Courtesy BYU Photo

Standout college football seasons don’t always equate to standout draft classes, a fact well represented by BYU with the NFL draft on tap.

The 2025 NFL draft begins on Thursday night (April 24) and goes until Saturday (April 26) and will be held at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Round 1 will begin at 6 P.M. MST and will be broadcast on the ESPN/ABC Networks and the NFL Network. Rounds 2 and 3 will be held on Friday with Saturday wrapping up rounds 4-7.

For BYU fans hoping to hear names from their favorite football team called from the draft podium, you may have picked the wrong year, or should at least set the clock for Saturday afternoon.

Although the Cougars feature some intriguing names that elected to enter this year’s draft, Defensive End Tyler Batty is thought by most scouting and evaluation services to be BYU’s lone draftee.

Batty is a 6-foot-6, 271 pound prospect who was a significant contributor to the team’s defensive success over the past four seasons. The Payson High School product was a starter in each of his final three seasons in Provo while starting in eight of the 12 games played as a freshman in 2021.

Marcia Harris, Special to the Herald

As could well be assumed, Batty accumulated some strong stats throughout his notable career, including 224 total tackles and 16.5 sacks. He was named as a team captain for his final 2024 season and was named a First-Team All-Big 12 performer for that same season.

Despite his remarkable career, most scouting services project Batty as a sixth or seventh round pick, including the NFL Network, which gave him a full evaluation.

“Batty has played standing on occasion, but he will be a 4-3, strong-side defensive end in the NFL,” wrote the NFL Network. “He’s densely muscled and plays with consistent aggression at the point. He hustles in pursuit, too. He has some snap in his initial punch but lacks the length and twitch quickness to get away from blocks quickly and will succumb to power from tackles. He creates pressure with hops and euro-steps to gain ground. He has strong hands to discard the punch but won’t beat most pro tackles with speed or power. He’s an older rookie and an effort player, but it’s not clear if he’ll have the physical gifts or skill level to become a “make it” prospect.”

Other possibilities

The good thing about the NFL draft is that players only need to sell themselves to one team to be selected. With 257 players slated to go in this year’s draft, the possibility of another BYU player other than Batty being drafted isn’t completely outrageous by any stretch.

Both defensive back Jakob Robinson and offensive tackle Caleb Etienne are considered the two most likely to be selected beyond Batty.

Courtesy BYU Photo

Robinson saw enormous success at BYU and is considered by some to be the best cornerback ever to pass through the program. The 5-foot-11 Orem High School product’s advantage is his versatility, where he showed competence in playing both the slot corner and outside corner positions which should prove attractive to potential suitors.

Over his Cougar career Robinson compiled 11 interceptions and 190 total tackles while proving an invaluable contributor on the back end of the defense.

Etienne was a two-year starter for BYU at the left tackle position and showed considerable improvements from his junior to senior season. The 6-foot-7, 329 pound Oklahoma State transfer showcased standout athleticism at the Big12 Pro Day, including a 5.01 timed 40 yard dash, the third fastest for an offensive lineman at the workout.

BYU has had good recent success in placing offensive tackles into the NFL ranks with Brady Christensen going in the third round to the Carolina Panthers in 2021, Blake Freeland to the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round in 2023 and Kingsley Suamataia to the Kansas City Chiefs last year. Considering Etienne’s enormous upside and athletic makeup, it wouldn’t surprise most to see him get drafted in the later rounds.

“From a tape standpoint, Etienne looks more like an undrafted free agent, but his traits will make him hard to pass up as a late-round lottery ticket,” wrote the NFL Network on Etienne’s draft projections, “Though he has the size, length and athletic explosiveness teams covet, his fundamentals are a work in progress, and he doesn’t always play with the aggression that will be needed on the next level. If a team can stash him for a couple of years and fine-tune his technique, Etienne could become a much better player.”

Etienne is tabbed by some services, including the NFL Network to be a potential 6-7 round selection.

Other BYU Players eligible for the 2025 draft

• Isaiah Bagnah (6-3, 256 DE)
• Gerry Bohanon (6-2, 225 QB)
• Keanu Hill (6-3, 232 TE)
• Darius Lassiter (6-2, 205 WR)
• John Nelson (6-4, 290 DL)
• Connor Pay (6-4, 310 OL)
• Marquee Collins (5-11, 175 CB)
• Mason Fakahua (6-1, 237 TE)
• Brayden Keim (6-8, 322 OL)
• Blake Mangelson (6-5, 279 DL)
• Ray Paulo (6-2, 248 TE)