Trio Hopes to Keep Oklahoma's NFL Draft Streak Alive

Bowman has been projected by some mock drafts as high as the late first round but most likely will be picked in the second round.

Stutsman, a 6-3, 241-pound inside linebacker, surprised some teams with his athleticism in Indianapolis, where he stood out in the sprints, the jumps, the agility drills and the position drills. His productivity at OU jumps off the page: he played 2,564 snaps (37 starts) and collected 376 tackles (ninth in school history) with eight quarterback sacks and 36 tackles for loss. He also has three interceptions, four fumbles forced and one fumble recovered, and scored one touchdown.

Stutsman’s draft projections have varied from late first round early in the process to third or fourth round more recently, but seem to have settled in the range of late second round to third round.

Downs’ NFL opening seems less certain. In three years as a starting edge rusher in Norman, the 6-4, 265-pound Downs had 12 1/2 quarterback sacks and 32 tackles for loss, which would be considered low for someone who played 1,833 snaps (37 starts) in his college career. He finished his college career with 110 tackles with two fumbles forced, two fumbles recovered and one interception. But Downs ran fast at the combine (4.69 in the 40) and put up some impressive explosives, including a 34-inch vertical and 32 reps on the bench press — the most among his defensive line peers at the combine.

Downs has been experienced enough and productive enough on the Big 12 and SEC levels, but some teams might doubt he can have an every-day impact in the NFL. His draft projections have run from fourth round to seventh, so he’s likely a day three pick, although he could slip out of the draft and be picked up quickly as an undrafted free agent.

A trio of other OU prospects could find themselves drawing interest from teams on Saturday.

Defensive tackle Da’Jon Terry measured a shade over 6-foot and 317 pounds at OU Pro Day but ran a slow 40 (5.56). His jumps weren’t great (8-1 broad, 28.5 vertical) and he only hit 17 reps on the bench press. But Terry has big-time experience in the trenches, with 294 snaps at Kansas, 506 snaps at Tennessee, and 623 snaps at Oklahoma — and that piques the NFL’s interest.

Defensive end Trace Ford had a spectacular pro day after measuring just over 6-foot and 249 pounds. Finally healthy after two major injuries, Ford posted strong jumps (10-2 broad and 36-inch vertical) and ran fast (4.55 in the 40) with 21 reps on the bench press. But teams will be inherently cautious of his two knee surgeries while at Oklahoma State. 

Cornerback Woodi Washington started games at OU over six seasons and played 2,943 collegiate snaps, but a lot of teams will be turned off by average explosiveness and athleticism both on the field and at his pro day (at 5-11 and 191 pounds, Washington jumped 10-1 in the broad and 33.5 in the vertical but ran just 4.57 in the 40 with just 11 reps on the bench), and could be concerned about the eventual decline in his performance that forced a couple of position changes and an eventual lack of playing time in 2024.