The 2022 NFL Draft kicks off Thursday in Las Vegas and continues by way of the weekend and a variety of Knights from the 2021 UCF soccer crew are hoping to listen to their identify known as in the course of the three-day occasion.
After a program-record 5 Knights had been picked in final 12 months’s draft, this 12 months’s could possibly be mild on UCF prospects picked.
UCF defensive sort out Kalia Davis was the one Knight chosen in NFL.com’s newest seven-round mock draft, which was created by NFL analyst Chad Reuter. Davis is projected to be taken by the Inexperienced Bay Packers within the seventh spherical.
If no Knights are picked this 12 months, that will snap a five-year draft streak for this system. At the least one UCF participant has been drafted in 15 of the final 16 drafts — with 2016 being the lone exception.
UCF has eight draft-eligible athletes from this previous season’s squad, together with Davis, defensive finish Massive Kat Bryant, offensive linemen Cole Schneider and Marcus Tatum, receivers Brandon Johnson and Nate Craig-Myers, operating again Woody Barrett, and defensive sort out Noah Hancock.
Whereas Davis possible has the most effective likelihood of getting drafted — he was the one Knight to take part within the NFL Scouting Mix — there are different UCF prospects who've met with NFL groups earlier than this weekend.
Following UCF’s Professional Day the place he spoke with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Chargers and Carolina Panthers, Bryant went by way of a predraft exercise with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers..
Tatum labored out with the Bucs as nicely, in response to Greg Auman of The Athletic.
Schneider stated he had scheduled a exercise with Tampa Bay however it didn’t occur, Auman reported. Schneider stated he has talked with the Washington Commanders and Las Vegas Raiders.
As for Davis, he’s met with the Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers. Whereas NFL.com tasks him as a late-round decide, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler views him as a fourth- or fifth-round choice.
The disparity between projections is probably going due to Davis’ season-ending knee damage in October, mixed with him sitting out the 2020 season in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. He’s performed in 5 video games in two seasons.
Davis stated on the professional day that he can be prepared for NFL coaching camp in July. It’s been a protracted however profitable rehabilitation course of.
“I began pool exercises about [late January-early February],” Davis stated 4 weeks in the past. “I began placing on my cleats [in February], getting on the sphere. It feels actually good. My physician stated I can begin slicing [in April].”
If he’s in a position to make a full restoration as anticipated, Davis might turn into a playmaker on the subsequent stage. A primary-team all-conference decide by Professional Soccer Focus in 2019, Davis has “excellent upfield quickness,” in response to Brugler.
“General, Davis’ tape has extra flash than consistency, however he fires out of his stance with twitch and vary to create backfield disruption vs. the run and as a go rusher,” Brugler wrote. “He's a developmental three-technique prospect.”
The Knights have had success getting gamers to the league with 47 drafted since 1987, together with 26 since 2008.
They’ve had seven top-100 picks since 2017.
E mail Jason Beede at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com or observe him on Twitter at @therealBeede.
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