| No. 79 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Offensive guard |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | April 8, 2000 Pomona, California, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Weight: | 319 lb (145 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Upland (Upland, California) |
| College: | UTEP (2018–2023) |
| NFL draft: | 2024 / Round: 6 / Pick: 220 |
| Career history | |
| |
| Roster status: | Unsigned draft pick |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Career NFL statistics | |
| Player stats at NFL.com | |
Elijah Blue Klein (born April 8, 2000) is an American football offensive guard for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UTEP Miners and was selected by the Buccaneers in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft.
Early life[edit]
Klein was born on April 8, 2000, in Pomona, California.[1][2] He attended Upland High School in Upland, California, where he played two years on the varsity team and was named first-team All-Baseline League as a senior.[2] He committed to play college football for the UTEP Miners as a two-star recruit.[1]
Klein became a starter on the offensive line as a true freshman at UTEP in 2018, starting four games before deciding to redshirt.[2] He played eight games, six as a starter at right guard in 2019, and then started all eight games in the same position in 2020.[2] He was named honorable mention All-Conference USA in 2021, while starting 13 games at right guard, and won the honor again in 2022 while starting 12 games at right guard.[3] In his final season, 2023, he started 12 games and was named first-team All-Conference USA.[4] He finished his collegiate career having started 55 games.[5] Klein was invited to the 2024 East–West Shrine Bowl, but was not selected for the NFL Scouting Combine.[1][6]
Professional career[edit]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
306 lb (139 kg) |
34+1⁄4 in (0.87 m) |
10+1⁄8 in (0.26 m) |
5.33 s | 1.89 s | 3.03 s | 4.71 s | 7.76 s | 26+1⁄2 in (0.67 m) |
8 ft 2 in (2.49 m) |
25 reps | |
| All values from pro day[7] | ||||||||||||
Klein was selected in the sixth round (220th overall) of the 2024 NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[8]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c "Elijah Klein NFL Draft 2024: Scouting Report for UTEP IOL". Bleacher Report. April 21, 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Elijah Klein". UTEP Miners.
- ^ Bloomquist, Bret (April 27, 2024). "What the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are getting in UTEP OT Elijah Klein". El Paso Times.
- ^ Richman, Jacob (April 27, 2024). "NFL Draft 2024: UTEP OG Elijah Klein drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers". GulfLive.com.
- ^ Wells, River (April 27, 2024). "BREAKING: Buccaneers Draft UTEP G Elijah Klein with Pick No. 220". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ "Bucs Tab Versatile Blocker Elijah Klein in Sixth Round". Tampa Bay Buccaneers. April 27, 2024.
- ^ "Elijah Klein - OG - Texas-El Paso - 2024 Draft Scout/NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved 2024-04-27.
- ^ Easterling, Luke (April 27, 2024). "Bucs select UTEP OL Elijah Klein in 6th round of 2024 NFL draft". USA Today.