Can Dalton Risner become K-State’s first first-round pick in 10 years?

It’s been a long time since Roger Goodell has had to pronounce the name, ‘Kansas State,’ at the NFL Draft.

That’s because it’s been 10 years since the Wildcats have had a first-round pick in April’s draft, with quarterback Josh Freeman being the last player the program had to shake the commissioner’s hand and pose with a No. 1 jersey in his hands.

But the streak could end in a few months as former Kansas State offfensive lineman Dalton Risner poses the best chance in recent years to break the streak. Risner had a strong performance at the Senior Bowl in January and had a number of teams seeking formal meetings with him this week in Indy.

“He’s the toughest lineman in the draft,” said Alex Barnes, former KSU tailback and Risner’s teammate.

Risner ran a 4.52 in the 20-yard shuttle, a major drill that teams use to evaluate offensive lineman. His time ranked third at his position. He also ran a 7.69 in the three-cone drill at the combine, which had him tied for eleventh at his position.

The Chiefs and Eagles were among a few teams that Risner formally met with, and the Colorado native admitted he had a hard time letting go of Andy Reid’s hand when he introduced himself. Risner lost to Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes once when the NFL MVP was at Texas Tech and considers Chiefs tackle Mitch Schwartz a role model for him.

“It would be awesome to block for him and watch him make plays,” Risner said. “I love to block for an offense like that.”

Risner is selling teams on his diversity and believes he can play all five offensive-line positions in the NFL. Originally a center, Risner played right tackle at Kansas State and got looks at both guard spots and left tackle at the Senior Bowl and in practice over the years.

He has no preference on a position and said he’s also selling teams on his background, which he thinks contains no red flags.

“I’m not any kind of liability,” Risner said. “There’s no backgrounds checks on me, no issues with drugs, alcohol. I’m ready to play professional football.”

So is Risner the Wildcat to break the drought?

Current mock drafts have him all over the board, with some projecting him as high as the first round while others have him going in the second or third.

Risner admitted that during his meeting with teams, he was unable to get a good idea of his range as a prospect.

“I have no idea where I will go,” Risner said.

A strong pro day could help Risner’s draft stock, while his diversity on the line already gives him an advantage with teams that want their players to be able to move around.

Despite his lack of clarity on his draft stock, Risner was brimming with confidence during his press conference on Thursday and reiterated that he’s ready for the challenge of professional football and understands what he’s getting into.

“Whatever club I get drafted to, I’m going to try and take that man’s position,” he said. “I’m sure he has a family at home. And next year someone will try and take mine.

“The key word there is try.”

This story was originally published March 2, 2019 at 7:05 PM.