INDIANAPOLIS — Kadyn Proctor looms. That's the only way to describe it.

He looms over defensive edge-rushers coming to attack his quarterback and over teammates with a hulking 6-7 frame that makes his 350-plus weight almost appear lithe and definitely allows him to be quick. He looms over draft talk in what has become a deep offensive tackle class that already features Proctor near the top with the chance to bolt up even farther after combine testing.

And he looms over the mic on Saturday afternoon, staring down reporters with the same intensity that made him such a formidable left tackle at Alabama the last three years, before losing the battle with himself and breaking into a smile that dazzles as bright as the diamond chain around his neck.

"I did have to grow into my body a little bit," Proctor interjects. "Y'all might not believe it, but I was skinny playing basketball. I was like 245."

To an offensive lineman, skinny is relative.

"OK, that's skinnier to me," he concedes. "But I was tall and lengthy at 245, so, growing into my body, hit 300 pounds pretty quick and muscled up."

Now that he's training for the NFL, Proctor is working on slimming down. That means no more Krispy Kreme doughnuts—"Maybe after the combine," he slips, before putting a finger to his lips. "Don't tell nobody. Shhh." But he's finally found the weight where he feels he plays his best and is determined to keep it there, increasing his chances of playing his best at the next level.

"I've told (teams) that I'm in the 350s. Anything under 355 right now, that feels really good to me. That's where I've been. In the mid-season to through last season, obviously being 365 and 370 isn't a good weight for me to play at. But if any team gives me a weight, then I can go down and achieve that.

Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson once compared Proctor's explosiveness to a hippopotamus coming out of the water with a "big ole pfft."

"He a punk for that, man," grins Proctor on Saturday when reminded of the comparison. But even he has to admit it's fitting.

"I understand like, a big human being that can move and jump out of the water or run fast, like that's exactly what I am, and I'd say the comparison is pretty similar."

All that athleticism coiled tightly in a large frame is a large credit to genes, said Proctor—"Thank you to my parents for blessing me with the genes that I have… I would say Mom (gets credit) just because she's 6'2."—but also understanding how to move within said frame and make it work to his advantage.

"It took a lot of work," he admits. "I most definitely wasn't the most athletic person, and I had to grow into that."

It's something he's still growing into, even as he trains for the NFL. Sometimes when you're as big as Kadyn Proctor, that's enough. But as competition increases, natural ability becomes less and less important. Proctor knows that and isn't shy about sharing where teams want him to improve.

"Really just keeping the weight in check, asking me what I need to fix, like the pad level, the hands inside, getting your feet into the ground. I have all the physical traits. It's just I need to go out there and execute and be consistent," he shares.

"Really just understanding that I'm a big guy and that it takes time and it takes work. I mean (the pad level) is the one glaring thing that I've done, an issue that I've been focusing on fixing in these past couple of months, in the past couple of years, and just doing my best week in and week out, focusing on those."

But those are addressable issues. And when you watch Kadyn Proctor, it's impossible not to imagine the ceiling he presents. It starts with his toughness. He played through a ligament tear in his ankle during the 2023 season and a shoulder injury for much of 2024.

"Oh, that's a 99 toughness grade right there, man," he insists. "I mean, those things are not easy, but everybody has their own problems."

Then there's the pass-catching ability. OK, well, it was only one catch, but he caught the lateral pass and rumbled for 11 yards, the kind of big-man run that shakes the ground and inspires folk songs, setting up a go-ahead touchdown for the Crimson Tide against Georgia last season.

"I have natural catching ability," he argues when asked how long he had to work on the Jugs machine prior to the game. "So, I really didn't need to be on the Jugs too much, just a lot of preparation with that specific play throughout practice, kind of prepared me for the game.

"I hope I get some more opportunities to do so, honestly."

Aside from the size, the grit, and the receiving ability, what helps Proctor stand out amongst this class is the sheer joy that comes from playing the game. He's spent his entire career thus far at left tackle, but expressed a willingness to move if needed. As long as he gets to pancake someone, he'll be fine.

"I mean it, it brings a lot of joy and happiness to me," he says. "I mean, that's all the position is. You've got to be that, you've got to run guys off the ball. That's the whole position, and I've loved that ever since high school, where I started honing in on my craft.

"If I'm playing, then I'm happy."