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NFL Draft watch: Kansas State TE rising up draft boards

Kansas State Wildcats tight end Ben Sinnott. Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports

NFL Draft watch: Kansas State TE Ben Sinnott rising up draft boards

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 11/28/23

Every week during the college football season, Yardbarker will post a brief look at 2024 NFL Draft prospects and how their play over the weekend either helped — or hurt — their draft stock.

Ben Sinnott | TE | Kansas State | PFF big board: No. 9 TE, No. 178 overall

Sinnott has been as reliable as they come this season, but he had his breakout game in Kansas State’s regular-season finale against Iowa State, catching 10 passes for 136 yards — both career highs — and a touchdown.

Among NCAA tight ends, Sinnott ranked second in the country in receiving yards (669), third in targets (79), fifth in receptions (48), and he tied for fifth in touchdowns (five). Although Georgia’s Brock Bowers and Texas’ Ja'Tavion Sanders will likely be the first two TEs off the board in April, Sinnott has made a really strong case to be the third.

That's the most receptions, yards and TDs in a season by a tight end in K-State history by @ben_sinnott
— The Kansas State Fan (@Thekstatefan) November 26, 2023

Audric Estime | RB | Notre Dame | PFF big board: No. 7 RB, No. 105 overall

Estime saved his best performance for last. In Notre Dame’s regular-season finale against Stanford, he rushed for an impressive 238 yards and four touchdowns — both career highs. It was his fifth straight game with at least one touchdown and his sixth game this season with 100 or more rushing yards.

With Texas’ Jonathon Brooks suffering a season-ending injury a few weeks ago, the top running back spot in the 2024 draft has been open for debate. While Estime may not be as highly regarded as Michigan’s Blake Corum, Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson or Florida State’s Trey Benson, he’s certainly up there in the conversation as a possible second-round pick.

Audric Estime this year

• 210 Rushing Attempts
• 1,341 Rushing Yards (#8)
• 18 Rushing TDs (#3)
• 6.4 YPC
• 142 Receiving Yards
• 892 Yards After Contact (#4)
• 94.1 Rushing Grade (#1)

Estime wasn’t even a semi finalist for the Doak Walker Award. pic.twitter.com/vr5y0GiIuF
— College Football Report (@CFBRep) November 28, 2023

Edgerrin Cooper | OLB | Texas A&M | PFF big board: No. 1 LB, No. 48 overall

Against Heisman front-runner Jayden Daniels and No. 13 LSU, Cooper had one of his best games of the season. He had eight tackles, four pressures, two QB hits, a sack and a hurry. It was the second-most he’s pressured an opposing QB this season.

Cooper’s best performances this year have come against some of Texas A&M’s biggest competition like Alabama (11 tackles, six pressures, three sacks, forced fumble) and Auburn (eight tackles, two pressures, two sacks). While he’s not as highly regarded as some of the draft’s other pass-rushers like UCLA’s Laiatu Latu or Alabama’s Dallas Turner, Cooper definitely belongs in the late first-round, early second-round mix.

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