Kansas football isn’t known for getting a lot of prospects into the NFL and this year is no exception. Defensive lineman Daniel Wise should hear his name called though.
After another lackluster year for the Kansas football team, not many Jayhawks will be heading to the National Football League to start their pro careers. The only KU football player who will hear his name called come the end of April is Daniel Wise.
Wise was a four-year starter in Lawrence and provided a nice spark on defense for the Jayhawks during his time there. He finished his career with 152 tackles (43 for lost yardage), and 17 sacks and consistently put up good numbers for his team.
Last year, Wise appeared in 11 games and finished his collegiate career with 27 solo tackles (34 total) and 12 for loss. He also had five sacks and was one of the few menacing players on defense for the Jayhawks.
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According to his draft profile on NFL.com, Wise should be able to make it in the NFL as a backup and/or a contributor on special teams. He has NFL bloodlines with his brother Deatrich Wise currently playing for the Patriots and his father also spent time in the pros.
The reason Wise is going to be the only Kansas player taken in the draft is simple. They weren’t a good team last year and Wise was the only Jayhawk to be invited to the NFL Combine. Only the best collegiate players are invited to partake in the Combine and Wise did well in showing off his skills there, finishing in the top ten in two separate defensive linemen drills.
It’ll be interesting to see which team takes a chance on Wise. He’s a good player and while he might not be starting material, he’ll certainly provide a nice rotation player for whichever team drafts him.
As NFL.com’s draft profile noted, Wise will, at the very least, see action as a backup and/or on special teams. If he does a decent job in those roles, perhaps a starting role could eventually come for the KU product. The profile mentioned how Wise will have to put on some weight in order to be a legitimate force in the pros, but that’s something he can work on between now and April.
Kansas football fans aren’t used to seeing many of their players make it to the pros these days, but Daniel Wise has a chance to make some noise in the NFL. Hopefully he hears his name called at some point during the 2019 NFL Draft and goes on to make Kansas fans proud.
Where in the draft do you think Daniel Wise will be selected?