Three former Bruins were selected in the 2015 NFL draft. Here’s a recap of where each UCLA player was drafted and how he will fit into his respective team.
Eric Kendricks – ILB (second round, 45th overall pick – Minnesota Vikings)
Kendricks was the first UCLA player chosen in the 2015 NFL draft, a designation that former Bruin outside linebacker Anthony Barr held last year, when he was drafted ninth overall.
It just so happens that Kendricks and Barr – who won the Lott IMPACT Trophy in 2013 and 2014 respectively – were also drafted by the same team: the Minnesota Vikings. Needless to say, Barr was excited about reuniting with his former Bruin teammate and fellow alum of what is called “Linebacker U” at UCLA.
wait are you serious?
— Anthony Barr (@itheeayb) May 2, 2015
hahahaha no way
— Anthony Barr (@itheeayb) May 2, 2015
I feel like I just got drafted again lol
— Anthony Barr (@itheeayb) May 2, 2015
I can't believe it
— Anthony Barr (@itheeayb) May 2, 2015
Kendricks’ potential role with the Vikings
Kendricks has a chance to compete for a starting job right from the start in Minnesota, as the Vikings didn’t re-sign its veteran starting inside linebacker Jasper Brinkley this offseason. The void at middle linebacker in Minnesota is currently occupied by former Eagles inside linebacker Casey Matthews, who was signed by the Vikings during the free agent signing period in March.
Considering Matthews was a fourth-round pick back in 2011, there’s a chance that the Vikings might put more stock in Kendricks, considering the latter was picked two rounds earlier. Kendricks has the sideline-to-sideline speed advantage over Matthews – Kendricks ran a 4.61 40-yard dash this year while Matthews ran a 4.78 at the 2011 NFL combine – but Matthews has the size advantage on Kendricks, weighing in at 245 pounds compared to Kendricks’ 230. The two will battle it out in fall training camp, with the starter likely being determined then.
Owamagbe Odighizuwa – DE (third round, 74th overall pick – New York Giants)
Odighizuwa was the second Bruin drafted as he was selected by the New York Giants in the first half of the third round. Some projected Odighizuwa to be a second-round pick, but his selection with the Giants will provide him with a chance that he may not have had if he were drafted in the second round.
Odighizuwa’s potential role with the Giants
Similar to Kendricks, Odighizuwa has a chance to start from the get-go with his NFL team.
What gives Odighizuwa a shot to compete for a starting role right away is his versatility. He has the ability to play both on the inside and on the outside, with a combination of size and speed that is rarely seen, even in the NFL. Odighizuwa is 6-foot-3, 270 pounds with a 6-foot-10-inch wingspan, making him a prime candidate for pass deflections at the line of scrimmage, and he runs the 40-yard dash in 4.62 seconds. Those are attributes that two of the Giants’ current defensive ends – Jason Pierre-Paul and Damontre Moore – may be able to match, but the others – Robert Ayers, George Selvie and Kerry Wynn – cannot.
One of Odighizuwa’s main weaknesses coming into the NFL is his pass-rush ability – he never recorded more than six sacks in a season at UCLA – but the Giants don’t seem to be in much need of that, as they finished fourth in the NFL in sacks last year.
Brett Hundley – QB (fifth round, 147th overall pick – Green Bay Packers)
Hundley, a projected second-to-third-round pick according to CBS Sports, had to wait longer than he expected to be drafted, but was finally selected by the Packers in the first half of the fifth round. The Bruins’ all-time leader in passing touchdowns was the sixth of seven quarterbacks to be selected in this year’s draft. In addition to the first and second overall picks – Florida State’s Jameis Winston and Oregon’s Marcus Mariota – third-round selection Grayson Garrett of Colorado State and fourth-round pick Bryce Petty of Baylor were also selected ahead of Hundley.
Good things come to those who wait….Now it's time to work.
Green Bay Packers Thank you so much for this opportunity.
#GodIsGood
#GoPackGo
— Brett A. Hundley Jr (@BrettHundley17) May 2, 2015
Hundley’s potential role with the Packers
Hundley’s fifth-round selection by the Green Bay Packers is both a blessing and a curse for the former UCLA signal caller. On one hand, Hundley gets to learn from Aaron Rodgers, arguably the best quarterback in the game. The one caveat is that as long as Hundley is learning under Rodgers, he will not see time on the field.
The precedent has been set for long-term Rodgers backups making a living as NFL quarterbacks. Matt Flynn spent three-plus years as Rodgers backup before beating the Detroit Lions at the end of the 2011 season and earning a multi-million dollar deal with the Seattle Seahawks.
Still, as he competes with another prolific former college quarterback on the Packers’ roster – two-year Wisconsin starting quarterback Scott Tolzien – Hundley’s status with the Packers heading into training camp is very much uncertain.
Compiled by Matthew Joye, Bruin Sports senior staff.