It’s likely that [offensive lineman Hakeem Adeniji will be the only Jayhawk drafted this week][1] in the seven-round NFL draft that starts tonight and runs through Saturday.
But he’s far from the only former Kansas player with a chance to catch the eye of an NFL franchise.
A handful of other Jayhawks who played key roles on the 2019 team and throughout the past few seasons figure to get some kind of attention from NFL teams this week, with most of them headed toward the undrafted free agent route after the draft is over.
Plenty of good players have proven that not hearing your name called in the draft does not have to mark the end of the road. But it certainly makes for a much harder path.
For what it’s worth, only two Jayhawks — Adeniji and Azur Kamara — are listed in NFL.com’s draft prospect data base and only Adeniji made The Athletic’s list of the Top 300 prospects in this year’s 255-pick draft.
Still, pro football is full of stories of players who were overlooked and came out of nowhere to make a name for themselves.
Here’s a look at the Jayhawks who have the best chance to do that this year.
• Edge Rusher, Azur Kamara – 6-3, 245
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**Quick glance:** Like Adeniji, Kamara was invited to the NFL combine in February and he performed well while there. His 40-yard dash time of 4.59 seconds was the 10th best among all linebackers at the combine. He also showcased his athleticism and agility while impressing with his length. While that 40 time will help him, the biggest thing Kamara has going for him is his game film. His numbers were not overwhelming by any stretch — 51 tackles, a team-best 3.5 sacks, 6 tackles for loss and 4 quarterback hurries — but he consistently showed up as a disruptive force even when he didn’t make plays. Regarded by most analysts as a raw, project type of prospect, the speed and his long arms figure to give him a chance.
**Reason to hope:** Kamara is nowhere near as skilled as Dorance Armstrong Jr., and he won’t get drafted in the fourth round like Armstrong did in 2018. But he has a similar build — scouts would love to see him bulk up to reach Armstrong’s playing weight of 255 pounds — and he actually has an even longer reach than Armstrong, 35.25 to 34.75.
**Chances of catching on:** Because he’s still so raw, it’s hard to see Kamara, even if given a good opportunity as an undrafted free agent, making a 53-man roster any time soon. But some team’s practice squad is not out of the question.
• Wide Receiver, Daylon Charlot – 6-0, 193
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**Quick glance:** Charlot is a quality wide receiver who does a lot of things well but few things great. He runs good routes, has good hands and has a knack for making plays even when plays don’t appear to be there. But he does not have elite speed, size or strength. Perhaps the best thing he has going for him is his belief in himself. After a rough couple of seasons with former KU coach David Beaty, Charlot rediscovered himself and his game under the guidance of first-year receivers coach Emmett Jones during the 2019 season. And sometimes believing in yourself is all it takes.
**Reason to hope:** Steven Sims Jr. They’re different players who play different styles, but, at the core, could be in the same boat – undrafted and hoping to make a team through a strong showing at camp. Sims did that two years ago with the Washington Redskins and has been a legit player for the Skins ever since. Charlot’s Alabama pedigree and strong senior season will earn him a look. What he does with it is up to him.
**Chances of catching on:** Charlot is all but guaranteed to get a call and a shot from some NFL team. In fact, he might have multiple suitors and could be selective about which opportunity he likes the most. There’s a long way to go from a minicamp invite to the 53-man roster or even a practice squad, but he’ll at least get his foot in the door.
• Safety, Bryce Torneden – 5-10, 192
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**Quick glance:** Undersized to be sure, Torneden has spent most of his playing career being counted out. And all that has led to is him proving people wrong and playing high-quality football. To do it again at the NFL level would be an enormous accomplishment, but the margin for error and opportunities will be much tougher to manage. The biggest thing Torneden has going for him is his athleticism. Whether you’re talking jumping ability, change of direction, ability to play multiple positions or willingness to fly to the football, Torneden brings all of that in spades. And it doesn’t take you long to say to yourself, “That’s a football player,” when watching him play. Whether that will be enough to overcome his lack of size remains to be seen.
**Reason to hope:** For all of the ways they’re different as players, the one thing Torneden and Chris Harris Jr. have in common is the way they play the game. Led by heart, passion and the drive to be great, Torneden no doubt will bring a similar fire to whatever opportunity he gets as Harris brought to the Denver Broncos nine years ago. Because of his smaller frame, it’s hard to see Torneden following Harris’ path to the Pro Bowl and NFL millions, but any player who has ever carried the underdog role with him into the Kansas program forever will look at Harris as a reason to believe anything is possible. The 5-11, 206-pound Fish Smithson, who went the undrafted route and caught on with Washington, is probably a better actual comparison here.
**Chances of catching on:** There have been reports about Torneden having conversations with the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers during the weeks leading up to the draft. And that alone means he’ll almost certainly get an invitation to a camp. The best-case scenario here is that some franchise sees value in him as a special teams player who can provide depth in the secondary.
• Cornerback, Hasan Defense – 6-0, 193
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**Quick glance:** The name alone could be enough to entice someone to take a chance on him. And Defense’s steady improvement throughout his time at KU should help, too. A bit overmatched after arriving in Lawrence after his freshman season at Kilgore College, Defense transformed himself into a reliable DB who earned honorable mention all-Big 12 honors in 2019.
**Reason to hope:** After leaving KU, Tyler Patmon had a stellar season at Oklahoma State, which propelled him to a shot in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys. Injuries to the Cowboys secondary played a big part in opening that door, but Patmon was ready to walk through it when it arrived. A student of the game and the son of a coach, Patmon’s football IQ and feel for the game put him in a different category than Defense. But the two have similar size and Defense will have to find his chance in a similar manner.
**Chances of catching on:** It seems like a good bet that he’ll get a camp invite of some kind, but he won’t be any team’s top priority and that will make an already steep climb even tougher.
• Cornerback, Elmore Hempstead Jr. – 5-11 180
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**Quick glance:** Although quiet throughout his time with the Jayhawks, Hempstead received some positive feedback during KU’s pro day in early March and may be on the radar of a few NFL teams as a result.
**Reason to hope:** Former KU cornerback Greg Brown was in a similar situation, having done just enough to get noticed, but not quite enough to be a priority. The major difference between these two is Brown’s experience. He played a major role for the Jayhawks, while Hempstead did not. Despite his limited time on the field, which yielded just seven tackles in 10 games during the 2019 season, Hempstead did manage to tie for third on the team in pass break-ups, which showed good feel and instincts.
**Chances of catching on:** A camp invite is certainly within the realm of possibility here, but anything beyond that is unlikely.
• Safety, Mike Lee – 5-11, 175
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**Quick glance:** If this were a hitting contest, Lee might be a first-rounder. Anyone who watched him play throughout his four years at Kansas knows that the Louisiana native can bring the thunder. But he likes the big hit so much that it can often take him out of position and inspires him to take unnecessary gambles. Those traits, along with being undersized for an NFL safety, make Lee’s chances a long shot at best.
**Reason to hope:** Football’s a physical game and anyone who can hit like Lee can catch the eye of a coach at any point. There may not be a bunch of them out there, but it’s possible that a few scouts could like Lee’s physicality enough to talk their bosses into giving him a look.
**Chances of catching on:** He had a nice career at Kansas and it was full of highlights. But there has been no talk about Lee having a real shot of making a successful jump to the NFL.
• Defensive End, Codey Cole – 6-3, 275
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**Quick glance:** Another player who runs on heart, Cole was a late bloomer at Kansas but actually turned in a pretty solid senior season. The problem here will be size and fit. He’s definitely undersized to play on the interior of the D-Line and not nearly explosive enough to be a true edge rusher.
**Reason to hope:** Because that’s what Cole is built on. He posted to Twitter on Wednesday, “The craziest thing about this Draft is that I can get a shot and be blessed or I can not get a shot and never play football again.” He also noted that everything that happens from this point — in terms of whether a team gives him that chance or not — is out of his control. He has the right mindset for what’s ahead and will be ready to give it everything he’s got if the opportunity comes.
**Chances of catching on:** It’s hard to see Cole sticking around very long, but even just getting an opportunity will feel like a victory.
[1]: http://www2.kusports.com/news/2020/apr/22/kansas-offensive-lineman-hakeem-adeniji-hoping-put/
