Boye Mafe, Daniel Faalele among four Gophers invited to NFL Combine

Former Gophers edge rusher Boye Mafe's next step toward the NFL Draft will come during the annual NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

Mafe was among four Gophers players invited to the combine Wednesday, joining defensive end Esezi Otomewo and offensive linemen Daniel Faalele and Blaise Andries. The combine, which runs from March 1 to 7, is the league's yearly convention for athletic and medical testing, interviews and physical measurements.

With 324 college players invited, the combine is a chance for prospects to try to separate themselves in the margins.

Mafe, the Golden Valley native and Hopkins grad, already did during last week's Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., where some of college football's top prospects gathered to play the game in front of NFL evaluators for the last time. After drawing rave reviews in practices, Mafe was named the National Team's Player of the Game with two sacks, a forced fumble and a tackle for a loss in the all-star game. Afterward, NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah called him a "first-round talent."

"The splash plays at the [Senior] Bowl weren't a fluke," Jeremiah wrote on his Twitter account. "This dude is explosive!!"

Unique physical gifts go far in Indianapolis, where NFL evaluators try to parse levels of athletic explosiveness and agility through vertical jump distances and three-cone drills. Mafe led the Gophers with 10 tackles for losses and seven sacks last season. He measured 6-foot-3.5 and 255 pounds in Mobile, and is considered a freak athlete who could fare well in drills.

Faalele was the largest player at the Senior Bowl, measuring over 6-foot-8 and 387 pounds with enormous 11-inch hands. The former Gophers right tackle has been a fast riser, starting 31 games despite the Australian native not playing football until 2017. While his development continues, Faalele's rare size will intrigue NFL teams.

Andries, from Marshall, Minn., was a four-year starter for the Gophers, mostly at guard. He participated in the East-West Shrine Bowl, standing 6-foot-5.5 and weighing 315 pounds. Andries played for the West squad and assistant Browns offensive line coach Scott Peters.

Otomewo, who had 4.5 tackles for losses and three sacks last season, was invited to the Senior Bowl but did not participate because of an injury suffered in Minnesota's Dec. 28 bowl game.

Another Minnesota native, Eden Prairie's Jermaine Johnson II, is among the combine invites. Johnson was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year after starring in his only season at Florida State. The defensive end had 18 tackles for losses and 12 sacks in 12 games. A former JUCO standout, Johnson transferred to Florida State after spending two seasons at Georgia.