Analysis

2/27/23

5 min read

2023 NFL Combine Predictions: Small-School Prospect Who Will Become Household Name

The NFL’s Scouting Combine begins on Feb. 27 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, with the first day of on-field drills beginning on March 2 and running through March 6. This is the first in a series of predictions from The 33rd Team's Scouting Department leading into the event.

The combine doesn’t play favorites, and that’s a good thing for players from smaller schools who don’t get the publicity of those from the television-saturated Power Five. The door is wide-open for these lesser-known prospects to come to Indy and dramatically improve their draft stock.

We asked three of our former NFL general managers and four members of our scouting team which small-school, non-Power Five prospect will show out in Indianapolis and become a household name after the combine.

The 33rd Team Scouts

Diamond: Isaiah Land, Edge, Florida A&M

"Isaiah Land was one of the top defensive players in FCS last season. He's an ultra-productive player who finished with an astounding 19 sacks and 25.5 tackles for loss in 2021. At 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, he needs to build himself up, but he performed well at the Senior Bowl against big-school competition.

"Another small-school guy I like is South Dakota State tight end Tucker Kraft. He is intriguing and will create more pre-draft buzz because he’s from the same college that produced Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert. Both Kraft and Goedert grew up in South Dakota and are almost identical in size (6-foot-5, 255 pounds). Kraft is athletic with good hands and body control. He is a good enough blocker who will improve at the next level. He will be one of the first FCS players picked in the draft."

Spielman: Cody Mauch, OT, North Dakota St.

"Cody Mauch put a lot of good tape together this past fall but against lower-level competition. He played exclusively at left tackle in college, but how would he project if he had to move inside to guard? He answered those questions at the Senior Bowl. The coaches lined him up at tackle and guard, and he had some snaps at center. The Senior Bowl stage was not too big for him. Offensive linemen are not the 'sexy pick', but Mauch has a chance to continue improving his draft stock and build off his strong Senior Bowl showing. It won’t take long for him to hear his name called early on Day 2 of the draft, if not on Day 1."

Tannenbaum: Mauch

"Cody Mauch had a tremendous Senior Bowl week, and his offseason momentum will continue at Indy. Athletically, he’s not ideal, but I do see him starting as a guard in Year 1."

McCreight: Nic Jones, DB, Ball State

"Jones will impress when he works out in front of the scouts. He has good height (6 feet) and length and will be an impressive-looking player. A lot of the decision-makers in the league have never seen him in person, and I am sure they are eager to watch him up close. He will do well in the drills because of his speed, quickness, hands, and ball skills. I expect him to gobble up the football and show the movement skills that you look for in an NFL defensive back. He also will impress people when they speak with him because he is a smart kid with good character. He will be a player that NFL teams will want in their building."

Casey: Hunter Luepke, TE, North Dakota St.

"Hunter Luepke is an unusual prospect in the modern game because only a few NFL teams still utilize a fullback on a regular basis. Luepke could be the next Kyle Juszczyk, the jack-of-all-trades San Francisco 49ers fullback. Luepke is a physical runner with some unusual ball skills for a 6-foot-1, 240-pound athlete. He can run, catch, and block, and he could be a valuable player for the right team. He might not run a sub-4.7-second 40, but he will have a very solid week and cement himself his status as a draftable player."

Cohn: Tucker Kraft, TE, South Dakota St.

"Kraft has a chance to turn some heads at Indy and be the breakout small-school prospect of the week. He is a very good athlete but raw as a tight end; he did not play the position until he got to college. I expect him to test well in drill work, and teams will love his size (6-foot-5, 255 pounds). If he can put together a complete week, I could see a team taking a chance on his athletic upside earlier than expected on Day 2 of the draft."

Pritt: Princeton WR Andrei Iosivas

"Andrei Iosivas will make his name known. He’s another receiver with blazing speed who can take the top off defenses. He registered the fourth-fastest in-game speed among all combine participants (22.2 mph) and posted the fastest-ever 60-meter time (6.71 seconds) in the heptathlon during the 2022 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships."

 


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