What Is The Conventional Wisdom On Indiana NFL Draft Prospects?

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The NFL Draft is this week. The first round takes place at 8 p.m. Thursday. The second and third rounds begin at 7 p.m. Friday. Rounds four to eight begin at noon Sunday.

It’s unlikely that any Indiana players will be taken in the first round. It is possible an Indiana player could be chosen on Friday, but it’s more likely that Indiana NFL Draft hopefuls will hear their name Saturday.

Who is most likely to be chosen? Focus tends to be on NFL combine invitees CJ West, a defensive tackle, and quarterback Kurtis Rourke. Tackle Trey Wedig was not at the combine.

The myriad of sources available to track such things as draft potential makes it difficult to make an accurate assessment of where particular players may be taken. Mock drafts spring up like weeds, and many are team-focused without any effort to truly assess the draft from top to bottom.

For what it’s worth, the website NFL Mock Draft Database has West as a projected fourth round pick. That’s it. Rourke, linebacker Jailin Walker, tackle Trey Wedig, linebacker Jacob Mangum-Farrar, guard Nick Kidwell and running back Ty Son Lawton are all projected as likely free agent signings after the draft.

However, that’s solely based on the websites they consult. Rourke was also named as a sleeper quarterback pick by USA Today. In other words, you can find the most favorable assessment if you really hunt for it.

A better measure might be the NFL’s own prospect tracker on NFL.com. It at least endeavors to offer an objective analysis without regard to how a player fits on an individual team.

West received a prospect grade of 5.96. By their standard, this equates to an “average backup or special-teamer.”

West was ranked eighth among defensive tackles at the combine, including a third-place ranking in athleticism. His 4.95 second 40-yard dash time was one of the fastest at the combine.

NFL analyst Lance Zierlein said West’s strengths include good foot quickness and quick read-and-react lateral movement. Weaknesses include average first-step quickness and getting “washed out of his gap by down blocks.”

He projects West as a sixth-round pick.

Wedig gets good marks from Zierlein, a score of 5.92 and a projected sixth or seventh round pick. Zierlein thinks Wedig could be converted to a guard spot because while he gives Wedig high marks in a set position, he thinks Wedig doesn’t have the length or “slide quickness” and could be better placed as a guard if he can get stronger.

Rourke received a prospect grade of 5.82. In Zierlein’s breakdown, Rourke’s knee injury he played through in 2024 is given plenty of attention. On one hand, he says that since Rourke isn’t mobile, the ACL tear won’t dramatically affect his draft stock. But Zierlein also notes that the injury negates a fair assessment of his delivery and velocity. Despite the injury, Rourke produced impressive stats last season.

Strengths listed include grace under pressure, toughness and size. Weaknesses included a drop in accuracy when flushed from the pocket, lack of mobility and inconsistency in placing throws for moving targets. He is projected as a seventh round pick or to be an undrafted free agent.

Zierlein also assessed Walker. He scores Walker higher than Rourke at 5.85, but he makes no prediction on draft status.

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