Cincinnati Football: 5 Bearcats Preparing for NFL Draft

As the NFL draft is now only a month away, a handful of former Bearcats are waiting to have their name announced on draft day.

While it is only likely that two or three will get drafted, there are a few others who will have a shot to make a team in a training camp somewhere.

Three Bearcats were invited to the NFL combine last month, and they have the best chance to get drafted.

Here are the five former Bearcats who are most likely to be playing on Sunday next season.

Zach Collaros is one of the greatest quarterbacks in Cincinnati history, but that does not make him any taller.

At just a shade under 6'0", Collaros is unlikely to get drafted, but he certainly has enough talent to find himself in camp somewhere.

According to NFL Draft Scout, he's the No. 30 quarterback in the draft.

If he doesn't make a team somewhere, Collaros could find himself coaching at some level.

Similar to Zach Collaros, J.K. Schaffer is slightly undersized.

At 6'1" and 237 pounds, Schaffer was a tackle machine at Cincinnati. He finished his career with three straight 100-tackle seasons.

Schaffer has an outside shot to be drafted in one of the final rounds but is likely a free agent who will be picked up.

According to NFL Draft Scout, he's the No. 17 inside linebacker in the draft.

Whether or not he is drafted, Schaffer will be playing on Sunday somewhere next season.

John Hughes was one of three Bearcats invited to the NFL Scouting Combine.

He is a space eater at defensive tackle.

The 300-pound big man is 6'2", and similar to Schaffer, is likely to be drafted very late or not at all.

He has the size and talent to be a solid NFL contributor for the next decade.

Derek Wolfe was an All-American each of the past two seasons at defensive tackle for the Bearcats.

He had an impressive showing at the NFL combine. His draft stock is rising.

At 6'5" and 295 pounds, Wolfe has the size to play either inside or outside on the defensive line.

He could go anywhere from late in the third round to somewhere in the sixth.

Wolfe has the talent to be a starter at the next level down the line.

Few players have seen their draft stock go up over the past few months like Isaiah Pead.

He was the Big East Offensive Player of the Year and also MVP of the Senior Bowl.

Pead had quite a combine with a great 40-time. He has the speed to run by people and the strength to run through people.

There's a chance Pead could go as high as the second round, but more than likely, he'll be a third-rounder and contribute immediately somewhere next season.