The NFL Draft starts April 27, but preparation for it is a full-time job. Missouri State grad Dylan Cole is continuing that trek in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl in Carson City, California Saturday.
The all-star game strives to get eyes on players who might otherwise have trouble generating buzz. Cole figures to be one of the more high-profile players at the event after leading the country in tackles and tackles per game this season. Across both rosters, barely more than a dozen played in the FCS. Around 200 NFL scouts are expected to attend.
He’s projected as a mid-round draft pick, and MSU head coach Dave Steckel has said he thinks Cole could make an immediate impact on special teams as he adjusts to playing linebacker at the NFL level. He finished third in the race for the Buck Buchanan Award given to the best defensive player in the FCS.
Cole will play on the American roster, coached by former Seattle Seahawks quarterback and Chiefs assistant coach Jim Zorn. Former Rams head coach Mike Martz will coach the National roster, which has won the game each of the five years it’s existed.
The NFLPA Collegiate Bowl kicks off at 3:15 on Fox Sports 1.
