This is our first Mock Draft Consensus of 2023. PNWS lets you know where former Washington State Cougars linebacker Daiyan Henley will go in the NFL Draft.
The NFL Draft is important for the Washington State Cougars football program. Losing good players is painful, but the Cougars and their fans can celebrate WSU alumni headed to play at the highest level of professional football.
Putting players in the NFL is some of the best advertising Washington State Cougars coach Jake Dickert can get while he’s out on the recruiting trail. Last season, Wazzu had a few players selected, but Henley could be the highest drafted Coug since Andre Dillard in 2019 and only the fifth to go in the top sixty this century.
Pacific Northwest Sports audited 46 different mock drafts to see where Henley might go in the draft. Fourteen went two rounds, and 10 covered four rounds. We used top-quality sources ESPN, USA Today, NFL.com, CBS Sports, Pro Football Focus, Walter Football, Pro Football Focus, The Athletic, Sports Illustrated and more.
Daiyan Henley
Inside Linebacker, 6-1, 220-pounds
- Highest Draft Spot – Round 2, Miami Dolphins, 41st overall.
- Lowest Draft Spot – Round 4, New England, 107th overall.
- Most Common Draft Spot – Round 2, Detroit 48th overall.
He’s an explosive finisher, which helps him to compensate for his modest size as a second-level/box defender and between sacks, forced fumbles, and plays in the passing game, he’s admirably making plays despite his rawness. That’s a guy you can build a case for, especially when he’s active on special teams.
Kyle Crabbs, Draft Network
Draft Prospectus
By all indications, Friday will be Daiyan Henley’s day. Aside from two, every mock we looked at pegged him to go in either the second or third round.
Henley was a revelation for Dickert’s Washington State Cougars in 2022. The University of Nevada came to Pullman facing the monumental task of helping to replace two great linebackers, Justus Rogers and Jahad Woods.
Not only did he fill some near-impossible shoes, but he also exceeded all expectations. Henley led the Cougars in tackles (106), tackles for loss (12.0, tied with Brennan Jackson), forced fumbles (3, tied with Chau Smith-Wade and Francisco Mauigoa), and fumble recoveries (2). That outstanding production made him an All-Pac-12 First-Team selection.
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