Spokane native Devin Culp has seen a lot during his time with the Washington Huskies. One thing he never saw much of, however, was attention.
That could all change in two weeks, as Culp was among the 13 Huskies invited to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. Despite modest counting stats in a passing offense headlined by receivers Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, and Ja’Lynn Polk, Culp has shown enough during his Husky career to warrant serious pro consideration.
The 6-foot-4, 237-pound tight end made the most of his opportunities as a receiver when he got them, frequently showing uncommon body control and athleticism for his position. As his hands grew more consistent, Culp became a familiar target in the red zone. A former basketball standout at Gonzaga Prep, perhaps his most spectacular highlight came on a hurdle of Cal defender Tyson McWilliams in 2022.
A stout blocker even after slimming down from 250 pounds in 2021 to 237 last season, Culp has shown that he has NFL-caliber athleticism. That should bear out in his testing numbers in Indianapolis, where some of his results may look eye-popping next to the more pedestrian athletes at his position. In turn, that should move Culp up draft boards – NFL teams are frequently eager to take athletic specimens in the hopes they can mold them into sound football players.
In Culp’s case, he’s already much closer to a finished product than some other alien-like athletes. While his stock likely won’t rise past Day 3, a performance representative of his athletic abilities could be the difference between hearing his name called and signing as an undrafted free agent.