Taking Look at Boiler Gridders and NFL Draft Possibilities
Thanks to offensive lineman Marcus Mbow, Purdue’s streak of having an NFL Draft pick will extend to 26 of the past 27 years next weekend.
Mbow, who gave up his senior season to enter the draft, is projected as the sixth-best guard in the draft and ranked 84th overall by The Athletic’s Dane Brugler.
“Mbow needs to continue developing his play strength and consistency through contact, but his athletic body control and skilled hands are the foundation of a player who will compete for NFL starting snaps, be it at tackle or inside at guard or center,” writes Brugler, who gives the 6-4, 303-pound Mbow a third round grade.
Perhaps reflective of Purdue’s 1-11 record in 2024, Brugler does not expect any other Boilermaker to hear their name called when the seven-round draft concludes April 26.
Five-year starting center Gus Hartwig is ranked 12th at his position, and Brugler predicts the former Zionsville star will be an undrafted free agent.
“Hartwig isn’t a mauler and blocking NFL bull rushers will be a tough ask, but he plays with the functional size, athleticism and experienced know-how to keep defenders occupied,” Brugler writes.
Kydran Jenkins is rated 40th among edge rushers.
“He primarily played as an edge rusher in college before moving to stand-up linebacker in 2024. The shift helped show his versatility, but he was still at his best when attacking the pocket,” Brugler writes. “Despite having shorter arms, Jenkins uses his fierce hands to rid himself of blocks and make a beeline to the football. He doesn’t have the tape of a playmaker in coverage, but he looks comfortable dropping and chasing.
“Overall, Jenkins is a force player who can work off contact and be disruptive in the backfield. He has a chance to become a true off-ball linebacker in the NFL, but I think his best fit is as a sub-package rusher on passing downs.”
Seven other Boilermakers were ranked by Brugler. Hudson Card is 28th among quarterbacks. Corey Stewart is 47th among offensive tackles. Running backs Reggie Love and Ben Furtney are 55th and 63rd, respectively at their position.
Shitta Saleh (91st), Jireh Ojata (113th) and Joe Anderson (138th) were included in the edge rusher rankings.
While Mbow and his Boilermaker teammates await their pro destinations, All-American Rondale Moore has found his third NFL home.
The Minnesota Vikings are hoping the speedy Moore will compete for the No. 3 receiver job as well as returning punts. Last season’s punt returner and No. 4 receiver, Brandon Powell, is a free agent.
Moore is hoping to prove he can stay healthy after missing the 2024 season with the Atlanta Falcons. Moore suffered a knee injury during a joint preseason practice with the Miami Dolphins. Moore had come to Atlanta from Arizona, which swapped him for quarterback Desmond Ridder.
In three seasons, Moore has caught 135 passes for 1,201 yards and has scored four touchdowns. Moore also was part of Arizona’s running game, having 52 carries for 249 yards and a score.
Moore is one of 13 Boilermakers on NFL rosters entering the draft. Running back Raheem Mostert has joined quarterback Aidan O’Connell in Las Vegas and with 10 years in the league is the senior NFL Boilermaker.
Linebacker Derrick Barnes (Lions), defensive end George Karlaftis (Chiefs), wide receivers David Bell (Browns) and Charlie Jones (Bengals), tight end Payne Durham (Buccanneers), linebacker Jalen Graham (49ers), and cornerbacks Cory Trice Jr. (Steelers) and Reese Taylor (Broncos) were sent to the NFL by former Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm and his staff.
Running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (Giants) and safety Sanoussi Kane (Ravens) are entering their second year in the NFL.
Linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley was released in the offseason by New England, for whom he had played since being drafted in 2018.
Big week for Purdue basketball
Two days after Bob Cousy Award winner Braden Smith officially announced his return to Purdue for his senior season, the Boilermakers added two pieces to their bid for the 2026 NCAA championship.
Highly regarded Israel prospect Omer Mayer signed with Purdue on Wednesday over interest from Duke and Auburn.
The 18-year-old 6-4 point guard has been playing with Maccabi Tel Aviv in Europe’s top professional basketball league. One of his teammates is former Purdue star Trevion Williams.
“I’m excited and thankful for this opportunity,” Mayer told ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. “I’ve competed at the highest levels in Israel and Europe and can’t wait to help Purdue compete for a championship next season.”
Mayer is coming off a strong week in Portland, Oregon, at the Nike Hoop Summit. Mayer handed out seven assists in 19 minutes in his World Team’s overtime loss to Team USA.
Mayer helped Israel qualify for this summer’s FIBA U19 World Cup, averaging 18.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.1 assists during last summer’s FIBA U18 European Championship.
He posted a career-high 11 points and three assists earlier this month in a win over EuroLeague playoff team Bayern Munich, a rarity for someone his age.
Bayern Munich was led by former Purdue All-American Carsen Edwards, who hasn’t lost his ability to score quickly and often. While Mayer was putting up 11 points and three assists for Maccabi Tel Aviv, Edwards set a EuroLeague record with eight 3-pointers among his 30 points in a single quarter.
Hours later on Wednesday, Purdue signed North Florida transfer forward Liam Murphy.
The 6-7, 220-pound Murphy brings strong 3-point shooting to a Purdue roster that lost forwards Myles Colvin (Wake Forest) and Cam Heide (Texas) to the transfer portal earlier in April.
At North Florida, Murphy averaged 13 points and led the Atlantic Sun Conference in 3-point shooting at 42.3 percent. His 104 3-pointers, on 246 attempts, ranked 19th nationally.
Murphy began his career at Columbia, playing two seasons. An injury cost him the 2023-24 season but Murphy earned his degree before transferring to North Florida.
Murphy and Mayer join Australian native Oscar Cluff, a 6-11 center from South Dakota State who was ranked the No. 1 transfer in the country by On3.com. Purdue also welcomes four-star guard Antione West and redshirt freshman Jack Benter on next year’s roster.
Kenny Thompson is the former sports editor for the Lafayette Journal & Courier and an award-winning journalist. He has covered Purdue athletics for many years.