BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football’s recent NFL Draft history is pretty barren.
The Hoosiers haven’t had any players drafted since 2022 (Micah McFadden), haven’t had multiple players selected in the same year since 2018 (Ian Thomas and Chris Covington) and haven’t had a player go in the top three rounds since 2017 (Dan Feeney).
Indiana has a chance to end all three streaks this weekend based on final draft projections from prominent analysts. Defensive tackle CJ West and quarterback Kurtis Rourke will likely hear their names called this weekend, with West trending towards being a potential late Day Two selection.
Here’s a look at the final projections for both players heading into the 2025 NFL Draft:
More: Indiana football: Who’s on the rise coming out of the Hoosiers’ spring practice?
NFL DRAFT HUB: Live NFL Draft news, live picks, grades, analysis and more.
Former Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke draft projections
The Athletic: Draft analyst Dane Brugler gave Rourke a sixth-round grade — No. 11 player at his position — with the potential to be a serviceable NFL backup.
ESPN: Draft analyst Jordan Reid’s had Rourke going No. 227 to San Francisco in his final seven-round mock draft. ESPN has Rourke rated the No. 11 overall QB prospect just behind Dillon Gabriel.
Pro Football Focus: Rourke was ranked No. 220 in the site’s final top 350 rankings, making him an early seventh-round pick. The site notes he projects to be a backup quarterback in the league given his experience, pro-ready frame and passing touch.
More: What needs does Indiana football need to address in the spring transfer portal?
Former Indiana DT CJ West draft projections
The Athletic: Brugler gave CJ West a fourth-to-fifth round grade — No. 21 ranked player at his position — with his consistent explosiveness helping overshadow concerns about his size.
ESPN: Reid had West getting selected No. 100 overall with one of San Francisco’s compensatory picks in his final seven-round mock draft. West is ranked as ESPN’s No. 22 ranked defensive tackle available in this year’s draft class.
NFL.com: Daniel Jeremiah has West ranked as the No. 144 player — that would make him a fifth round pick — in his final top 150 heading into the NFL draft.
PFF: In PFF’s final update of its top 350 draft prospects, West was ranked No. 71 as a defensive tackle. They noted he’s capable of being an impactful presence in both the run and pass game for a team running a 4-3 defense.
Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.
