UK should be well-represented in draft talk a year from now
No Kentucky football players will hear their names called tonight, the first night of the NFL Draft. Even beyond the first round, there aren't any guarantees.
The Wildcats' foes will use UK's recent draft record against them, but next year should be a different story. In 2019, Kentucky should send a number of players to the NFL and some of them will be vying for respectable draft positions.
Here Cats Illustrated runs down some of the players who will be draft eligible for the Wildcats after the 2018 season.
Linebacker Josh Allen (Sr.)
If Allen had decided to leave Kentucky after the 2017 season to enter this year's draft he probably would have been picked before anyone else from Mark Stoops' program who might have made the same decision. Now, he has the potential to be "the next Bud Dupree," as Stoops has said. The offseason goal has been to pack on as much quality weight as possible, to improve his strength and durability. If Allen can sustain the kind of production he turned in during the first half of last season, his draft outlook will be very strong.
Running back Benny Snell (Jr.)
Snell wasn't able to enter the 2018 draft because a player has to be three years removed from high school, but the widespread expectation is that the star Kentucky running back will enter the 2019 draft, after the conclusion of his junior season. Running backs can only carry so much mileage and it might be wise to "get his" while he's still young and in his prime. Snell will have outstanding name recognition throughout the SEC, college football and among draft scouts, so all that remains is for him to prove he has a well-rounded game. Showcasing his pass protection and pass receiving skills are among the top priorities for Snell the prospect in 2018.
Safety Mike Edwards (Sr.)
Edwards is one of the most well-rounded, productive and polished defensive backs in the Southeastern Conference and while he doesn't have imposing size he's going to be on the minds of scouts this year. Kentucky will ask Edwards to do a lot, from coming down into the box to matching up with some of the league's top receivers in coverage. Like Allen, Edwards can stand to get bigger and stronger, but he's already someone scouts have been watching. He is one of Kentucky's top draft prospects in the secondary in decades.
Tight end C.J. Conrad (Sr.)
Conrad opted to return for a senior season at Kentucky after a junior year that saw him start strong but finish injured. Fortunately for Conrad, injuries haven't become a negative talking point against him. In fact, his physicality and durability have been widely regarded to be strengths. Any Kentucky fan who has watched the Wildcats in recent years knows that Conrad's lack of production hasn't exactly been his fault many of the times, but the best thing he can do to help his standing is prove he can catch a lot of passes and put points on the board, given how essential that is to any tight end's role in the NFL now.
Linebacker Denzil Ware (Sr.)
Ware hasn't generated as much draft buzz as Allen among scouts as of yet because he is still somewhat of a 'tweener in terms of his size. He is largely a pass rusher for Kentucky and the more he expands his game the more valuable he becomes as a draft commodity going into next season. But Ware's quickness and athleticism should already have him as someone a franchise could look at as potentially a middle or late round pick, considering he has produced at a pretty strong level in the SEC for several years.
Offensive tackle Landon Young (Jr.)
There's a lot of forecasting here because Young hasn't proven he's going to be ready to leave for the NFL after the 2018 season, but the way the coaches talked about the rising junior tackle this spring they made it seem like he's ready for a breakout year. Given his natural athleticism, reach and raw tools, and his prospect pedigree, it shouldn't surprise anyone if Young takes a massive leap forward and becomes one of the SEC's top left tackles in 2018. If that happens, he'll have options. More than perhaps anyone else on Kentucky's team this year, Young has the potential to go from little-known (in the scouting community) to prime draft prospect with a strong 2018.
Offensive tackle George Asafo-Adjei (Sr.)
Asafo-Adjei is a bit of a specimen and scouts should be enamored with his extensive track record (which makes him more game ready and experienced) as well as his versatility, having spent a lot of time at both tackle and guard. He probably projects as a guard at the NFL level, assuming he makes it there, and the league is not outside the realm of possibility. He just needs to show more consistency and eliminate the mental miscues in 2018, but the talent is definitely there.
Cornerback Derrick Baity (Sr.)
Baity isn't the only cornerback prospect scouts will be watching this year because both Chris Westry and Lonnie Johnson have elite size and will have good experience following another year in the program. But Baity is the one who has flashed the most potential to date. He just needs to become one of the SEC's lock down corners for that talent and size to turn into a draft slot a year from now.
Linebacker Jordan Jones (Sr.)
More than any other player on this list, Jones the draft prospect, next year, will be subject to scrutiny that extends beyond his football ability and that's an obvious and unfortunate consequence of plenty of poor decisions and an inconsistency that has manifested itself on and off the field. If Jones plays like he did in 2016 and shows himself to be more mature, some team could take a chance on him. But in spite of his "shot out of a cannon" motor, Jones doesn't have a great prospect profile because he lacks elite size, and coupled with his very rocky 2017, he'll need to work his way back into the minds of NFL folks.
Darkhorse Draft Candidates in 2018
Dorian Baker - How Baker returns from an injury that caused him to miss the 2017 season and spring ball this year will determine a lot. How he produces on the field in 2018 will determine even more. Baker has immense physical ability and enough athleticism to go with a nasty side as a blocker, but there will be questions about his health, consistency and production.
Westry - Rewind to Westry's freshman season and he was probably on most long-view scouting boards as a big-time underclassman to watch. Unfortunately, those games in 2015 were some of the highlights of Westry's college career to date. The talent is there but he'll need to have a huge 2018.
Johnson - Already an established, productive special teams performer, Johnson is another strong darkhorse draft candidate for 2018 because he has outstanding length and in only his first season in Lexington, he unseated a long-term starter at corner in Westry. If he continues improving at the rate he showed last year, Johnson is one to watch.