Each year, the NFL Scouting Combine is one of the most intriguing events of the offseason as fans from across the country tune in to see how players from their favorite schools test in front of executives and scouts from across the NFL.
Though the 2023 Texas Tech football team was light on NFL prospects given the overall youth of the program and the number of players who decided to return to school thanks to the N.I.L. opportunities that now exist (players such as running Tahj Brooks, for instance) there will be three players for Red Raider fans to watch when the combine begins later this month.
Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, Myles Cole, and Tyler Owens will represent Texas Tech at the NFL Combine
Texas Tech's three representatives at this year's combine will be safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, defensive end Myles Cole, and safety Tyler Owens. Each will have an opportunity to impress decision-makers from across the NFL.
Taylor-Demerson ended his college career as one of the more productive defensive backs to play for the Red Raiders in recent memory. He amassed 224 career tackles and 10 interceptions while proving to be one of the most reliable tacklers the program has produced.
When he came out of high school, he was a running back from Oklahoma with no experience as a safety. However, the 3-star prospect quickly took to the defensive side of the ball and appeared in 11 games with two starts as a true freshman in 2019. For his career, he appeared in 54 games and he became one of the leaders of a Red Raider defense that turned a corner during his time on campus.
Playing beside him for most of the season was Tyler Owens. A former transfer from Texas who spent two years in Lubbock, his NFL aspirations revolve not around his on-field productivity at the college level as much as his physical gifts.
The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder was one of the fastest players on the Red Raider roster last fall and he has the physical gifts to compete at the next level. However, his productivity will be called into question by some scouts.
After playing only sparingly at Texas, Owens managed to rack up just 69 total tackles as a collegiate. That included 56 as a Red Raider. What's more, he managed only one career interception. Still, his physical traits are off the charts and after he appeared in both the Hula Bowl and the East-West Shrine Bowl all-star games, he's done enough to warrant an invite to Indianapolis where it will be imperative that he tests well if he hopes to get a shot to play on Sundays.
Another player with minimal productivity but off-the-charts physical gifts is defensive end Myles Cole. At 6-foot-6 and 280 pounds, he's got the perfect body to be an NFL defensive end and his tremendous wingspan also has scouts intrigued.
However, in six college seasons, he registered a mere 5.0 sacks. He also had only 85 career tackles and he never made more than 32 in a season.
A former transfer from Louisiana-Monroe, he spent two years in Lubbock. In 2022, he was primarlily a backup to 2023 first-round NFL Draft pick Tyree Wilson, who went No. 7 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders. This past season, he got a chance to start but he couldn't become a true difference-maker racking up only 3.5 sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss despite playing in 12 games.
When is the NFL Combine?
The NFL Combine will take place from February 26 - March 4 in Indianapolis Indiana. It will be broadcast on the NFL Network.
- Thursday, February 29th, 3pm ET – Defensive Linemen, Linebackers
- Friday, March 1st, 3pm ET – Defensive Backs, Tight Ends
- Saturday, March 2nd, 1pm ET – Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers, Running Backs
- Sunday, March 3rd, 1pm ET – Offensive Linemen