Which Horned Frogs football players have best chances of being selected in the NFL Draft?
A year after TCU saw a record eight players selected in the 2023 NFL Draft, how many Horned Frogs will hear names called this weekend in this year’s draft?
After going from a national championship appearance to a 5-7 season, the number of Horned Frogs drafted could be significantly lower than a year ago, but there are still a handful of former TCU stars that have a great chance to be selected.
The first round of the NFL draft begins at 7 p.m. Thursday. Rounds two and three will be on Friday with the final four rounds taking place on Saturday. Here’s a quick look at the Horned Frogs with the best chance of being drafted:
Brandon Coleman, OL
Breakdown: TCU’s offensive line wasn’t great in 2023, but that shouldn’t hold Coleman back from finding a spot on a NFL roster. His ability to play guard or tackle will make him extremely valuable to NFL teams with three seasons of starting experience. His hands and ability to pass protect have drawn rave reviews from scouts during the pre-draft process. NFL.com currently has Coleman projected as third-round pick.
Josh Newton, CB
Breakdown: Newton is the closet player to a lock on this list after two terrific seasons in Fort Worth after transferring from Louisiana-Monroe. Newton was a two-time All-Big 12 selection including being first team in the 2022 season. Newton has prototypical size at 5-foot-11, 190 pounds and his strength is physicality in coverage and against the run. There will be questions about how Newton matches up with faster receivers and if he makes enough plays when the ball is in the air, but finding corners is extremely difficult in the NFL and a team will take a chance on developing Newton.
NFL.com currently has Newton projected as a fourth- or fifth-round pick.
Jared Wiley, TE
Breakdown: Wiley’s final season in Fort Worth may have been enough to make him a ton of money after he broke out to be a first team All-Big 12 selection with 47 receptions, 520 yards and eight touchdowns. Wiley’s an intriguing prospect at 6-6, 250 pounds with 4.62 speed and a big catch radius. In the right offense it’s easy to see Wiley being a productive red zone target. With a strong pre-draft process Wiley could even go higher than Newton and NFL.com has him projected as a fourth-round pick.
Undrafted free agents (UDFA)
Players: Emani Bailey, Andrew Coker, Mark Perry
Breakdown: Most sites have these three as the most likely Horned Frogs to be picked up by teams after the draft. There’s nothing wrong with being undrafted. Emari Demercado, who was an undrafted free agent for the Arizona Cardinals in 2023, was second on the team in rushing. So it’s possible to make an impact as a UDFA.
Bailey was one of the top rushers in the Big 12 with over 1,200 yards. He’s a smaller back that won’t outrun defenses, but he can make them pay with his one-cut, power running style and he’s also a load to bring down once he gets going.
Perry is physical safety at his best when attacking the run as a box safety. Perry had a strong performance at the Big 12 Pro Day in Frisco. Coker is an experienced linemen with years of playing tackle and will be worth an invite to a mini-camp.
