Idaho native a hot NFL Draft prospect. Here’s where the experts say he’ll be picked.
The legend of Tommy Togiai often begins with his exploits in the weight room.
They started in Pocatello, where the only gift he wanted for his 12th birthday was a membership to the local Gold’s Gym. They followed him to Ohio State, where the defensive tackle was often referred to as the program’s strongest player. And now they are part of the hype leading up to this week’s NFL Draft.
But Togiai says he’s more than a one-trick pony, one with plenty of talents to help an NFL franchise.
“Everyone thinks of me as just strong and big, and that’s it,” Togiai told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “But I’ve also got the speed to go along with it. I can move.”
Togiai, a 2017 graduate of Highland High, showed that at his pro day. His 40-yard dash (4.97 seconds), vertical jump (32 inches), three-cone drill (7.20 seconds) and shuttle time (4.49 seconds) all ranked among the best for defensive tackles.
And his raw strength remains unquestioned. The 6-foot-1, 296-pound defensive tackle put up 40 bench reps, tied with Pittsburgh’s Jaylen Tyman for the most in this year’s draft class.
Put it all together, and it makes Togiai an intriguing prospect. But he’s also one experts struggle to pin down. Togiai played just one pandemic-shortened season as a starter before opting to skip his senior season at Ohio State and enter the NFL Draft.
Here’s where several draft experts project the Idaho native will get selected.
PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS
Senior analysts for the analytics-focused site have the Oakland Raiders selecting Togiai in the third round with the 80th overall selection. They also rank Togiai as the fifth-best interior defensive lineman in the draft.
“Togiai is a super disruptive three-technique, but we just simply haven’t seen a ton of him,” Pro Football Focus wrote. “He earned an 87.5 overall grade this past season in his first year as a starter, but he still only played 291 total defensive snaps.”
CBS SPORTS
CBS’ final seven-round mock draft also had Togiai going in the third round. But they have the Browns staying close to home to pick the Ohio State prospect with the 91st overall pick.
ESPN
The Worldwide Leader projects a cooler market for the Idaho native. Todd McShay’s final rankings named him the 12th-best defensive tackle and the No. 135 overall prospect. That would make Togiai a fourth-round selection who must wait until Saturday.
Mel Kiper Jr. is higher on Togiai, listing him as the ninth-best defensive tackle. But he also sees him as a fourth-round pick.
“He flashed,” Kiper told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “Where he’ll be in another year, where he would be after another season of production, that would have pushed him up the board a little bit. We’re talking about no later than (the) second round.
“I’m thinking (the) fourth round this year. You’re getting a fourth-rounder who could have been a two with another year of production.”
NFL.COM
NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah also sees Togiai as a fourth-round selection, listing him as the No. 133 overall prospect in his latest rankings released Monday.
IDAHO HIGH SCHOOL PLAYERS IN THE NFL
Togiai would join the following list of former Idaho high school players currently on NFL rosters.
Dallas linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (Salmon River)
Carolina offensive lineman Matt Paradis (Council)
New Orleans quarterback Taysom Hill (Highland)
Detroit tight end Josh Hill (Blackfoot)
Cleveland defensive end Porter Gustin (Emmett)
Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Jonah Williams (Rocky Mountain)
Vander Esch (first round) and Paradis (sixth round) were the only ones drafted. The rest signed as undrafted free agents.
This story was originally published April 29, 2021 at 12:00 PM with the headline "Idaho native a hot NFL Draft prospect. Here’s where the experts say he’ll be picked.."
