{"id":62292,"date":"2019-03-29T08:00:36","date_gmt":"2019-03-29T12:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=62292"},"modified":"2021-03-20T12:47:01","modified_gmt":"2021-03-20T16:47:01","slug":"khalen-saunders-2019-nfl-draft-profile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2019\/03\/29\/khalen-saunders-2019-nfl-draft-profile\/","title":{"rendered":"Khalen Saunders 2019 NFL Draft Profile"},"content":{"rendered":"

Overview
\nPosition<\/strong>: Interior defensive lineman
\nHeight<\/strong>: 6’0″
\nWeight<\/strong>: 324 pounds
\nSchool<\/strong>: Western Illinois Leathernecks<\/p>\n

Combine Performance Data
\n40-yard dash<\/strong>: 5.01 seconds
\nBench press<\/strong>: 27 reps
\nVertical jump<\/strong>: 30.5 inches
\nBroad jump<\/strong>: 8 feet, 5 inches
\nThree-cone drill<\/strong>: 7.57 seconds
\n20-yard shuttle<\/strong>: 4.62 seconds<\/p>\n

Khalen Saunders 2019 NFL Draft Profile<\/strong><\/h1>\n

A native of St. Louis, MO, Khalen Saunders<\/strong><\/a> excelled in multiple sports at Parkway Central High School. It included playing on the offensive and defensive lines for the football team which finished as the state runner-up during his senior season. A year earlier, he made a name for himself in another sport when he took second in the shot put at the state track meet. Saunders also lettered for the wrestling team.<\/p>\n

Receiving little interest from FBS programs, Saunders committed to Western Illinois out of the Missouri Valley Conference. Though he sat out the 2014 season, he made a rather noticeable impact as a redshirt freshman despite not making a single start. His final stat line that year read 27 tackles, 4.5 for loss, 2.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery. He received an expanded role the following season as he started all 11 games and registered 48 tackles, five for loss, two pass break-ups, and even a blocked kick on special teams.<\/p>\n

Saunders further developed into an upper-echelon player at FCS level as an upperclassman. Over the course of his redshirt junior and senior seasons, Saunders combined for 129 tackles, 25 of which were for a loss, as well as 14 sacks. He showed a flack for disrupting both the run and pass games as he also totaled four pass breakups and four forced fumbles during that time. He earned second-team FCS All-American honors at the conclusion of his senior year.<\/p>\n

Strengths<\/h2>\n