Five UCLA Football Products Earn Invites to 2022 NFL Scouting Combine
A half-dozen Bruins are one step closer to the pros.
Left tackle Sean Rhyan, tight end Greg Dulcich, receiver Kyle Philips, defensive lineman Otito Ogbonnia and safety Quentin Lake have been invited to represent UCLA football at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The annual event, which stands as the premiere showcase for highly-coveted NFL Draft prospects, will get underway March 1 and last until March 7.
The first group of players will arrive in Indianapolis on Feb. 28 for registration, interviews, orientation and pre-exams. Dulcich and Philips will be the first players to compete in on-the-field workouts on March 3 alongside the rest of the quarterbacks, tight ends and wide receivers, while Rhyan and the offensive linemen will do so March 4, Ogbonnia and the front seven players will get their chance March 5 and Lake and the defensive backs will close things out March 6.
This marks the most UCLA products heading to Indianapolis since 2018, when quarterback Josh Rosen, receiver Jordan Lasley, offensive lineman Kolton Miller, offensive lineman Scott Quessenberry, defensive lineman Matt Dickerson and linebacker Kenny Young all earned invites.
Offensive lineman Andre James and tight end Caleb Wilson went to the NFL Combine in 2019, then the quartet of cornerback Darnay Holmes, tight end Devin Asiasi, running back Joshua Kelley and kicker JJ Molson participated in 2020. There was no in-person combine in 2021.
20 of the previous 24 non-special teams UCLA prospects who have gone to the NFL Combine over the past six cycles wound up getting drafted a few weeks later, and those who didn't all signed undrafted free agent contracts almost immediately. That puts this new group of six Bruins on the right path towards the NFL in one way or another.
Dulcich and Ogbonnia were the two from this current class who earned a spot at the Reese's Senior Bowl, the top collegiate all-star showcase, and Philips was listed as a late replacement there as well. Philips ultimately did not go to Mobile after impressing at practice ahead of the East-West Shrine Bowl earlier in the week, where he was joined by Lake.
Rhyan did not participate in any of the major showcase events, but has long been projected to be the first Bruin off the board.
A few UCLA players who made appearances elsewhere in the leadup to the combine invites being sent out were running back Brittain Brown, cornerback Obi Eboh and defensive back Qwuantrezz Knight, who all played at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl in January. None of them had the option to return to Westwood, as they were out of eligibility, but early-entrant right tackle Alec Anderson did, and he has yet to appear anywhere on the draft circuit.
The first round of the 2022 NFL Draft will begin on April 29, with the second and third rounds taking place on April 30 and the fourth through seventh rounds set for May 1.
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