Oregon Ducks legend Bryce Boettcher made a great first impression on Day One of the NFL combine.
Oregon Ducks' Bryce Boettcher is one of the best athletes in all of college sports. Not many guys can go pro in one sport, and even fewer have an opportunity to go pro in two sports.
Insert Boettcher.
In 2024, the highly-touted defender was the Houston Astros' 13th-round draft pick, but Boettcher decided to forgo the MLB and stick it out at Oregon and see his football career out.
Well, it seemed to be a pretty solid decision because he made himself into one of the best linebackers in the country, and now he is on the cusp of realizing his dream as an NFL player.
On Wednesday, Boettcher got the opportunity to speak to the media on his third day in Indianapolis. Days one and two were getting settled into Indianapolis, and day three was his first opportunity to speak to the media about his expectations of the NFL Combine.
He came out with the answer that all draft scouts were waiting to hear. He was asked point-blank about his baseball career, and he put any doubt to rest.
"That's on hold right now. Im pursiong football fully right now and I want to win a Super Bowl."
He followed up on that comment, saying that the Houston Astros organization has been very supportive of this decision and the pursuit of his dream to make it in the NFL. Their patience may wear thin soon, but for now, they are accepting of the fact that Boettcher is going to pursue his football career.
For Boettcher, he is in a unique spot. According to several draft scouts, Boettcher is not an elite prospect, but a guy who can make an impact.
According to NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein, Boettcher has a prospect grade of 5.98 and is categorized as a player who can be an average backup and a special teams player.
Ducks' fans know he can be a lot more than that, but he is going to be in a very challenging spot. He is projected to be a day three pick in the draft, making him in rounds 4-7, which by no means is a bad thing.
However, he is going to have to earn his keep. Being a traditional, smaller-sized linebacker, he is not a unique body type or a unique talent. What he can prove is that he has a unique and rare work ethic, one that drives him to be a great, long-term player in the league.
Boettcher racked up 136 total tackles in 2025 to go along with two forced fumbles and one interception. He was the heartbeat of the defense and one of the true leaders of Dan Lanning's program.
He is putting his baseball career on hold, and hopefully, he will be able to make it in the NFL.
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