These five Kentucky football players could be picked in the 2024 NFL Draft
For the fifth consecutive year, Kentucky football had multiple players selected in the NFL Draft over the weekend.
Will Levis (Titans, second round), Chris Rodriguez (Commanders, sixth round) and Carrington Valentine (Packers, seventh round) brought Kentucky’s total of draft picks to 20 in the five years since the Wildcats did not have a player selected in 2017 or 2018. Kentucky looks well positioned to continue that momentum into the 2024 draft with several players who look like possible draft picks a year from now.
Here are five Wildcats who could hear their names called in the 2024 NFL Draft.
QB Devin Leary
It is unlikely Kentucky will be at the center of the debate about which quarterbacks should be drafted in the first round next year, as it was with Will Levis in this draft cycle, but Levis’ replacement could give Kentucky back-to-back quarterback draft picks for the first time in program history.
According to a report from The Athletic, Leary was one of 11 draft-eligible senior quarterbacks who received a fourth-to-seventh round draft grade last May but elected to return to college for the 2023 season. Since then, Leary suffered a torn pectoral muscle that ended his 2022 season early, but he returned to the field for Kentucky’s spring practice.
Size is a worry, but accuracy is a strength. If Leary, who cited the chance to play in a pro-style offense that could prepare him for the NFL as one reason he transferred to Kentucky, stays on the field this fall and returns to the form that saw him throw 35 touchdowns and just five interceptions at North Carolina State in 2021, he could be at least a mid-round pick next April.
OLB J.J. Weaver
When Weaver elected to participate in Senior Day festivities in November despite having two years of eligibility remaining, it looked like he might be in the 2023 draft class. Instead, he elected to return to Kentucky to improve his draft stock.
Injuries have marred Weaver’s Kentucky career, so staying healthy for a full season is step No. 1. Weaver also has dedicated himself to a new offseason nutrition and conditioning program with the aim of building endurance and adding muscle.
“It’s consistency of effort, weight, strength,” defensive coordinator Brad White said of the challenge to Weaver. “Everything matters. It doesn’t just matter one week or two weeks. It matters every day, every practice, every weightlifting session, every time you’ve got a chance to be a leader. Everybody always asks (about) Josh Allen, those guys. … It was the daily focus to be the best and to be great. I think that light bulb has gone off for him.”
Weaver was compared to Allen, a top-10 pick, when he arrived at Kentucky. It would be unfair to expect him to match that draft pick now, but there’s still hope to rise up draft boards with a strong senior season.
OT Marques Cox
Another transfer, who picked Kentucky in part to prove himself to NFL scouts, Cox provided an immediate upgrade to the Wildcats’ much maligned offensive line at left tackle this spring. He already has 34 career starts on his résumé, but transferring from Northern Illinois to Kentucky brings a significant uptick in level of competition.
“I liked his length,” offensive line coach Zach Yenser said of Cox this spring. “I think he’s physical. He played Vanderbilt and he played us back to back last year. Watching those two games and just hearing what some of the coaches had to say about him, his leadership, and then you get around him and you realize how good of a dude he is. Just a good human being.
“… The film all checked the boxes, and then you get around him one-on-one in person. I remember the first time I met him in person, I laughed and was like, this guy is a dude. I called Coach Stoops and said, ‘This guy will be our starting left tackle. We’ve got to go to work and try to get him.’ He just has a good presence about him.”
Cox played just four games in 2022 due to a foot injury he suffered in Northern Illinois’ game against Kentucky. If he can bounce back from that injury and prove himself against SEC opponents, a 2024 draft pick seems possible.
S Zion Childress
There were obvious reasons to get excited about Childress’s future late last season when he recorded 17 of his 34 tackles in the final three games, but the former Texas State transfer appears to have taken another step forward this offseason.
“That confidence is sort of through the roof right now,” White said of Childress during spring practice. “We need to keep it there, but I’m really pleased with where he is. There are things we need to continue to work on with him, and he understands that from a technique, from man (coverage), some of that kind of stuff.
“He’s shown a great willingness to tackle. Even at Texas State the thing that got me excited is he had a penchant for ball production. Stripping, punching, he’s got a natural feel for that. We need that kind of play-maker on the field to create some turnovers for us.”
Kentucky has produced five defensive back draft picks in the Stoops era. If the Wildcats are to add to that group in 2024, Childress looks like the best bet.
TE Brenden Bates
Bates looked set to join the 2023 draft class until it became clear he needed surgery to fix a shoulder injury he played through for most of last season. The rehabilitation timeline for that surgery would have prevented him from working out for teams in advance of the 2023 draft and caused him to miss most of spring practice.
When healthy, Bates is the most complete tight end on Kentucky’s roster as a physical blocker and capable pass-catcher. As a super senior in 2023, he should have the opportunity to prove capable of contributing to an NFL team in both roles. The biggest concern might be getting overshadowed in a deep tight end room, but Bates will be difficult to keep off the field if healthy.
In 45 career games, Bates has recorded 22 catches for 183 yards and two touchdowns. Those statistics might not have been enough to earn him a draft selection, but he might be able to exceed his career numbers in 2023 alone if healthy.
Other draft-eligible Wildcats to watch: RB Ray Davis, WR Tayvion Robinson, OG Kenneth Horsey, OG/C Eli Cox, LB Trevin Wallace, LB D’Eryk Jackson,
This story was originally published May 1, 2023 at 7:57 AM.