Idaho State offensive line anchor Skyler Phillips is projected to be the first ISU player selected in the NFL Draft since 2004.
Multiple mock drafts have Phillips being picked in the later rounds of the three-day event, which starts Thursday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and NFL.com have Phillips going in the sixth round, while Land of 10 projects Phillips as a fifth-round pick.
Phillips, who started parts of five seasons on Idaho State's offensive line, participated in the NFL Scouting Combine in March — ISU's first combine representative since quarterback Matt Gutierrez in 2007 — worked out for NFL scouts at a closed-door pro day at ISU in April, and payed in the Reese's Senior Bowl in January after earning a spot on five All-America squads following the 2017 season.
If he's one of the 256 players taken in the seven-round draft, Phillips will be Idaho State's first player picked since Jared Allen.
Mock drafts place Phillips on various teams: Bleacher Report has him going to defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia, CBS places him in Kansas City and NFL.com says New Orleans is his future home. Land of Ten projects Phillips to be picked by regional favorite Denver Broncos.
In an interview with local media April 7, Phillips said he plans on spending time with his family in Eugene, Oregon, during the draft, adding he probably won't watch the TV broadcast of the event. Phillips and his agents at Reign Sports Management are confident Phillips will land on a team, whether via the draft or as an undrafted free agent.
Phillips can join Josh Hill and Evan Smith as ISU alumni currently in the NFL. Hill is an eight-year veteran tight end with the New Orleans Saints, and Smith just completed his eighth season as an offensive lineman with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Other former Bengals have had recent stints in the NFL, including Gutierrez, defensive end Jeff Charleston, punter Eddie Johnson and linebacker Pago Togafau. Former ISU defensive lineman Tyler Kuder was also signed by the Green Bay Packers after going undrafted in 2016, but he was placed on injured reserve and cut before appearing in a game.
SEVEN-ROUND NFL MOCK DRAFTS
NFL.com: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000927624/article/chad-reuter-2018-sevenround-nfl-mock-draft-team-by-team
Land of Ten: https://www.landof10.com/big-ten/2018-nfl-mock-draft-projections-all-rounds-teams-april-25
Bleacher Report: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2762798-2018-nfl-mock-draft-matt-millers-7-round-predictions-post-combine
TV BROADCAST INFO (all times Mountain)
Thursday, 6 p.m.: NFL Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes
Friday, 5 p.m.: NFL Network, FOX Sports, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes
Saturday, 10 a.m.: NFL Network, ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes