Andrew Billings, Corey Coleman and Xavien Howard all decided to forgo their senior years at Baylor to chase their dreams of playing in the NFL.

By next weekend, they’ll find out where their futures will take them.

Both Billings and Coleman are projected as first-round picks while Howard could go as early as the second round of the 2016 NFL draft, which will be held Thursday through Saturday in Chicago.

Two Baylor seniors – All-America offensive tackle Spencer Drango and wide receiver Jay Lee – have been projected as late picks in the sixth or seventh round.

However, defensive end Shawn Oakman might not be drafted at all. After coming back for his senior year with hopes of becoming a first-round pick, the 6-8 Oakman had a subpar season and was being projected as a middle to late-round pick.

Only 15 days before the draft, Oakman was arrested on April 13 in Waco on a sexual assault charge against a Baylor female student. In the police report, Oakman said he had consensual sex with the woman.

“It’s hard to see him getting drafted,” said Dane Brugler, NFL senior draft analyst for CBS Sports. “Teams that thought he was a third or fourth-round pick are trying to find more details about what happened. If he is innocent, it’s just unfortunate timing. He doesn’t have a combine or pro day to explain his side of the story.”

An NFC executive told NFL Media draft analyst Lance Zierlein that Oakman is “undraftable now.”

Both Billings and Coleman raised their draft stock with All-America junior seasons.

Coleman won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver after making 74 catches for 1,363 yards and a nation’s best 20 touchdowns last season. He’s expected to be one of the first three receivers drafted along with Mississippi’s Laquon Treadwell and TCU’s Josh Doctson.

“Coleman will fit right in with that murderers row of teams that need receivers in the early 20s – Houston at 22, Minnesota at 23 and Cincinnati at 24,” said Mike Mayock, lead draft analyst for the NFL Network. “He makes sense there. He’s explosive with the ball in his hands like (former NFL receiver) Percy Harvin. There will be a learning curve for him but he’s so explosive that he can be a late first-round pick.”

After playing brilliantly as a junior, Coleman announced after Baylor’s regular season ending loss to Texas that he will turn pro. He missed Baylor’s 49-38 win over North Carolina in the Russell Athletic Bowl with a sports hernia injury that he suffered earlier in the season.

Coleman said he injured the hernia while training to play cornerback before the Bears faced Oklahoma on November 14.

“I went over there to play some defense,” Coleman said. “I broke on a ball, caught a pick and that’s when it happened. I didn’t really say anything about it. When I went to sleep and woke up, it was killing me. I told the trainer, went to get a MRI and they told me I need sports hernia surgery or I can play through it.”

Coleman will have to deal with tighter coverage in the NFL and learn to run more precise routes. Though Coleman only stands 5-10, he has outstanding speed and is hard to tackle after catching the ball.

“He’s not the biggest receiver, but he’s athletic and has a competitive temperament,” Brugler said. “It’s just a matter of time before he has success in the NFL. He faced a lot of soft cushions in the Big 12. He’d run 12 to 15-yard routes and no one would cover him. But he can be a very productive receiver in the NFL.”

Billings decided to turn pro after a monster junior year in which he collected 15 tackles for loss and 5½ sacks. He was already strong when arrived at Baylor in 2013 after shattering Texas schoolboy weight lifting records at Waco High School.

Throughout his three seasons at Baylor, Billings improved his technique at defensive tackle, but will likely need to develop his pass rushing skills in the NFL.

“Billings is as good a run defender among defensive tackles as anybody in the draft,” Mayock said. “He and the Alabama kids are outstanding. But he needs to get a little better at rushing the quarterback because it’s a pass-first league.”

NFL.com projects Billings to go 16th in the first round to the Detroit Lions. But Billings will have plenty of competition in a draft heavy with defensive tackles as Louisville’s Sheldon Rankins, Alabama’s Jarron Reed, Mississippi State’s Chris Jones and Louisiana Tech’s Vernon Butler are potential first-round picks. Alabama’s A’Shawn Robinson could also go high in the draft.

Many observers were surprised when Howard declared for the NFL draft. But he raised his stock with an all-Big 12 junior season and has good size at 6-2 and 200 pounds.

“I feel like I was ready for the NFL,” Howard said. “It was a hard decision because I was so close to graduating. I only had eight hours left. I talked to my parents. And I have a little girl. It’s dedicated to her, too. “

While he played against some of the best receivers in the country at Baylor and throughout the Big 12, Howard will have to continue to fine tune his skills against NFL receivers.

“Howard doesn’t have prototype fundamentals at cornerback,” Brugler said. “But he has ability. His ball skills are above average and he trusts his speed and has good instincts.”

Drango enjoyed a tremendous career for the Bears as he started all four seasons at left tackle and was a consensus All-American as a senior. However, he’ll have to learn to play in a pro-style offense after excelling in Baylor’s spread formation.

“Drango has a great resume as a four-year starter, but he’s going to face a learning curve,” Brugler said. “There’s always a transition when you go to a pro style. He’s not the best athlete and he’ll need to refine his technique. But he’s very smart and has a professional makeup that will probably keep him in the league.”

Lee enjoyed a solid career for the Bears as he made 101 catches for 1,700 yards and 15 touchdowns. At 6-3 and 220 pounds, Lee has the size and speed to play in the NFL but he’ll need to play at a more consistent level.

“Jay Lee definitely has a shot,” Brugler said. “He has good size at 6-3 and he’s very aggressive. He has also dropped some easy throws, so he needs to be more consistent with his hands. He also needs to refine his routes.”

While 6-7, 410-pound tight end LaQuan McGowan isn’t expected to be drafted, he’s enough of a curiosity to be invited to a NFL camp as a free agent. Deep snapper Jimmy Landes will also likely get a camp invitation.

Another intriguing athlete is 6-8, 270-pound Baylor basketball player Rico Gathers who will hold his own tryout camp for pro scouts at the New Orleans Saints practice field on Monday. Gathers hopes to get a shot to play tight end for a NFL team even though he hasn’t played football since junior high.

“Watching him play basketball, he certainly passes the eye test,” Brugler said. “Teams could begin looking at him in the sixth or seventh rounds. That’s when the NFL starts taking chances on guys. People understand that he’s raw and hasn’t played football since he was 14. He’ll also need to show that he’s more than just a big athlete.”

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Baylor 2016 NFL draft participants

Corey Coleman, WR – Two-time All-American and 2015 Biletnikoff Award winner; 173 career catches

Andrew Billings, DL – 2015 All-American; 106 career tackles, 7.5 total sacks

Spencer Drango, OL – Two-time All-American; 211 career knockdowns

Xavien Howard, DB – Two-time All-Big 12 selection; 10 career interceptions; 98 career tackles

Jay Lee, WR – Career marks of 101 catches, 1,700 yards, 15 TDs