Did Kedon Slovis help his NFL draft stock vs. Arkansas? Why 2 national experts say yes

Taking a glance at Kedon Slovis’ stat line from BYU’s 38-31 win over Arkansas last week, nothing particularly noteworthy stands out — the graduate transfer was 13 of 25 for 167 yards passing and threw two touchdowns while not committing a turnover.

But, to steal a phrase from Rafiki in “The Lion King,” a pair of national media football experts essentially said “look harder” in regards to how that performance helped his NFL draft stock.

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, in looking at 10 plays from college football’s Week 3 that “illustrate the skills of eight 2024 NFL draft prospects,” highlighted one play from Slovis at the end of his analysis.

With the Cougars driving on their go-ahead touchdown-scoring drive midway through the fourth quarter, Slovis hit UConn transfer Keelan Marion down the sideline for a 37-yard gain that got BYU inside the Arkansas red zone to the 10-yard line.

Two plays later, Slovis connected with Chase Roberts for a 7-yard touchdown, which ended up being the difference in the game.

Brugler emphasized that Slovis is one of the college game’s seniors who is not a lock to be a draft pick next spring — especially considering there is expected to be a stacked quarterback draft class in 2024 — and even this particular throw “can be better, as he leaves it a tad short.”

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“But in the fourth quarter, on the road and in a tie game, this is the type of execution NFL scouts want to see,” Brugler wrote.

“Slovis holds the safety in the middle of the field before delivering a 30-yard touch pass down the sideline, setting up first-and-goal.”

In a more general sense, fellow Athletic college football expert Bruce Feldman was complimentary of Slovis during the latest “The Audible” podcast with Stewart Mandel.

“He had two receivers make two amazing catches — one for a touchdown, another for a big play. He gives them a chance,” Feldman said.

“At some point, he’ll get drafted next year. I’m guessing it’ll be somewhere in the third to fifth round or something. But there are throws in here where like, OK I’ll see that one day when the NFL Network is talking about him, just really on the money. We’ll see.”

A group of ESPN writers also discussed what players helped their draft stock during Week 3, and a few Utah ties were included.

Matt Miller highlighted BYU left tackle Kingsley Suamataia, who’s already been mentioned as a possible early-round draft pick if he leaves Provo early.

“Having the chance to see the big man from BYU in person at Arkansas on Saturday night added to my love for his game,” Miller wrote. “Suamataia is an agile mover in space, but it’s his ability to slide and shuffle in pass pro that really catches your eye. He’s a trim 6-6 and 325 pounds but moves like a much smaller blocker.

“That was evident on Saturday, when he got into the open field to spring a 45-yard touchdown run by LJ Martin. Suamataia ranks at No. 36 on my board, but he’s rising in his first year playing left tackle and has the look of a first-rounder.”

ESPN colleague Jordan Reid liked what he saw from Colorado State tight end Dallin Holker, a BYU transfer and Lehi High product. In the Rams’ 43-35 loss to Colorado, Holker made six catches for 109 yards and scored two touchdowns in a primetime matchup watched by over 9 million viewers.

“There arguably wasn’t another prospect who gained more by playing on a national stage over the weekend than Holker. ... And I saw multiple tough catches,” Reid wrote.

“I asked one NFC area scout about Holker, and he texted back, ‘He wasn’t on our radar at all.’ The 6-foot-5, 235-pound BYU transfer needs to continue to build on his standout performance, but it was clear on Saturday night that he has receiving upside.”

Looking ahead to Week 4, longtime NFL draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. noted the UCLA-Utah game in Salt Lake City as a game to watch, thanks to a matchup between Bruins edge rusher Laiatu Latu and Utah tackle Sataoa Laumea.

“It’s another chance to impress for edge rusher Laiatu Latu, who I moved up last week to No. 18 on my Big Board. He has 14.5 sacks over his past 15 games, including four in three games this season,” Kiper wrote.

“He’ll see a lot of time against tackle Sataoa Laumea, who at 6-foot-4 and 311 pounds likely will end up as a guard at the next level. Latu is a strip-sack machine, and if he can create turnovers in this one, the Bruins could pull off a huge road victory.”