There are five members of the Washington football team whose lives may change forever when the NFL draft begins April 23. Of these five, senior offensive lineman Carver Willis faces the most uncertain outcome, but is an interesting prospect, who a team may take a chance on.

A three-star recruit out of high school, Willis spent five years with the Kansas State Wildcats, contributing to a unit that was a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award in 2023 before transferring to UW for his final year of eligibility.

In his lone season with the Huskies, Willis started ten games at left tackle, trusted to protect sophomore quarterback Demond Williams Jr.’s blind side. In the role, Willis excelled, allowing only two sacks, committing just four penalties, and thriving in the run-blocking assignments en route to an Honorable Mention for the All-Big Ten team. 

At the NFL combine, Willis performed decently well. He ran a 5:11 40-yard dash, and had a nine foot broad jump, both above average metrics for his position. Willis has been noted by scouts for his acceleration, fluidity, and athleticism on the line.

Willis is not, however, without faults. Willis is 6-foot-5 and a hair over 300 pounds, making him underweight for his role. He also has a below-average frame and core strength compared with professional linemen, so he could struggle to adjust at the pro level.

But so far, Willis has performed well. He is quick off the snap, is athletic enough to finish the blocks he starts, and is a dominant run-blocker. Indeed, Willis’ success led to increased success for Washington’s senior running back Jonah Coleman, who had his best collegiate season when running behind Willis and his line. 

Ultimately, time will tell if an NFL team wants to take a chance on Willis. He is currently projected to get drafted in the sixth round by NFL analyst Lance Zierlein.

Reach sports writer Conner Coughran atsports@dailyuw.com. X: @conner_cough. Bluesky: con-cough.bsky.social.