Durham To Detroit: UNH’s Dylan Laube Blazing Trail To NFL Draft

WORCESTER, Mass. — The Seahawks drafted New Hampshire defensive lineman Jared Smith in the seventh round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He never appeared in a regular-season game, and the Wildcats haven’t had anyone selected in a draft since.

UNH running back Dylan Laube will change that at some point during the 2024 NFL Draft.

Laube isn’t the most physically imposing guy on the field. He’s cut up and definitely looks like a great athlete, but his 5-foot-10, 206-pound frame doesn’t exactly scream “best running back in the country.” He’s got a case for being that guy, though.

Just ask him.

“My goal has always been to get drafted. I think with what I’ve done so far, I’m definitely one of, if not the best back in the draft,” Laube declared at his pro day in March. “My versatility is super important. I think I’m gonna have my name called one of those days.”

Don’t believe him? Let’s take a look at his résumé, which is miles better than pretty much any other back in the class.

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Laube appeared in 46 games at New Hampshire, totaling 4,564 all-purpose yards and 43 touchdowns. He also added four return touchdowns, splitting them up evenly between the punt- and kick-return units. He was the UNH Wildcats throughout the last few seasons.

“It’s funny, we kind of geared our offense around him, but I think we would have been remiss not to,” UNH co-offensive coordinator Drew Belcher told NESN in March. “He was able to do so many things, and anytime he touched the football, it’s kind of a touchdown waiting to happen. We just tried to put him in the best situation as much as possible, and it’s really a nod to him because he was able to learn.”

It would be somewhat foolish to expect an NFL team to draft an FCS player and immediately make him a featured part of the offense. That doesn’t happen, and Laube isn’t an exception. He’s got more than enough of the required attributes to earn his way onto a roster and into a legitimate role, though, just like he did in Durham, N.H.

“He had a pretty impressive impact on special teams early in his career. He was a gunner as a redshirt freshman, but it got to the point these last few years where he was too valuable that we kind of cut him off that side of it,” UNH head coach Rick Santos said. “… I think he’ll make an impact in the return game as well, and he will make a roster because of the fact that he has that ability to be dynamic and especially in the special teams aspect of it.

“… He spent basically the entirety of his last spring at slot receiver, too. I would say 90-95% at slot receiver and only a little bit at running back. I think he can handle that, too. He has a high football IQ, so the good thing is, I don’t think he’s just a running back. If the team already has two studs in front of him, and he’s only the third back, I think they’ll be able to create a package for him, which will be cool.”

It’s been shown time and time again that Laube’s as talented as anyone at his position, but factors outside his physical ability will obviously have an impact on his value as a prospect. He’s a bit undersized. He played at the FCS level. He doesn’t have an elite pedigree.

Laube’s a good football player, though, and thanks to invitations to the Senior Bowl and NFL Scouting Combine, he’s been able to show that.

“I think the combine and the Senior Bowl were super important, especially for my confidence coming from a small school,” Laube told NESN. “You don’t really know until you’re actually there, and that first day at the Senior Bowl, I truly found out that I belong and that gave me so much confidence. Then when I got to the combine, I kind of already had that confidence, and it just kept on going up and up and up. I felt so comfortable through the whole week of interviews – the actual testing, I felt super comfortable there, too.

Laube parlayed that newfound confidence into a tremendous day as the star participant at Holy Cross’ pro day, as they were nice enough to invite a rival player to work out in front of 30 NFL teams.

“It was a huge honor just to be here, especially for Holy Cross, which they and UNH aren’t really too friendly,” Laube cracked. “I appreciate them having me.”

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Is he going to be picked on Day 1 of the draft? No. Day 2? Nope. Laube’s story, as different as it has been from those who came before him at UNH, is going to have a similar chapter to that of many NFL hopefuls. He’ll be sitting somewhere, likely on his couch in Westhampton, N.Y., sweating things out on April 27.

He might even have a fleeting thought about whether he’ll even be selected. There’s little doubt he will, though, and when that moment comes, his hard work throughout the last few months and years will be worth it.

“I can’t even think of one I’m going to feel on that day, but it’s gonna be super fun,” Laube said, smiling just at the thought. “I’m gonna spend the whole time with my family and everyone that’s been there since day one. I’m just gonna enjoy every second of it.”