Gophers top draft prospects
DE Boye Mafe
At 6-4 and 261 pounds, Mafe has freakish athletic skills that include a 42-inch vertical jump during Gophers pro day and a 4.53-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. Add in a Senior Bowl — in which he had two sacks, three tackles for loss and a forced fumble on the way to winning team MVP honors — and Mafe has shot up the draft rankings. He's projected in many mock drafts as an early pick in the second round if not a late first-rounder.
OT Daniel Faalele
The Australian is relatively new to football and has work to do to become a refined player, but his 6-8, 384-pound size make him an intriguing prospect. Had a productive career as a Gopher, earning a starting job as a true freshman, playing on an 11-2 team in 2019 and returning strong in 2021 after taking the 2020 season off because of COVID-19 concerns. Faalele is expected to be picked in either the second or third round.
DE Esezi Otomewo
The 6-5, 282-pounder was a steady performer for the Gophers in 2021, earning All-Big Ten honorable mention after collecting 30 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. Showed versatility by playing tackle at times and was strong against the run. Otomewo was limited at the combine and Gophers pro day because of a knee injury suffered in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. He's projected as a Day 3 pick, possibly in the sixth or seventh round.
G Blaise Andries
A versatile 6-6, 308-pounder, Andries played mostly at right guard but has experience everywhere but center on the line. Extremely durable for the Gophers, Andries started all 46 games in his college career. Lateral quickness is one of the scouts' concerns with Andries, and projections have him going in the seventh round or signing as a free agent.
TE Ko Kieft
A devastating blocker throughout his Gophers career, Kieft might have been the best blocking tight end in college football in 2021 but did not receive an NFL combine invitation. At 6-5 and 265, Kieft is a big target that could be a threat in goal-line situations. He's projected as an undrafted free agent.
CB Coney Durr
In his sixth season with the Gophers, Durr came on strong in 2021, making 40 tackles, breaking up five passes and developing coverage skills. At 5-10, he doesn't have the length NFL teams like, so he'll likely be an undrafted free agent.
Others with Minnesota ties
DE Jermaine Johnson II, Florida State
A winding path brought Johnson (6-5, 254 pounds) from Eden Prairie to a potential first-round pick. He's one of 21 prospects expected to attend the NFL draft's opening night. He had 12.5 sacks in 20 games at Independence (Kan.) Community College, where he was part of Netflix's "Last Chance U" and became a coveted prospect who signed with Georgia. After two years in a loaded Bulldogs defense, Johnson sought more playing time in transferring to Florida State, where he made his mark with 11.5 sacks last season.
WR Isaiah Weston, Northern Iowa
One of the best deep threats in the FCS, Weston (6-3, 214 pounds) emerged from St. Michael-Albertville High School to dominate cornerbacks in the Missouri Valley Conference. He bounced back from a knee injury in 2019 to earn second-team All-America honors with a team-leading 1,053 yards and 10 touchdowns on only 43 grabs. In his next full campaign last year, the speedy Weston, who needed 4.42 seconds to run 40 yards at the combine, led the FCS with 23.9 yards per catch.
OT Matt Waletzko, North Dakota
A towering tackle from Rocori High School in Cold Spring, Minn., Waletzko (6-8, 312 pounds) is another FCS prospect on the NFL's radar. He started 26 games at left tackle over four years for the Fighting Hawks. Waletzko earned an invitation to the Senior Bowl a few months ago in Mobile, Ala., where he competed against upper-level competition despite a shoulder injury that kept him out of UND's final two games. He could be the first UND player selected in the NFL draft since 2006, when guard Chris Kuper — now the Vikings offensive line coach — was a fifth-round pick.
