LB Josh Uche will not participate in NFL Combine drills

How will Josh Uche's injury change his draft stock?

The Atlanta Falcons are expected to target several defensive players in the 2020 NFL Draft this April. One of their potential targets, former Michigan linebacker Josh Uche, will not participate in the drills at the NFL scouting combine this week according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Uche suffered a hamstring injury during the Senior Bowl. While he won't participate in drills, at least the Falcons will be able to met him for an interview if the organization chooses to. 

Uche never started a game at Michigan, but as a senior in 2019, he posted 35 total tackles, including 11.5 for loss and 8.5 sacks. He also had eight quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups. 

Those numbers are strong, but his draft profile at NFL.com isn't quite as favorable. NFL analyst Lance Zierlein argued that Uche has a great skill set and athletic potential, but also wrote that his "inexperience and lack of instincts make him a challenging evaluation.

Overall, NFL.com awarded Uche a 6.26 player grade, which places him between two different tiers. The lower of which is described as "good backup who could become a starter." The higher end tier he fell just short of is made up of players who "will be a starter within first two seasons."

Uche most certainly won't be a first-round pick and may not go in the second round either, but he's a name to watch for later on Day 2 and on Day 3 for the Falcons. After a certain point, some organization is going to determine his athletic ability and potential outweighs the risk and will roll the dice on him. With their amount of defensive needs, it very well could be the Falcons.

While he'll still be at the NFL combine in some capacity, it will be interesting to see how this hamstring injury affects his draft stock.

The NFL combine began Sunday, but the linebackers will report Tuesday.