This week nearly 330 former college football players are making their way to Indianapolis to take part in the NFL Scouting Combine, the annual event that lets all 32 pro teams evaluate prospects ahead of Aprilâs NFL Draft. That list of invitees is made up of four Louisville Cardinals stars who aspire to play on Sundays.
The combine includes various physical drills and tests and allows teams to interview athletes. While players may also take part in pro days at their former school or have workouts with individual teams, the combine allows teams to compare prospectsâ performances side by side.
Weâll know by April 26 if quarterback Tyler Shough, wide receiver JaâCorey Brooks, defensive lineman Ashton Gillotte and defensive back Quincy Riley are among the 257 players picked in the seven-round draft held over three days.
BetKentucky.com, your source for everything related to Kentucky sports betting and promo codes, wanted to identify the top former Louisville players invited to previous combines. We looked at the NFLâs invite list for each year dating back to 2020, then used ProFootballReference.com to get their draft information.
Top Louisville Football Players Invited To The NFL Combine
Player | Year (Round) | NFL Team |
| Mekhi Becton | 2020 (First) | New York Jets |
| Tutu Atwell | 2021 (Second) | Los Angeles Rams |
| Yaya Diaby | 2023 (Third) | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| Isaac Guerendo | 2024 (Fourth) | San Francisco 49ers |
| Dez Fitzpatrick | 2021 (Fourth) | Tennessee Titans |
Mekhi Becton was considered one of the top offensive tackles in the draft when the Jets selected him with the 11th pick five years ago. However, he struggled with New York mainly due to knee injuries. He played in just one game in 2021 and missed the entire 2022 season. After starting 16 games in 2023, the Jets chose not to extend the 6-foot-7, 363-pound lineman.
That ended up being a blessing for Becton as he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in the offseason. His new team moved him inside to guard, and he started 15 regular-season and all four playoff games as the Eagles won the Super Bowl. His size was instrumental in the Eagles rushing for 3,048 yards last season and helped Saquon Barkley become the ninth player to rush for 2,000 yards in a season.
Becton is now a free agent, but some NFL pundits expect him to resign with the Eagles, who are next seasonâs Super Bowl favorite at BetMGM Kentucky Sportsbook with odds of +650.
Cardinals Contributing In The NFL
Another former Cardinal with a Super Bowl ring is Tutu Atwell, who got his during his rookie season with the Rams. While he did not catch a pass in eight games in 2021, he did get in some action on special teams as a punt and kickoff returner before being placed on injured reserve in November.
Over the last three seasons, Atwell has been more involved in the offense. Heâs caught 99 passes for 1,343 yards and four touchdowns since 2022, including 42 for 562 yards last season.
Atwellâs 40-yard dash time of 4.28 seconds was the second fastest among all players at the 2021 NFL combine. It also was just .06 seconds behind the record time set by John Ross in 2017.
Yaya Diaby hasnât made a Super Bowl, but the linebacker has made a strong impression in his two seasons with Tampa Bay. He played in all 17 games in his rookie season and finished fifth in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. This past season, he led the Buccaneers with 13 tackles for loss and 20 quarterback hits.
Diabyâs Buccaneers are the favorites to win their fifth straight NFC South division title next season. Thatâs according to Fanatics Kentucky Sportsbook, which set Tampa Bayâs odds at +110.
When Isaac Guerendo went to San Francisco in the fourth round last year, his prospects for playing time as a rookie seemed slim since Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason were ahead of him on the depth chart. However, injuries to those two opened the door for Guerendo, who ended up second on the team with 420 yards rushing.
His best game of the season came Oct. 10 in Seattle when he rushed for 99 yards, including a 76-yard run in the final two minutes that helped secure the win for the Niners.
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Steve is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters.
