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The NFL combine begins Thursday, and for around 330 NFL draft prospects, the four-day showcase is the start of reaching their ultimate goal of becoming an NFL player.
While there’s a smaller group than last year, when there were six former Utes participating, Utah will still be well represented at the draft’s premier event in Indianapolis.
Scouts from every NFL team will be on hand during the combine and will be able to interview players in addition to watching them go through drills, which include the bench press, 40-yard dash, vertical jump, broad jump, 3-cone drill and 20-yard shuttle.
These interviews, combined with the drills and measurements, can give front office personnel valuable insight into players before drafting them.
Defensive tackle Junior Tafuna, linebacker Karene Reid and tight end Brant Kuithe are the former Utes scheduled to participate in this year’s draft combine. The combine will be televised on NFL Network and available to stream on NFL+.
Here’s how to watch each former Ute participate this week, along with their big board ranking and scouting reports from NFL.com.
Junior Tafuna, DT
- 2024 stats: 31 tackles, three tackles for loss, one pass breakup
- Height and weight: 6-foot-2, 303 pounds
- PFF Big Board rank: 189
- ESPN positional Big Board rank: 23
- NFL.com prospect grade: 5.80 (average backup or special-teamer)
- How to watch: Thursday starting at 1 p.m. MST
Scouting report (from NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein): “Tafuna lacks the traits and production teams look for from interior defenders, but his athletic flashes might be enough to create intrigue. He’s gritty at the point of attack, fighting to neutralize double-teams and down blocks but has a smaller margin for error. He gets around with fluidity and good change of direction when he’s twisting and stunting. He can chase plays down the line. Tafuna is an early-down-only player with some rush qualities that could be developed, but his ceiling is limited.”
Karene Reid, LB
- 2024 stats: 54 tackles, six tackles for loss, three sacks, one pass breakup, one interception
- Height and weight: 6-foot, 231 pounds
- PFF Big Board rank: 225
- ESPN positional Big Board rank: 21
- NFL prospect grade: 5.80 (average backup or special-teamer)
- How to watch: Thursday starting at 1 p.m. MST
Scouting report (from NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein): “Undersized linebacker with a revved-up motor and instincts that take him to the action. Reid comes from NFL bloodlines and plays the game with passion. He diagnoses quickly and is focused on getting to where he needs to be, but his lack of size and length will make it hard to leverage his gap as a pro. He’s below average in coverage but shows some instincts and talent as a blitzer. He saw limited reps on special teams but has the motor and play demeanor for the job.”
Brant Kuithe, TE
- 2024 stats: 35 receptions for 505 yards and six touchdowns
- Height and weight: 6-foot-2, 236 pounds
- PFF Big Board rank: 266
- ESPN positional Big Board rank: 22
- NFL prospect grade: 5.66 (candidate for bottom of roster or practice squad)
- How to watch: Friday starting at 1 p.m. MST
Scouting report (from NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein): “Kuithe comes into the league as an undersized, 25-year-old rookie with a concerning history of injuries. He is too small to work in-line but can be used as a lead blocker or from the slot, where he can snatch up and subdue defenders in space. Kuithe is a productive pass catcher with good route acumen, speed to work downfield and run-after-catch talent. He also drops too many catchable throws and struggles badly to win combat catches. Size, age and injury history work against his chances of being drafted but he’s a quality football player worthy of an opportunity in camp.”
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