Elijah Molden, Washington Huskies.
The NFL draft is an important time for the Washington Huskies football program. It always hurts to lose good players, but the Dawgs and their fans can celebrate UW alumni headed to play at the highest level of professional football.
Putting players in the NFL is some of the best advertising Washington Head Coach Jimmy Lake has when recruiting. A pair of Huskies went in last year’s NFL Draft; quarterback Jacob Eason (fourth round, 122nd overall, Indianapolis) and center Nick Harris (fifth round, 160th overall, Cleveland). In 2020, there were 34 Washington Huskies alumni either on NFL rosters or practice squads.
Due to COVID-19, the NFL changed this year’s pre-draft process. The standard combine where NFL hopefuls spend three days in Indianapolis is out the window. Instead, all player measurements and evaluations occur at each college’s pro day. Washington had their pro day on March 30.
This year at least four Huskies will be drafted. Pacific Northwest Sports audited 41 different mock drafts to see where the quartet might go in the draft, including ESPN, USA Today, NFL, CBS Sports, Walter Football, Pro Football Focus, FOX Sports, and more. Twenty-Five of the mocks went two rounds; seven of them covered through Round 4.
This edition combines our previous mocks on Levi Onwuzurike, Joe Tryon, Elijah Molden, and Keith Taylor into one article. All four played for the Huskies in 2019. Onwuzurike and Tryon opted out of the 2020 season, so they had some extra work to do to impress the scouts.
Defensive Tackle, 6-3, 295 pounds
Opinions are divided on Levi Onwuzurike. Some scouts love him, and some don’t. Although the Senior Bowl mitigated some concerns about him, Onwuzurike didn’t do himself any favors by opting out of the 2021 season. He’s far from a finished product.
He’s exactly the kind of gap-stuffer NFL teams love. Whoever drafts him needs to coach up his technique and polish his skills. If they can do it, Onwuzurike has a high upside.
Explosive is a word used often in scouting reports to describe him. He’s the kind of player that gets fans out of their seats with his eye-popping displays. Onwuzurike fills the A (center-guard) and B (guard-tackle) gaps well to stop run plays. A big part of the reason is his explosive power off the snap. That allows him to generate enough power to drive his man and reach the backfield.
Most mock drafts have Onwuzurike going in the second round. However, he is most tied to the Buccaneers in the first round (32nd overall). (Round Tampa Bay would be a good landing spot for the interior lineman. Dallas is the second favorite. Onwuzurike could do some damage playing inside Demarcus Lawrence.
Considered by some scouts as a “flash” prospect with high-end moments on tape, but a lack of sustained excellence and production. Onwuzurike is undersized for his position but he’s very strong for his size with the ability to anchor down against interior blockers.
He’s very physical and flashes moments where he is able to control and overwhelm single blocks. An explosive first step provides early momentum into the neutral zone, but he failed to post the high-end production that is usually associated with that interior trait. He’s light on his feet but heavy with his hands, and that combination should lead to continued improvement as an NFL pass rusher.
If he can play with the same grit we saw against Oregon and USC in 2019, Onwuzurike has a chance to become a disruptive starter in an attacking front. – Lance Zierlein, NFL.com.
Edge Rusher, 6-5, 262 pounds
Another physically gifted athlete, Joe Tryon, excelled in the Washington Huskies defensive scheme. He played the Hybrid left defensive end/outside linebacker spot. During his sophomore season at UW, Tryon had 12.5 tackles for loss, including eight sacks.
Both strong and fast, Tryon could become a top pass rusher with proper development and coaching. His explosiveness off the ball, combined with high effort and a non-stop motor, make Tryon very attractive to NFL teams.
Tryon has the tools to be successful at the next level, but, like Onwuzurike, he lacks polish. A common opinion is that opting out of the 2020 season was a mistake. He needed extra practice and game time to develop his skills. His limited move-set will hold him back initially, as will his periodic lack of aggressiveness.
Of the 26 mock drafts we audited that included Tryon, he wasn’t selected to any team more than twice. Baltimore at 58th overall (second round) would be an ideal place to develop his game. The New York Giants at 44th (second round) is intriguing. There he could earn a starting spot in camp and become an impact player sooner rather than later.
Tryon has been overlooked by many since he opted out of playing last season, but he is a really toolsy pass rusher who has yet to play at his best. He will present excellent value if he makes it to the second round. – Dane Brugler, The Athletic.
Washington only played four games last year, but it was enough for Elijah Molden to earn All-Pac-12 First Team honors. Pro Football Focus named him the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and a Second Team All-American.
Molden played mostly inside during his tenure at UW. Ideally, he plays the same role in the NFL. Although smaller than most teams would like, Molden plays with instincts beyond his years.
The ultimate “tweener” defensive back, he isn’t a traditional outside cover cornerback, but at the same time, Molden might be the best slot corner in this draft class. Unfortunately, NFL teams don’t draft for nickel corners. They do, however, draft good football players. Molden is the type of versatile player who can carve out a long professional career for himself.
Fearless slot corner who can lock down underneath routes and handle shifty weapons. Lines up inside, outside, at corner and as a blitzer. Showcased safety flexibility in 2020 games vs. Utah and Stanford. Despite long-speed limitations, rarely lets receivers get a step on him — great body control and understanding of leverage. Often beats his man to the spot and cuts off routes before they develop.
Plays bigger than his size and isn’t afraid of delivering contact — scrapper who belies his size. Terrific tackler who drives through his man and typically brings him down — very few missed attempts. Manages to slip blocks and somehow disengage from them consistently to make plays. Attacks the run and screens well and cuts ball carriers’ legs out from underneath them. – Eric Edholm, Yahoo.
Although Molden is a borderline first-round talent (number 35 on Dane Brugler’s Big Board), it’s not likely he goes on Day 1. Then again, it’s certainly not out of the question either. Rob Rang of Fox Sports has him going to the Buffalo Bills at the tail end of Round 1.
In the 23 mocks we audited, 15 predict Molden’s selection in Round 2. A solid pro day certainly raised his draft stock. One of the more intriguing mock drafts have Molden going to the Seattle Seahawks in the second round. A whole lot of dominoes have to fall for Seattle to draft a nickel cornerback that early.
According to the mock results, Molden’s most likely destination is to Pittsburgh in Round 2 (55th overall).
While at Washington, Taylor mostly played outside cover corner. He did move inside for multi-defensive back sets. So he can cover the slot as well as outside. At 6-3, Taylor has the length to cover receivers that NFL teams love and the willingness to play physical press coverage. He also does a great job coming to the line on run plays to either make tackles or force rushers inside.
Against fast receivers, if Taylor can’t jam his man on the line, he can get lost in coverage. For a guy who covers so well (10 passes defended in 29 games), Taylor didn’t have any college interceptions.
It’s an understatement to say opinions vary on Keith Taylor. On the positive end, one mock has him going in the second round. On the low end, Taylor is a low seventh-rounder.
The answer probably lies in the middle. Most of the mocks have Taylor going in the third and fourth round.
“Overall, Taylor will fit in well with a zone press team and he can execute man coverage against some NFL receivers, but certain, quicker, ones will pose an issue at times. He has all the measurables teams are looking for, and enough athletic ability to intrigue, but his lack of ball production may be an issue.” – Nick Falato, Sports Illustrated.
Although they didn’t appear in the mock drafts we audited, two other Huskies quarterback Kevin Thomson and defensive lineman Josiah Bronson have a chance to get drafted on Day 3.
Where do you think the two former University of Washington defensive backs will go in the NFL draft? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.