The 2019 NFL draft has come and gone, and it was a big success for Kyle Whittingham's Utah football program. Utah had nine seniors with NFL aspirations and potential, and it resulted in five draft selections and four others signing with teams as un-drafted free agents shortly after the event completed. Marquise Blair, Cody Barton, Mitch Wishnowsky, Matt Gay, and Jackson Barton were the five players to hear their names called. While Chase Hansen, Corrion Ballard, Lo Falemaka, and Jordan Agasiva all found teams of their own to sign.

With the results from this weekend, it's time to take a look at where Utah stacks up compared to the rest of the division and conference, as well as the impact recruiting has had on the team and draft success. Over the last few years, Utah has developed a great number of players and have helped turn them into NFL Draft selections. At the same time, the program has seen an increase with it's recruiting profile as the staff has added some their most high profile recruits with the likes of Garett Bolles, Jaylon Johnson, and Solomon Enis. Finally, the Utes secured their first South Division Title this past season. Let's take a look back and review the recent trends with the draft, as well as in recruiting, which also appears it should have a very positive effect on the Utah's future.

The key to take away from this piece: Utah is trending up in every valuable way a football program can.

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