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2020 NFL Draft Profiles: Best Of The Rest From The Mountain West
These players may be long shots to hear their name called in the draft, but here’s what you need to know about what they bring to the pros.
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You never know who will pop up.
The Mountain West Conference was flush with talent last fall but, much as we’d like, there are a lot of athletes who may get passed over during the three-day NFL Draft process. For those who didn’t receive full draft profiles from us here at Mountain West Wire, these “quick hits” will tell you a little bit about the best of the rest from the Mountain West.
Air Force
Offensive lineman Scott Hattok was a key part of one of college football’s best units last fall, earning first-team honors from both the conference media and Pro Football Focus, but he’s undersized among tackle prospects in this year’s class and may end up taking a more traditional post-graduate career path after leaving the Academy.
Jake Koehnke was one of just two FBS kickers to finish the year perfect on field goal attempts, converting 13-of-13 tries and 5-of-5 from 40-plus yards, but he’ll need work improving his kickoff distance and, like Hattok, may ultimately choose to serve in the Air Force despite NFL interest.
Boise State
Defensive lineman Chase Hatada isn’t receiving quite as much buzz as Curtis Weaver, but he quietly finished in the top five among Mountain West defenders in tackles for loss last fall and possesses enough speed and strength that he definitely belongs in an NFL camp off a free agent deal.
Jaylon Henderson will always have a place in Broncos lore after leading the team to another Mountain West championship, but he will need to add some size to his frame to overcome a relatively brief college track record and be more than a camp arm.
Defensive lineman Sonatane Lui proved he could be disruptive at the point of attack, but being undersized as an interior lineman at the next level could work against him.
Kekoa Nawahine definitely has the size to play safety in the NFL and he had a knack for making plays throughout his three years as a starter, so it’ll be interesting to see whether he comes to a more traditional role in the pros or sees work among the new class of safety/linebacker hybrids.
Colorado State
Cornerback Anthony Hawkins might be on the smaller end among defensive back prospects, but he makes up for that with special teams prowess, especially as a returner, which may be his path toward carving out a larger role in the future at the pro level.