Leaner Bulaga focused on strong NFL combine

Bryan Bulaga is a changed man.

When the Marian Central graduate and NFL draft prospect looks in the mirror, he can see the changes that are a result of his seven weeks of workouts at a Phoenix training facility.

"You can tell that I'm a thinner guy through the midsection and I have more muscle definition," Bulaga told the Northwest Herald in a phone interview this week. "It's pretty amazing to see the before and after pictures."

When Bulaga, the Big Ten Conference's 2009 Offensive Lineman of the Year as a junior left tackle at Iowa, enters the gym at Athletes Performance in Phoenix, he notices a change as well.

"In the weight room, I've made some big gains, and from an overall speed standpoint and a body composition standpoint," said the 6-foot-6 Bulaga, who played at 312 pounds last season but chose not reveal his current weight and body fat percentage on the advice of his agent, Tom Condon.

What also has changed about Bulaga in preparation for his workout Saturday with the nation's top offensive line prospects in Indianapolis at the NFL combine is his draft status.

Last month, Bulaga was mentioned in several online projections as a player who could be chosen in the mid-20s of the first round of April's draft.

This week, NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock told reporters that Bulaga -- whom Mayock ranks as the No. 2 offensive tackle available behind Oklahoma State's Russell Okung -- could go as high as No. 5 overall to Kansas City.

"I don't really have a goal as far as a number," Bulaga said. "But it's just to go as high as I can. (My goal) has got to be ... the first tackle off the board. If I'm not the first tackle, then we go from there."

To get into the draft's upper echelon, Bulaga knows his workout in Indianapolis is crucial.

So Bulaga is treating the combine as he would a Saturday afternoon in the fall at kickoff. That work began after Iowa's Orange Bowl victory in January. From there, he decided to leave college for the NFL. A day after the bowl game, Bulaga was on a plane to Arizona where he has been working out in preparation for his big day.

"There's no doubt about it, this is a competition," he said. "I'm competing with guys to move up (in the draft). This weekend will tell me a lot."

While some top prospects balk at working out at the combine or skip certain drills that don't suit them, Bulaga is going all out.

"I'm scheduled to do everything," Bulaga said of the combine, which showcases athletes in the 40-yard dash, the bench press, a vertical leap and various athletic and position-specific drills. "My agent and I thought it would be best for me to do everything."

Along with his new body, Bulaga has plenty of other skills to show off as well. His time in Phoenix has focused on technique and versatility as well as strength.

"I think teams will be intrigued by my overall athleticism," he said. "I think I'll be solid in the bench press and solid in the 40-yard dash."

He hopes to open even more NFL eyes in the footwork and agility drills.

"They'll see what kind of an athlete I am," he said. 

Bulaga, who started five games at left guard as a true freshman and spent two full seasons starting at left tackle for the Hawkeyes, also plans to display his ability to play at multiple positions.

"I think I have good versatility," he said. "I've been working hard out of right-hand stance (at right tackle). I'm going to play where a team drafts me and puts me."

Though he's not sure where he'll end up in the draft, Bulaga is certain he has prepared himself well for the combine.

"I feel very prepared," he said. "I've never felt more ready for something."

Barry Bottino writes a weekly column and a blog about local college athletes for the Northwest Herald. Write to him at BarryOnCampus@hotmail.com and check out his On Campus column every Saturday in the Northwest Herald sports section.