league’s IPP program aims to provide elite international athletes with the opportunity to compete at the NFL level, improve their skills and ultimately work to earn a spot on an NFL roster. pic.twitter.com/rHM998TOlJ
This January, he was announced as one of 16 other international players in the program and continued his workout at the IMG Academy, where he impressed NFL analyst and three-time Super Bowl champion as an executive Scott Pioli.
The 6-feet-9 tackle ran a 4.88 40-yard dash at his pro day, which would have been the best time among all linemen at the NFL Combine. Due to his incredible physique, Matos impressed scouts during his pro day but, according to the information collected by the NFL analyst Lance Zierlein, the Dominican will need to "spend a few years on a practice squad before he can get a shot as a pro".
¡BAYRON MATOS SORPRENDE A LOS EXPERTOS! 💪😲@scottpioli51, analista de NFL Network y tres veces campeón del Super Bowl como ejecutivo, nos describe lo impresionante que es ver y escuchar al dominicano y jugador del programa IPP en el campo. 🇩🇴#MundoNFL pic.twitter.com/eSeDw6W81A
— Mundo NFL (@MundoNFL) April 4, 2024
With a week to go before the NFL Draft, he finalized visits and private workouts with 13 different NFL teams, including the Dallas Cowboys, the Baltimore Ravens and even with the reigning champions Kansas City Chiefs.
Matos is expected to hear his name called in late rounds of the draft, currently projected to go on the seventh round. If he does get selected, the Dominican would become the first USF player to get drafted in more than half a decade. Matos would also be following the footsteps of Josue Matías, who in 2015 became the first Dominican-born player to make it in the NFL.
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