36 former Pac-12 starts invited to 2022 NFL Combine
SAN FRANCISCO - The NFL released the list of players invited to the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine with 36 of the 324 prospects coming from the Pac-12, the third most among all conferences. After being remote due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, the combine returns to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and will be broadcast on NFL Network from March 1 through March 7 and will feature athletes from 10 of the 12 conference members.
ARIZONA STATE led all Pac-12 schools with eight invitations, four on offense and four on defense. It's only the seventh time in the Pac-12 era that a school has sent at least eight players to the combine.
Running back Rachaad White, who rushed for over 1,000 yards with 15 rushing touchdowns this season, helped his stock with 52 rushing yards on 11 carries at the Senior Bowl.
Meanwhile, five of the Sun Devils were featured in the East-West Shrine Bowl with offensive tackle Kellen Diesch representing the offense and linebacker Darien Butler, defensive tackle D.J. Davidson and defensive backs Jack Jones and Chase Lucasrepresenting the defense.
Tight end Curtis Hodges played in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl and had one catch for 13 yards.
Offensive lineman Dohnovan West was the team's starting center this season, moving from right guard to replace previous starter Cade Cote, but missed the Sun Devils' bowl game with a hand injury.
MOST NFL COMBINE INVITATIONS IN PAC-12 ERA
OREGON will be represented with six players at the combine, headlined by the potential number one overall pick in the 2022 Draft, defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux. Despite battling injuries in 2021, Thibodeaux still became the fourth unanimous All-American in program history.
Consensus All-American safety Verone McKinley III, who tied for the FBS lead in interceptions this season with six, saw his stock jump when he was added to the Senior Bowl roster. Running back CJ Verdell will look to show he's healthy after suffering a season-ending injury in early October. Verdell finished his Ducks career just short of 3,000 rushing yards.
Devon Williams and Johnny Johnson III give Oregon two wide receivers at the combine for the first time since 2016 with Bralon Addison and Byron Marshall.
And lastly, cornerback Mykael Wright will look to show his coverage skills on top of his ability as an elite kick returner. This is the third straight year and the sixth time in the Pac-12 era that Oregon has had at least six players invited to the combine.
USC will send five to this year's combine, the 10th time in 11 years in the Pac-12 era that they've sent at least five players.
Wide receiver Drake London and linebacker Drake Jackson both have the chance to prove themselves as first-round picks. London was the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year with 88 receptions for 1,084 yards and 7 touchdowns despite playing just 7.5 games, suffering a season-ending broken ankle.
Jackson, a 3-time All-Pac-12 selection, should thrive in this setting to show off his elite athleticism.
Running back Keaontay Ingram rushed for over 900 yards in his lone season with USC after transferring from Texas, was one of the stars of the East-West Shrine Bowl practices. Chris Steele and Isaac Taylor-Stuart give the Trojans two defensive backs in the Combine for the second straight year (Talanoa Hufanga, Olaijah Griffin).
UCLA will also be sending five players to Indianapolis this year, their most in the Chip Kelly era.
Tight end Greg Dulcich and defensive lineman Otito Ogbonnia are both coming off the Senior Bowl where Dulcich had one catch for 10 yards. Wide receiver Kyle Phillips was a standout during practices for the East-West Shrine bowl, drawing comparisons to a current Las Vegas Raiders receiver.
While Phillips passed on the actual game, defensive back Quentin Lake did take part in the East-West Shrine Bowl. Offensive lineman Sean Rhyan did not take part in any of the college all-star games but was recently projected as a second-round pick by ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr.
WASHINGTON will have four at this year's combine, their sixth straight year of having at least four players invited. Trent McDuffieand Kyler Gordon, both potential first-round picks, give the Huskies multiple defensive backs invited to the Combine for the second straight year and fourth time in the last six years. In fact, in the last six years, Washington has had 11 defensive backs selected to participate.
Luke Wattenberg was a versatile offensive lineman for the Huskies, playing left guard, left tackle, and for the final 16 games of his career, at center. Tight end Cade Otton will have the opportunity to show he's recovered from a leg injury that prematurely ended his college career.
3 players will be representing WASHINGTON STATE in Indianapolis. Offensive lineman Abraham Lucas and defensive back Jaylen Watson both boosted their draft stock at the Senior Bowl. Lucas was graded as the top pass-blocking tackle in the Pac-12 last year by Pro Football Focus.
Running back Max Borghi was selected for the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl after proving to be one of the most versatile backs in the country the last four years.
Defending Pac-12 champion UTAH will have 2 players at the Combine in large part to many of the Ute stars returning to Salt Lake City for another season.
Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year Devin Lloyd was invited to the Senior Bowl and his thought by many to be a Top 10 pick in this year's draft.
Fellow linebacker Nephi Sewell, who participated in the East-West Shrine Bowl, will follow in the footsteps of his younger brother Penei, the former Oregon Duck who was invited to last year's Combine before becoming the 7th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Three other Pac-12 schools will have one player each at this year's Combine with all three have participated in the East-West Shrine Bowl.
COLORADO linebacker Nate Landman showed his recovery from an injury that shortened his final season in Boulder.
STANFORD defensive lineman Thomas Booker was the star of the pass-rushing drills during those practices and OREGON STATE tight end Teagan Quitoriano caught a touchdown in the game.
SAN FRANCISCO - The NFL released the list of players invited to the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine with 36 of the 324 prospects coming from the Pac-12, the third most among all conferences. After being remote due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, the combine returns to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and will be broadcast on NFL Network from March 1 through March 7 and will feature athletes from 10 of the 12 conference members.
ARIZONA STATE led all Pac-12 schools with eight invitations, four on offense and four on defense. It's only the seventh time in the Pac-12 era that a school has sent at least eight players to the combine.
Running back Rachaad White, who rushed for over 1,000 yards with 15 rushing touchdowns this season, helped his stock with 52 rushing yards on 11 carries at the Senior Bowl.
Meanwhile, five of the Sun Devils were featured in the East-West Shrine Bowl with offensive tackle Kellen Diesch representing the offense and linebacker Darien Butler, defensive tackle D.J. Davidson and defensive backs Jack Jones and Chase Lucasrepresenting the defense.
Tight end Curtis Hodges played in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl and had one catch for 13 yards.
Offensive lineman Dohnovan West was the team's starting center this season, moving from right guard to replace previous starter Cade Cote, but missed the Sun Devils' bowl game with a hand injury.
MOST NFL COMBINE INVITATIONS IN PAC-12 ERA
| 2020 Utah | 9 | DL Bradlee Anae, LB Francis Bernard, DB Julian Blackmon, DB Terrell Burgess, DL Leki Fotu, DB Javelin Guidry, DB Jaylon Johnson, RB Zack Moss, DL John Penisini |
| 2019 Washington | 9 | QB Jake Browning, LB Ben Burr-Kirven, DL Greg Gaines, RB Myles Gaskin, OL Kaleb McGary, DB Jordan Miller, DB Byron Murphy, DB Taylor Rapp, TE Drew Sample |
| 2016 UCLA | 9 | RB Paul Perkins, WR Jordan Payton, TE Thomas Duarte, OL Caleb Benenoch, OL Jake Brendel, OL Alex Redmond, DL Kenny Clark, LB Myles Jack, K Ka'imi Fairbairn |
| 2022 Arizona State | 8 | LB Darien Butler, DL D.J. Davidson, OL Kellen Diesch, TE Curtis Hodges, DB Jack Jones, DB Chase Lucas, OL Dohnovan West, RB Rachaad White |
| 2017 USC | 8 | OL Zach Banner, RB Justin Davis, DB Adoree' Jackson, OL Damien Mama, WR Darreus Rogers, WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, DL Stevie Tu'ikolovatu, OL Chad Wheeler |
| 2017 Utah | 8 | DB Brian Allen, OL Isaac Asiata, OL Garett Bolles, OL J.J. Dielman, DL Pita Taumoepenu, OL Sam Tevi, RB Joe Williams, DB Marcus Williams |
| 2014 Stanford | 8 | OL Cameron Fleming, RB Tyler Gaffney, FB Ryan Hewitt, DL Josh Mauro, DL Trent Murphy, DB Ed Reynolds, LB Shayne Skov, OL David Yankey |
Consensus All-American safety Verone McKinley III, who tied for the FBS lead in interceptions this season with six, saw his stock jump when he was added to the Senior Bowl roster. Running back CJ Verdell will look to show he's healthy after suffering a season-ending injury in early October. Verdell finished his Ducks career just short of 3,000 rushing yards.
Devon Williams and Johnny Johnson III give Oregon two wide receivers at the combine for the first time since 2016 with Bralon Addison and Byron Marshall.
And lastly, cornerback Mykael Wright will look to show his coverage skills on top of his ability as an elite kick returner. This is the third straight year and the sixth time in the Pac-12 era that Oregon has had at least six players invited to the combine.
USC will send five to this year's combine, the 10th time in 11 years in the Pac-12 era that they've sent at least five players.
Wide receiver Drake London and linebacker Drake Jackson both have the chance to prove themselves as first-round picks. London was the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year with 88 receptions for 1,084 yards and 7 touchdowns despite playing just 7.5 games, suffering a season-ending broken ankle.
Jackson, a 3-time All-Pac-12 selection, should thrive in this setting to show off his elite athleticism.
Running back Keaontay Ingram rushed for over 900 yards in his lone season with USC after transferring from Texas, was one of the stars of the East-West Shrine Bowl practices. Chris Steele and Isaac Taylor-Stuart give the Trojans two defensive backs in the Combine for the second straight year (Talanoa Hufanga, Olaijah Griffin).
UCLA will also be sending five players to Indianapolis this year, their most in the Chip Kelly era.
Tight end Greg Dulcich and defensive lineman Otito Ogbonnia are both coming off the Senior Bowl where Dulcich had one catch for 10 yards. Wide receiver Kyle Phillips was a standout during practices for the East-West Shrine bowl, drawing comparisons to a current Las Vegas Raiders receiver.
While Phillips passed on the actual game, defensive back Quentin Lake did take part in the East-West Shrine Bowl. Offensive lineman Sean Rhyan did not take part in any of the college all-star games but was recently projected as a second-round pick by ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr.
WASHINGTON will have four at this year's combine, their sixth straight year of having at least four players invited. Trent McDuffieand Kyler Gordon, both potential first-round picks, give the Huskies multiple defensive backs invited to the Combine for the second straight year and fourth time in the last six years. In fact, in the last six years, Washington has had 11 defensive backs selected to participate.
Luke Wattenberg was a versatile offensive lineman for the Huskies, playing left guard, left tackle, and for the final 16 games of his career, at center. Tight end Cade Otton will have the opportunity to show he's recovered from a leg injury that prematurely ended his college career.
3 players will be representing WASHINGTON STATE in Indianapolis. Offensive lineman Abraham Lucas and defensive back Jaylen Watson both boosted their draft stock at the Senior Bowl. Lucas was graded as the top pass-blocking tackle in the Pac-12 last year by Pro Football Focus.
Running back Max Borghi was selected for the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl after proving to be one of the most versatile backs in the country the last four years.
Defending Pac-12 champion UTAH will have 2 players at the Combine in large part to many of the Ute stars returning to Salt Lake City for another season.
Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year Devin Lloyd was invited to the Senior Bowl and his thought by many to be a Top 10 pick in this year's draft.
Fellow linebacker Nephi Sewell, who participated in the East-West Shrine Bowl, will follow in the footsteps of his younger brother Penei, the former Oregon Duck who was invited to last year's Combine before becoming the 7th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Three other Pac-12 schools will have one player each at this year's Combine with all three have participated in the East-West Shrine Bowl.
COLORADO linebacker Nate Landman showed his recovery from an injury that shortened his final season in Boulder.
STANFORD defensive lineman Thomas Booker was the star of the pass-rushing drills during those practices and OREGON STATE tight end Teagan Quitoriano caught a touchdown in the game.
| Pac-12 University | NFL Combine Invitees |
|---|---|
| Arizona State | 8 |
| Oregon | 6 |
| UCLA, USC | 5 |
| Washington | 4 |
| Washington State | 3 |
| Utah | 2 |
| Colorado, Stanford, Oregon State | 1 |
