By Brandon C. Williams
The Post Newspaper
Dreams will come true for a number of Galveston County football players who will hear their names called during the NFL Draft, which runs from Thursday night thru Saturday afternoon.
Much of the focus will be on Dickinson’s Jalen Wydermyer and Galveston Ball’s Zion McCollum, both who will be selected either on Friday or Saturday. Wydermyer, who played tight end at Texas A&M, and McCollum, who starred at Sam Houston State, have been consistently projected in the later rounds.
“Wydermyer has the ideal physical frame for the position and backs that up with a good mix of physical receiving and smart run blocking,” said The Sporting News draft analyst Vinny Iyler, who rated Wydermyer as the second-best tight end prospect available. “The talent is there to thrive in the right system. His shorter frame (6-4, 255) is only of mild concern, and he can still develop as a wide receiver to be a worthy mid-second round pick.”
The 2021 John Mackey Award finalist has been linked to a number of teams, having already visited the Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans. He has reportedly drawn interest from the Philadelphia Eagles, having shown up in Philly in a number of mock drafts that has seen him go anywhere between the third and sixth rounds.
“He might be the perfect solution,” said James Scorza, who wrote about Wydermyer on his edgeofphillysports.com site. “If I’m (Eagles general manager) Howie Roseman on draft night, Jalen Wydermyer is my tight end for the next ten years.”
A 5.03 time in the 40-yard dash on his Pro Day at Texas A&M has soured some on Wydermyer, who was ranked as the best tight end available in Athlon Sports’ 2022 NFL Draft Guide, yet there are plenty of scouts and pundits who have readily dismissed the performance.
“Jalen Wydermyer is the perfect example of athletic testing meaning next to nothing,” said Luke Parrish, who hosts the Around the League(s) podcast. “He scored as one of the worst TE ever, but his film clearly shows a player that can be a long term starter in the NFL with speed, burst and vertical playmaking.”
McCollum used an impressive NFL Combine as the springboard to rapidly moving up draft charts. Originally projected as a late round selection or priority free agent, the 6’2, 200-pound cornerback could very well see his name called during the second and third round on Friday.
“If Pittsburgh decides to go a different direction in the first few rounds, then McCollum could be a quality option with fantastic upside,” said Tommy Jaggi, who writes for Still Curtain on Fansided.com. “He’s worth the gamble with the chance to become a great NFL player.”
Like Wyermyer, McCollum has also garnered significant interest from the Eagles, who visited Huntsville and talked with McCollum’s college coach, K.C. Keeler.
“Whoever gets Zion, and his stock is rising, they’re going to get a great leader to their young guys, a great locker room presence and a 10-, 11-, 12-year veteran,” said Keeler, who coached McCollum and the Bearkats to the 2021 FCS National Championship. “ Zyon is one of the best human beings I have ever been around, and he’ll only add to whatever team takes him.”
According to Next Gen Stats, McCollum is one of only five cornerbacks since 2003 to earn the elite “Max-99” athleticism score.
It’s that type of athleticism that has seen McCollum go as high as 31st overall to the Cincinnati Bengals in a composite of mock drafts on nflmockdraftdatabase.com.
Twin brother Tristin Mcollum, who also played at Sam Houston State, is also expecting a phone call by the end of Saturday’s draft. The 6’1, 198-pound safety impressed at Sam Houston State’s Pro Day, running a 4.48 in the 40. He earned all-conference honors for a second straight season in 2021, and with his speed and athletic prowess, scouts project Tristan McCollum to be a priority free agent who can immediately contribute on special teams,
Another local player looking to receive a free agent invite is Dickinson’s Jordan Myers, who played a variety of positions during his time at Rice University. The 6’0, 210-pound Myers played tight end, receiver, running back and even lined up as a quarterback on occasion during his six seasons with the Owls program. Myers was named the program’s 2021 Player of the Year.
The quartet of aspiring NFL players seek to join Tampa Bay Pro Bowl receiver Mike Evans of Galveston Ball, Texas City’s D’Onta Foreman, currently with the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers receiver Marcus Johnson of Clear Springs, as Sunday Standouts who call Galveston County home.
The NFL Draft can been seen on ESPN and NFL Network.
