The 2019 NFL draft has arrived, and once again a fair amount of Utah Utes could their names called. Before we jump into the seven guys to keep an eye on, the crazy thing to remember is that the 2019 squad will return four soon-to-be seniors: who all would have been drafted this weekend: Zack Moss, Leki Fotu, Julian Blackmon, and Bradlee Anae.
As fortunate as head coach Kyle Whittingham is to keep those guys around, the group below, will only add to the narrative that the University of Utah is one of the top schools in the country at developing NFL talent:
Cody Barton
A late riser on the draft, Barton’s football IQ is off the charts, and in 2018, he improved his greatest perceived weakness: open field tackling. Barton was an honorable mention for the All Pac-12 team as a senior after his impressive season. There are late whispers that he could climb into the top 100 after a strong combine and solid workouts. Barton’s agent, himself, is telling some people as early as the second round. However, a lot would have to fall Cody’s way for that to happen.
Chase Hansen
There are two things keeping Hansen from being a high pick: age and injuries. Whatever team gets lucky enough to get him, will be landing a 2nd round talent, likely in the later rounds. The All Pac-12 linebacker, when healthy, was better than most of the backers he faced in his one year at the position. As long as his injuries subside a bit, Hansen could be a valuable NFL contributor early on.
Marquise Blair
The big question is likely, which Ute will go first, Cody or Marquise? Blair has shown he can play both free and strong safety after earning All Pac-12 second team in his senior year. However, with his hard-hitting approach and ability to play in the box, strong safety should be his likely home in the NFL.
Jackson Barton
A frame that NFL teams drool over, but with a mean streak that comes and goes. Jackson is likely to be the second of the Barton brothers drafted, but he might have the most untapped potential. Like his brother, Jackson was an honorable mention to the All Pac-12 team his senior year. With the in-depth medical, he also had questions raised about his back—which surprised him—but in the process he’s proven that it’s a non-issue.
Jordan Agasiva
When the line struggled, Agasiva was the first one that many targeted—I know I’m guilty of it. The truth is, that at times the criticism was justified, but when the Utes switched to the bunch formation or when Agasiva was asked to pull-block, he strengths became an asset, for the offense. He even finished the year on the All Pac-12 first team. Could an NFL team focus more on his film in the bunch formation and see his promising potential, since the spread is a rarity at the next level? Regardless of if he’s drafted or not, Agasiva should stick to an NFL roster.
Mitch Wishnowsky
The former Ray Guy Award winner has a much better chance to stick to an NFL roster than former Ute and fellow Australian, Tom Hackett. His honors include second team All-American and first team All Pac-12 his senior year. The only question is, will his name get called, since punters aren’t the most common to get called on draft day. From there you wonder if it could even just be best for Wishnowsky to go the free agency route and pick his team.
Matt Gay
The former Lou Groza Award winner is in the same situation as Wishnowsky, but with the ability to kick field goals that push 60 yards, some team is likely to use a pick on him—if not, it’ll be a bit of a shock. He was placed on the All American third team and All Pac-12 team his senior year, proving that he is one of the best kickers in the nation.
