Kansas State football’s Van Malone on Jacob Parrish and Marques Sigle
Kansas State football assistant head coach Van Malone talks about defensive backs Jacob Parrish and Marques Sigle’s NFL Draft prospects.
K-State Athletics
- Kansas State football players Jacob Parrish, DJ Giddens, and Marques Sigle are expected to be selected in the 2025 NFL Draft.
- Parrish and Giddens are projected to be drafted in the third or fourth rounds, while Sigle’s projections range from the third to seventh rounds.
- All three players participated in the NFL Scouting Combine and performed well, showcasing their athleticism and skills.
If there is any question that NFL draft predictions are an inexact science, look no further than Kansas State football safety Marques Sigle.
While Sigle, one of three Wildcats appearing on most mock draft boards, is a consensus late-round selection in this weekend’s draft, one prognosticator has him going as early as the third round. Then there is running back DJ Giddens, who is projected to go anywhere from the third to the fifth rounds, a span of about 170 picks.
The only relative certainty about Sigle, Giddens, and cornerback Jacob Parrish, K-State’s highest-rated prospect, is that they won’t need to tune in for the opening round on Thursday.
The 2025 NFL Draft gets underway at 7 p.m. CT on Thursday for Round 1. Rounds 2-3 start at 6 p.m. Friday, and Rounds 4-7 wrap things up with an 11 a.m. start Saturday. All seven rounds will be televised on ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network, with streaming available on ESPN+ and NFL+.
Parrish, Giddens, and Sigle all participated in the NFL Scouting Combine in late February and early March and performed well. Parrish and Giddens are virtual locks to hear their names called on Friday or Saturday, while experts suggest that Sigle could have some anxious moments when the seventh round rolls around.
Here are some projections for K-State’s top NFL prospects as of Tuesday, April 22:
CB Jacob Parrish (5-10, 191 pounds)
The Athletic: 3rd round, 84th overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
ESPN: 3rd round, 87th overall to the Green Bay Packers.
NFL.com: 4th round, 115th overall to the Arizona Cardinals.
Pro Football Focus: 3rd round, 90th overall to the Los Angeles Rams.
Sporting News: 4th round, 111th overall to the Carolina Panthers.
Parrish was a two-year starter and K-State’s No. 1 cornerback as a junior in 2024, recording a career-high 50 tackles with one interception and seven pass breakups. He had three interceptions and nine PBUs as a junior in 2023, when he was challenged more frequently by opposing offenses.
Parrish turned heads with his athleticism at the NFL Scouting Combine, running a 4.35-second 40-yard dash. He showed his ability on special teams as a true freshman reserve in 2022, which gives him added value in the NFL.
RB DJ Giddens (6-1, 212 pounds)
The Athletic: 4th round, 128th overall to the Washington Commanders.
ESPN: 3rd round, 94th overall to the Cleveland Browns.
NFL.com: 5th round, 165th overall to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Pro Football Focus: 3rd round, 97th overall to the Minnesota Vikings.
Sporting News: 4th round, 138h overall to the San Francisco 49ers.
Giddens is another early draft entry after rushing for 1,343 yards and seven touchdowns while breaking the school single-season record with 6.55 yards per carry. After backing up All-American Deuce Vaughn as a redshirt freshman, he was a two-year starter for the Wildcats, and in three seasons, he moved into third place on the school’s career rushing list with 3,087 yards.
Giddens graded out well at the NFL Scouting Combine by running a 4.43 40-yard dash and ranking near the top among running backs in both the vertical and broad jumps at 6 feet, 212 pounds. He also caught 50 passes for 581 yards and four touchdowns in his last two seasons.
S Marques Sigle (5-11, 199 pounds)
The Athletic: 7th round, 255th overall to the Cleveland Browns.
ESPN: 7th round, 217th overall to the Dallas Cowboys.
NFL.com: 3rd round, 84th overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Pro Football Focus: 7th round, 230th overall to the Carolina Panthers.
Sigle was a starter both years at K-State after transferring from North Dakota State, recording 60 tackles with three interceptions and 6.5 tackles for loss as a senior in 2024. He tied for the team lead with 63 tackles in 2023.
Sigle’s 40-yard dash time of 4.37 was among the fastest by a safety at the combine. As a former cornerback, he has the versatility to play multiple positions in the secondary at the next level as well as contribute on special teams. NFL.com predicting that Sigle goes in the third round was an outlier, with most other outlets slotting him in the seventh.
Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on X (formerly Twitter) at @arnegreen.
