Utah coach Kyle Whittingham watches a replay within the recreation towards Ohio State within the 108th Rose Bowl recreation in Pasadena, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022. Whittingham will likely be on the NFL draft in Las Vegas later week, wanting to see the place Devin Lloyd and different Utes land. Laura Seitz, Deseret Information
After a yr “break,” Utah is again within the NFL draft enterprise.
Final yr, the Utes had zero gamers chosen within the 2021 draft — just because no Utah gamers made themselves obtainable for the draft.
However because the 2022 draft kicks off later this week, there are a number of former Utes, who helped lead this system to its first Pac-12 championship, that might hear their names known as.
The listing is headlined by consensus All-America linebacker Devin Lloyd, who's projected to be a first-round decide.
Coach Kyle Whittingham will likely be attending the draft in Las Vegas as a visitor of Lloyd’s, together with linebackers coach Colton Swan.
“They invite 20-21 guys to the draft to be there in particular person. Every of these gamers can convey eight to 10 (individuals) with them,” Whittingham mentioned. “Devin has invited myself and Colton Swan to go down. We’ll be down with Devin in Las Vegas on Thursday evening.”
Among the many others that may very well be drafted, or may signal undrafted free agent contracts, embrace linebacker Nephi Sewell; defensive lineman Mika Tafua; offensive linemen Nick Ford and Bamidele Olaseni; working again T.J. Pledger; and extensive receiver/kick return specialist Britain Covey.
Whittingham mentioned he's eagerly awaiting the draft.
“I’m at all times wanting ahead to that. Devin ought to be a first-round man. Greatest-case state of affairs is inside the highest 10,” he mentioned. “Most definitely state of affairs is 11-20. Definitely, within the early 20s can be the worst-case state of affairs. Then we've three or 4 different guys which can be form of on that bubble. It’s at all times thrilling to see the place these guys find yourself.”
In January 2021, Whittingham had a dialog with Lloyd about his future plans. Lloyd may have declared for the draft however opted to return for one last season.
“I can nonetheless keep in mind every part he mentioned, every part he laid out as the explanations he was coming again, what he needed to perform, what his objectives had been. He checked each field,” Whittingham mentioned. “To see that come to fruition and have him being positioned proper now the place he's within the draft has been an actual testomony to him and who he's as an individual and as a competitor. You discuss a man that had a imaginative and prescient and had a plan — and adopted it to a ‘T.’ That’s Devin Lloyd.”
Offensive line coach Jim Harding is invested in what occurs to Ford and Olaseni within the draft.
“I textual content them occasionally. Nick was truly at observe (final week). Bam has a exercise with the Packers,” he mentioned. “Nick informed me that he’s been involved with three or 4 groups. These are good indicators. The place they’ll go within the draft, I do not know. Each of them will do some nice issues as soon as they get to wherever they're. They’ll each have a possibility and it is going to be as much as them to benefit from that chance.”
Twenty-one Utah gamers had been drafted from 2017-20.
In 2020, the Utes had seven gamers drafted whereas 5 had been taken in 2019. One Utah participant was chosen in 2018 and eight had been chosen in 2017.