I’m a huge fan of the University of Washington athletics program, and this is the first year their football team has been a national power in my lifetime, and I couldn’t be more excited. After a 12-2 season and a birth in the College Football Playoff, a bunch of Huskies have declared for the NFL Draft, whether it be as seniors or juniors who have decided to leave a year early, and I believe that all of them will make an impact for the team that picks them. And personally, as a Patriots fan, I'd love to see at least two of these names trade in their purple and gold for red, white and blue!

Let’s start with the seniors, and Joe Mathis, a defensive end who missed the 2^nd half of the season due to a foot injury. He was a huge impact when he was on the field, and losing him for the year hurt the Huskies a lot. He recorded 5 sacks before having his season end early, and we saw the Husky defense’s numbers decrease after he went down. He’s a 2^nd or 3^rd round prospect with the potential to make an immediate impact off the edge with his speed, strength and exceptional ability to contort his body to get around offensive tackles on the outside.

Next, we have tight end Darrell Daniels, who’s numbers don’t exactly pop off the page if you’re looking at a stat sheet, but he’s a good vertical threat tight end that can make an impact over the middle of the field with his speed. Running the 40 yard dash at the NFL Combine later this month will certainly improve his draft stock, as many believe he will run the fastest 40 by a tight end at the combine, and he’d be a great late round steal for a team looking for a tight end threat

The last senior that should get drafted is cornerback Kevin King. Everyone who likes college football has seen King’s highlight reel play, where he made a one handed interception in the end zone against Arizona State, but there’s so much more to him than that. Standing at 6 foot 3, King has the length to cover some of the taller receivers in the league, and the jumping ability to stay with them too. While wiry, and not as strong as you might like, his coverage skills are incredibly valuable, especially at his size and should be taken somewhere in the 3^rd round, which personally, I’d consider a steal.

Now to the juniors, and let’s start with Elijah Qualls, a 311 pound defensive tackle, who is also athletic enough to be an edge rusher if needed, even though most NFL teams would probably like to keep him on the inside. Qualls is athletic enough to play in both a 4-3 and a 3-4 style defense, and I believe he would thrive in either, but would be a true weapon in the 3-4, as he is athletic and large enough to cover both A-gaps in the run game and is an exceptional tackler. We should hear his name called early in the 2^nd round of the draft.

Next on the list is safety Budda Baker, who has drawn comparisons to one of the NFL’s elite safeties, Tyrann Mathieu. Baker, like Mathieu is a bit on the short side, but they are both incredibly athletic, strong, fast and have an incredible ability to find the ball. The one knock some teams might have on Baker are his ball skills, as interceptions are a little harder to come by with him, but that shouldn’t stop him from being drafted in the late 1^st or early 2^nd round of the draft.

John Ross. I love everything this guy can do on the football field at the wide receiver position. Fast, strong hands, exceptional route runner, can return kicks and line up in any position on the field and find success. Give him the ball and a little bit of space to work with, and Ross can find the end zone, which was proven this year by the 19 total touchdowns he scored. By the way did I mention he’s fast? I know I did, but Ross is a true blazer. He has a legitimate chance to tie or break the combine record for the 40 yard dash, which is currently 4.24 seconds. At the Husky Spring Combine, Ross recorded a 40 at 4.25 seconds, so if he isn’t picked in the 1^st round, something is probably wrong.

As an amateur flag football defensive back, who doesn’t have the ball thrown his way very much, I’m a huge fan of Sidney Jones’. The Huskies played 14 games this year, teams only targeted the receiver that Sidney Jones was covering 48 total times. If that isn’t enough for you, Jones also did not allow a single touchdown in coverage this year. If those stats right there don’t make him the top cornerback in the draft, I don’t know what’s happened to the NFL.