Denver Kirkland, And Juniors Everywhere, Gambled and Lost this Weekend

Former Arkansas Razorback Denver Kirkland declared for the NFL Draft early, only to go all seven rounds without hearing his name called. Had Kirkland stayed at Arkansas one more year, this outcome could have been prevented.

Watching the NFL Draft over the weekend, we got to hear former Razorbacks like Hunter Henry, Alex Collins, Jonathan Williams, Sebastian Tretola, and Brandon Allen all get their names called by different teams. But there was one name that never got called. A guy that was on the same side of the ball as those other Arkansas draft picks: Denver Kirkland.

At the end of the 2015 season, Denver Kirkland was one of three juniors who forwent their senior season with the Hogs and declare for the 2016 NFL Draft. In fact, Kirkland decided before even talking with Coach Bret Bielema. That decision immediately got Razorback fans a little tense. Kirkland is a talented lineman that was a big part of the “biggest line in all of football”. But none of that mattered. All it came down to scouts seeing him as a NFL ready OL or not.

You would think a beast sitting at 6’5 335 pounds would make any scout lick at his chops, but this just wasn’t the case. A somewhat mediocre start to his junior season didn’t help his case either. After being moved from the guard position to tackle, Kirkland was rusty. However, he soon caught on to the position change and performed well.

Between the offseason and the draft, Kirkland just never showed out. His combine rankings were consistently on the low end amongst other linemen. In fact, some of the measurables from Denver might have broken records from previous combines.

Yet, what led him to going undrafted stays within the minds of NFL coaches and scouts. But it’s not like we can’t put two and two together.

There are certain qualities to linemen that the NFL loves to pay attention to. Take Brandon Allen for example. He was ridiculed for not having big enough hands. The same thing goes with linemen. Scouts ogle at “waist bending” and “ducking the head” with an offensive line just as they look at “hand size” for a quarterback. It’s a weird system that works in the NFL, and it can make or break your career.

I’m not here to throw a bunch of jabs at Kirkland. He is and always will be an Arkansas Razorback. I can’t blame him for seeing his shot at an NFL career and taking it (any chance to get out of school is great).

Also, it’s not like Kirkland was the only one to make this mistake. In the entire 2016 NFL Draft, 107 college juniors declared for the draft. You know how many went undrafted? 30. Almost one-third of the confident juniors found themselves in the same position as Denver Kirkland. These kids could have been 2017 draft picks, but instead now serve as warnings to incoming players as what not to do.

But what could have been will itch at me forever. Every year of experience and training in a collegiate career is of the utmost importance. Had Coach B given Denver that pitch to stay…who knows, maybe he would have stayed. Because serving his senior year and performing well almost solidifies himself a pick in the draft. Better yet, it puts him higher on the draft boards. Mo’ money, less problems.

In the end, I guess he’s still got a shot.

More razorbacks: A Look Back at Bielema's Comments to Ole Miss

The deal with Oakland is great considering the position Kirkland was in after the draft. But an undrafted free agent signing is never what you want. This route only makes things more difficult for him to make a mark. The Raiders have a great OL. And in the NFL, the only way you move up to the top of an offensive line is somebody gets hurt. Denver is going to either need a lot of work or a lot of luck to get that roster spot. I believe in him though.

No matter what, I wish Denver the best of luck in Oakland.