Durango's Willis Trains Hard, Chases NFL Dream After Fort Lewis Career

Carver Willis graduated from Durango High School at 235 pounds after West Nile virus hit him before his senior season. Nearly eight years later, at 6-foot-5 and 303 pounds, the former Demon is weeks from the 2026 NFL Draft with close to 30 professional football teams having studied every inch of his tape.

Willis, who completed six college seasons split between Kansas State and the University of Washington, has been among the busiest offensive linemen on the pre-draft circuit. He sat for formal interviews with the Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis in late February. Virtual meetings with the Las Vegas Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars and Denver Broncos followed, and a pre-draft "30" visit with the Atlanta Falcons is scheduled. "I've been busy," Willis said. "It's been a lot of fun."

The interest reflects a college career that built steadily toward this moment. Willis appeared in just 11 games across his first three seasons at Kansas State before breaking out in 2023, starting seven of 13 games and earning All-Big 12 honorable mention. He started 11 games at right tackle the following year, then transferred to Washington in January 2025.

In his lone season with the Huskies, Willis won the starting left tackle job and held it for 10 games before an injury suffered against Ohio State sidelined him for contests against Maryland, Rutgers and Michigan. He returned to close the year strong, earned honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition from both coaches and media, and received the program's John P. Angel Offensive Lineman of the Year Award. Washington finished 9-4.

Since then, his training has centered on one adjustment: moving inside. Willis knows his arm length concerns scouts who project him as an NFL left tackle, and the consensus from team meetings points toward guard or center. He has trained in Cleveland with former Pro Bowl center LeCharles Bentley and in Chandler, Arizona, with Bentley's company, AMDG Sports Performance, working through the stance refinements and technique details that separate developmental prospects from contributors. "Some teams think I'm capable of backing up all five positions," Willis said. "Some teams see me as a center. Others see me as a guard. The majority of teams see me playing across the interior though."

Bleacher Report's post-combine interior offensive line board ranked Willis 10th, assigning him a 7.0 grade. Walter Football projects him as a fifth- to seventh-round selection. If he goes undrafted, Willis has noted the advantage of choosing his own landing spot rather than being assigned one, a decision-making mindset he credits in part to managing NIL income across two Power Five programs.

For a kid from Durango who redshirted twice and built his frame from scratch, the draft itself may be less the destination than the next proving ground.