That sorry 4-8 season aside, most people agree that the University of Washington football team had plenty of talent on the roster to be so much better.
Last season’s blip was largely caused by an overabundance of crippling injuries combined with the gross mismanagement of the remaining resources, which, of course, led to a coaching change.
As the Huskies enter a rebound season under the guidance of Kalen DeBoer, the new coach should send a much-improved product onto the field with the players he inherited and ones culled from the transfer portal to supplement them.
Pro Football Network seems to think so after examining the NFL prospects for 24 different UW players, although concluding not all of them will be pro material. Some might not enter the draft for another season or two, but they’re eligible to make that move if they choose.
Still, the observations provided by PFN’s James Fragoza on each player from Montlake are enlightening and in most cases fairly astute.
Zion Tupuola-Fetui and Jaxson Kirkland, both injured last fall and forced to play additional college seasons they did not foresee, should be the top NFL targets on the current Husky roster.
Kirkland, it was noted, was considered a top 15 pick as an offensive tackle at this juncture a year ago but will be a 25-year-old rookie when he’s ready to finally pursue the NFL, which is older than preferred.
If there was a quibble about Kirkland’s play, Fragoza notes, the 6-foot-7 player sometimes lost leverage with “a high-end frame.” He wasn’t wrong about that. Kirkland now weighs 340 pounds, up from 310, in order to improve his success rate.
The PFN analyst still considers ZTF the UW’s top pro prospect and capable of being a high draft choice if he can stay healthy and come up with another season full of sacks similar to 2020.
Fragoza pointed out how new running back Wayne Taulapapa, the Virginia transfer, suffered a pair of documented concussions last season that made him an injury victim.
With new quarterback Michael Penix Jr., the Indiana transfer was praised for his arm strength yet downgraded for having poor throwing mechanics.
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Tight end Devin Culp is favorably compared to former Husky Hunter Bryant for his athleticism. Yet the suggestion was made that Culp will be drafted whereas Bryant, a second-team AP All-America selection in 2019, signed as an undrafted free agent.
Offensive guard Henry Bainivalu is pegged as a late-round draft possibility because he has a big frame that he utilizes well, but lacks the quickness needed to become a higher pick.
Victor Curne, a two-year starting offensive tackle who could be a Husky back-up this season, was said to have struggled last season specifically in pass protection.
Troy Fautanu, who is a sophomore in pandemic-adjusted eligibility, is described as “uber-athletic” as an offensive lineman and someone who will be a desired draftee when he’s ready to come out.
Physical edge rusher Jeremiah Martin has greatly improved all facets of his game since transferring from Texas A&M to the UW, according to PFN, and could be a desirable draft pick.
Linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio was described as an NFL-caliber player who would have been in the 2023 draft until he injured an arm and a knee that required surgery over the past 10 months, bouncing him to the 2024 draft.
Jordan Perryman, the portal transfer cornerback from UC Davis, is said to have looked the part of a pro-bound Husky defensive back, of which there have been many.
PFN’s story on the different Husky draft possibilities can be accessed here.
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