Kansas football: Keep an eye on Hakeem Adeniji in the NFL Draft
Kansas football’s Hakeem Adeniji will likely be taken towards the middle of the NFL Draft which is set to begin on April 23 and conclude on April 25.
Offensive lineman Hakeem Adeniji had an extraordinary career playing for Kansas football. He would end up starting every game in his college career, raking in the awards as he continued to anchor the Jayhawks’ offensive line.
Adeniji was named second-team All-Big 12 as a junior and first-team All-Big 12 last season as a senior. Standing at six-foot-five and 300 pounds, Adeniji participated in the Senior Bowl and was also invited to the NFL Combine.
Here are some of Adeniji’s combine results via the NFL:
- 5.17 40-yard dash
- 26 bench press reps
- 34-inch vertical jump
- 115-inch broad jump
The NFL graded Adeniji a 5.96 out of 8 according to their system. This rating puts him between the “backup/special-teamer” grade and the “developmental traits-based prospect” grade, which signifies that he’ll probably at least make an NFL roster in his rookie year.
Of course, these grades aren’t always correct, whether they overvalue or undervalue the prospect.
As of now, Adeniji is projected to be a fourth-round pick by CBS and a third-round pick by Chad Reuter at NFL.com. While some may disagree on the specific round, Adeniji will likely be taken about halfway through the draft.
Even though Adeniji spent the majority of his college career at the tackle position, he could end up moving inside to play guard instead. According to an interview he did with Draft Wire, Adeniji said:
"“I’ve even heard a little about me moving inside to play guard. I played some guard at the Senior Bowl. I know that I’d be a great left tackle, but it’s not really up to me. I’m gonna play wherever they put me.”"
Adeniji’s versatility and willingness to play at both tackle and guard could make him more appealing to teams, and give him a better chance of seeing significant playing time on the field.
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Hakeem Adeniji was one of the best Kansas Jayhawks in the past decade, and it’s sad that he never got to experience team success at Kansas. He’s got a ton of talent, and it’ll be exciting to watch him continue to develop at the professional level. Here are all the times and dates for the draft:
- April 23: Round 1 (7:00 p.m.)
- April 24: Rounds 2-3 (6:00 p.m.)
- April 25: Rounds 4-7 (11:00 a.m.)