The NFL has announced that the daft will take place as scheduled later this month – but will be held virtually to adhere to social distancing practices.

One Bergen County athlete says that he is hopeful that he will be drafted to a team this year.

Coming off a season where he led the FCS in rushing and helped Monmouth to its best season in the program’s history, running back Pete Guerriero announced in January that he would enter the 2020 NFL Draft.

“Going into this as an underdog is growing and growing a chip on my shoulder even bigger than it was before,” he says.

At Monmouth University’s pro day last month, the Lyndhurst native ran the 40-yard dash in 4.47 seconds. That would have tied him for fifth place for running backs at the NFL combine.

“It was good to be in a different environment and learn from it and just grow as a person and grow as an athlete,” Guerriero says.

Guerriero has had to put together home workouts to stay in shape since the coronavirus pandemic closed all gyms and training facilities. He says that he is looking forward to the virtual draft.

“I like it. I think it works, it fits. I feel bad for everybody in my draft class, the upper echelon of guys who won’t get to walk across the stage,” he says.

Guerriero says that the Chargers and the Eagles have been in touch with him. Whether he hears his name or not, he says that a lot of others are in similar circumstances and are nervous about their future.

“Some people are worried that rookie minicamp and OTAs are going to get cut off, so, that creates lesser opportunities for us younger guys that are going in,” he says.

The virtual draft will be held from April 23 to April 25.