What are realistic expectations for BYU players in this week’s NFL draft?

byDuc Manh •
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BYU wide receiver Puka Nacua scores on BYU’s first play from scrimmage in BYU’s 2022 season opener against USF.

BYU huge receiver Puka Nacua scores on the primary play from scrimmage in BYU’s opener towards USF, Saturday, September 3 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. The gifted receiver is hoping to listen to his named known as this weekend on the NFL draft.

Robert W. Grover, for the Deseret Information

AP21342109901884__1_.jpg

Arkansas ahead Trey Wade tries to shoot over Charlotte defender Aly Khalifa, proper, throughout sport Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, in Fayetteville, Ark. BYU coach Mark Pope snagged the Charlotte large man out of the switch portal earlier this month.

AP

This text was first printed within the Cougar Insiders e-newsletter. Signal as much as obtain the e-newsletter in your inbox every Tuesday evening.

In simply greater than every week of the NCAA switch portal opening for enterprise, BYU soccer rapidly introduced in two offensive linemen, Caleb Etienne from Oklahoma State and Weber State’s Jake Eichorn, and veteran Utah State linebacker AJ Vongphachanh. Extra additions are anticipated as Kalani Sitake’s employees has made room with 19 gamers from final yr’s roster saying they're within the switch portal. With an announcement that BYU basketball star Lauren Gustin getting into the portal, BYU sports activities is studying the door swings each methods.

With the NFL draft this week, search for a number of Cougars to be within the combine:

  • Might Andy Reid be within the combine for an additional Cougar? (Brandon Judd)
  • Puka Nacua expects to be within the NFL (Jay Drew)
  • The place might Jaren Corridor land? (Brandon Judd)

Cougar Insiders predictions

Query of the week: What do you count on for BYU gamers within the NFL draft this week?

Jay Drew: A number of years in the past, it appeared like BYU’s potential NFL prospects ended up being disillusioned on draft day(s), as rounds one via seven got here and went with few, if any, Cougars listening to their names known as. I feel Kalani Sitake has carried out a pleasant job in getting that pattern rotated, and now the Cougars are averaging a pair picks per draft. I feel the notion of this system modified in 2020 when Zach Wilson and a bunch of different BYU gamers had been drafted.

I count on that to proceed this weekend; I will probably be shocked if Blake Freeland, Jaren Corridor and Puka Nacua will not be drafted, most certainly in that order. Finest case is Freeland within the second or third spherical, Corridor within the fourth and Nacua within the sixth or seventh. I'd not be terribly shocked if cornerback Kaleb Hayes will get picked up, after his excellent exhibiting at BYU’s Professional Day.

One other prospect I feel scouts could also be overlooking is working again Chris Brooks. However working backs are a dime a dozen within the draft and Brooks will most likely should go the free agent path to make an NFL roster.

Dick Harmon: The important thing phrase in the previous few NFL drafts is momentum. Kalani Sitake is constructing relationships with NFL scouts, has established an impressive Professional Day expertise for league representatives and are growing and recruiting expertise that pulls consideration. That doesn’t imply BYU is popping into an NFL manufacturing facility, what it means is his employees is getting respect.

I count on Blake Freeland to go within the first two rounds, Jaren Corridor to be picked up on the second day and Puka Nacua, Kaleb Hayes and Chris Brooks to both be drafted or signal as free brokers and discover a place. Typically it's higher for a school participant to signal as a free agent and decide the scenario that's proper for him. I feel BYU is starting to determine a repute for constructing offensive linemen and if Corridor is drafted and Kedon Slovis is taken subsequent yr, there's a very apparent pattern at quarterback. That may solely assist in recruiting.

Cougar tales

Mark Pope received one among his prime priorities within the switch portal when Charlotte 6-11 heart Aly Khalifa signed to play basketball for the Cougars. BYU then received a dedication from a top-100 energy ahead Isaac Davis, a local of Egypt who's constructed like Yoeli Childs, his childhood hero. 

In monitor and area, data proceed to fall as detailed on this piece by Doug Robinson. Ultimately week’s Robison Invitational, 4 athletes recorded private data and BYU’s ladies received 9 occasions on the ultimate day. Within the annual Cougar Traditional at Riverside Nation Membership in Provo, BYU’s males’s golf group held on for a convincing win.

Linebackers Ben Bywater and Max Tooley are nearly prepared. 

From the archives

From the Twitterverse

Additional Factors

Fanalyst

Feedback from Deseret Information readers:

So the Cougars look to the Japanese Hemisphere to shore up the center with outdoors capturing and passing?

Final time they actually did that, KrešimirĆosić grew to become a family identify throughout the basketball panorama. In latest reminiscence, the Cougars haven't had an enormous with any passing expertise in any respect. Sadly, inside passing has not existed to any diploma within the paint because the time of Ćosić. Within the meantime, some outdoors shooters with large frames additionally got here and went however not with lots of notoriety?

Let’s see how the Egyptian rolls ...

— Bearsbrother

Good addition. Large win getting Khalifa over Florida; this may not have occurred within the WCC. Highlights present he can shoot and move, hope he can play the publish as properly. Are we nonetheless on the lookout for a back-up level guard, and ahead?

Projected 2+ deep

5 - Khalifa / Atiki

4 - Fouss / Waterman / Christensen

3 - Robinson / Saunders / Knell (will he be wholesome)

2 - Johnson / Saunders / Toolson

1 - Corridor / Stewart (good defender, wants to seek out offense)

— CougfaninTX

Prior to now decade (2013-2023):

BYU is 9 wins and 10 losses towards Pac-12 groups, for about 47% successful price.

Prior to now twenty years (2033-2023):

BYU is eighteen wins and 21 losses towards the Pac-12, for about 46% successful price.

Two factors I wish to make:

1. As lots of you Ute followers like to inform us BYU followers, Cease residing prior to now!

What is occurring at the moment is extra vital than what occurred prior to now.

2. That's the reason the all time file towards the Pac-12 is irrelevant. It's a must to see what's going on at the moment and BYU is successful about half its video games towards the Pac-12 on common. For twenty years, BYU has held its personal towards the Pac-12.

To say they'd be backside feeders in that convention is an inaccurate remark.

3. Ute followers low cost the truth that BYU went 5-0 towards the Pac-12 (in 2022). They beat ASU, Arizona, Washington State, USC and your loved one Utah.

However then you've Utes followers who publish meaningless exhibition sport will not be significant convention video games.

Actually, the groups that they performed had been meaningless? Not vital? That the groups weren't good?

Utah taking part in these actual groups received the Pac-12 championship.

To say they had been exhibition video games for BYU can be diminishing the worth of Utah successful the convention championship.

— Confused

Up subsequent

April 26 | 5 p.m. | Softball | vs. Utah Tech | @Provo
April 27-29 | 8 a.m. | Males’s golf | WCC Championships |  @Bremerton, Washington
April 27 | 11 a.m. | Girls’s tennis | WCC Event | @San Diego, California
April 27 | 2 p.m. | Males’s tennis | WCC Event | @San Diego, California

AP21342109901884__1_.jpg

Arkansas ahead Trey Wade tries to shoot over Charlotte defender Aly Khalifa, proper, throughout sport Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, in Fayetteville, Ark. BYU coach Mark Pope snagged the Charlotte large man out of the switch portal earlier this month.

AP

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