The last few years have been successful years for BYU in the NFL. In the last three NFL Drafts, there have been nine players selected by NFL teams. Zach Wilson was the second overall pick in 2021 to start off the three-year trend, and Puka Nacua was the most recent selection in the fifth round of the 2023 Draft. Today, BYU hopes to continue their NFL success by hearing more players drafted in the next three days.
But who are the names who actually have a shot at getting drafted?
Kingsley Suamataia - 1st/2nd Round Projection
Suamataia signed with Oregon out of Orem High School, but transferred to BYU after his true freshman campaign. Once he got to Provo, he locked down the starting right tackle spot opposite of Blake Freeland. This past season, he battled through injury but stayed in the starting lineup as BYU's left tackle. Now, he will take his talents to the NFL.
Most mock drafts have Suamataia going somewhere in the late first or early second round, and that's right where we peg him to land as well. Teams are super intrigued by his seemingly endless potential. He has an NFL body with long arms and a powerful lower half. He can play at either tackle spot because of his length, but his size might allow him to flex inside and play guard as well. That kind of versatility is incredibly valuable for NFL teams who can only carry 53 active players on their Sunday rosters.
At best, Suamataia will develop into a franchise left tackle for a team. At worst, he will provide flexibility at multiple offensive line spots and help teams bolster depth. In either scenario, Suamataia will be a sought after commodity in the NFL, whether that starts in the first round tonight or in the second round later this weekend.
Ryan Rehkow - 6th/7th Round Projection
Rehkow has as big of a leg as any punter in the game. If you are pinned down on your own goal line and need to flip the field, Rehkow is the guy to do that for you. That sheer leg strength alone was enough to earn him an invite to the NFL Combine. Where Rehkow needs to improve in order to stick in the NFL is his touch. He struggled some with shorter punts and he had a tendency to kick a lot of line drives with little hang time, a recipe for disaster in the NFL. He has the skills to improve in both of those areas, but that is what is preventing him from being a surefire selection in this year's draft.
As it is, his leg is enormous and teams will be enamored with that strength. Someone is going to take a flyer on Rehkow, but probably not until the last couple of rounds on Saturday.
Kedon Slovis - 7th Round/UDFA Projection
A few years ago, Slovis looked like a surefire NFL quarterback. He has elite arm strength, great size for the NFL, and the ability to make every throw on the field. But after a rocky finish to his USC career, a bad year in a bad offense at Pitt, and a disappointing season at BYU this past year, Slovis is in the UDFA range. He was invited to the NFL Combine and teams definitely have him on their late-round radar. Slovis could sneak into the back end of the Draft a la Brock Purdy, but it would take a quarterback-needy team looking to build depth with a flyer in order for that to happen. Otherwise, a free agent contract appears to be the likely scenario.
Isaac Rex - UDFA Projection
Rex's gnarly injury in 2021 really hurt his projection. He left the field against USC with his foot dangling from his leg. Frankly, it's a miracle that he was able to play football again at all, much less produce at the level he produced. But in terms of his NFL future, that injury really derailed his progress. Going into this weekend's draft, he's an older player who has a significant injury in his past. That just isn't something most teams are willing to invest a draft pick into (see Matt Bushman). But, teams will be more apt to throw a free agent deal at him and see if he can shake the injury and stick on a roster (see Matt Bushman again).
Other names to watch for Mini Camp invites:
Aidan Robbins
Paul Maile
Eddie Heckard
Kamden Garrett
AJ Vongphachanh
Max Tooley
Jackson Cravens
