SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4 Sports) – The Utes football could have as many as five players drafted next month, which would tie for the third most in school history.
But the headliner no doubt is tight end Dalton Kincaid, who who didn’t work out Utah’s annual Pro Day, where 31 NFL teams were represented. Kincaid just got medically cleared after suffering a back injury last season, but he’s being projected to be take in the first round.
“Honestly, I think that’s more for my dad,” Kincaid said. “If I was to go in the first round, I think that would be awesome. I think it would be a great reflection of this program.”
From playing at the University of San Diego just four years ago, to now a probable first round draft pick after a season in which he caught 70 passes for 890 yards and eight touchdowns, it has been quite a journey for Dalton Kincaid.
“It’s definitely something that’s crazy,” Kincaid said. “It’s a dream come true for me, but there are just a lot of people who got me here and sacrificed a lot.”
Kincaid has yet to work out for NFL teams, but he has plenty of game film, and he enjoys all the interviews he’s been doing.
“It’s fun,” he said. “A little bit of it is talking about your upbringing, and then talking ball. So, really just showing I’m healthy, able to move, and that I’m back to my true self.”
Clark Phillips III has been destined for the NFL ever since coming to Utah. With six interceptions and two pick-6’s last year, Phillips has proven to be a shutdown corner, and should go in the second or third rounds.
“What I’m hearing right now is the smarts, the understanding of the game, and then also the versatility,” Phillips said. “I’ve never been the fastest, I’ve never been the biggest. Shoot, I’m probably shorter than everybody here, but that’s not my game. I got to cover some of the best of the best and I fared really, really well.”
Phillips has dreamed going 1-on-1 against some of the best receivers in the NFL.
“Most definitely,” Phillips said. “I won’t give any names, but I got some on my list.”
Offensive lineman Braeden Daniels has size, athleticism and can play anywhere on the line. Daniels mostly played tackle at Utah, but will be an interior lineman in the NFL at guard or center. He’s been projected to go anywhere from the 4th through 6th rounds.
“Definitely my versatility, my explosiveness and quick push off the ball,” Daniels said when asked about what scouts like about his game. “Me being able to play a bunch of different positions. That and my IQ of the game.”
Linebacker Mo Diabate, who today recorded the longest broad jump of anybody tested at the NFL Combine, and running back Tavion Thomas could also hear their names called next month, as the Utes pipeline to the NFL continues.
“We’ve got some talent in this class,” Daniels said. “We’ve got some ballers for real.”
“It’s legacy, man,” Phillips added. “It’s a standard that those guys set before me. I’m just trying to live it out, keep it going and on top of that, establish my own legacy as a Ute.”
The NFL Draft is in Kansas City April 27th through the 29th on ABC4.