An old Texas high school football player visited his former coach before making NFL dreams a reality.

Shaun McDowell sure is proud.

Last month, just ahead of the NFL draft, McDowell received a message from future Denver Broncos defensive tackle Tyler Onyedim. He was back home in the Houston area. Onyedim — pronounced OWN-yedum — wanted to link up.

McDowell coached him at Foster High School in Richmond before later accepting the head football coach and athletic director position at Grand Oaks High School in Spring. That’s about 60 miles north of Onyedim’s hometown. No problem.

“He drove an hour in Houston traffic to come see me,” McDowell said. “That was pretty cool.”

McDowell is a guiding voice for Onyedim for years now. He cheered on every step of his football journey — from Foster to Iowa State to Texas A&M to the NFL draft — since Onyedim was a three-star college recruiting prospect in high school. He logged 21 tackles for loss and 12 sacks as a prep senior.

“He’s a guy who really did have an outstanding high school career. He made me a better coach, for sure. Just a high-quality individual,” McDowell told The Denver Gazette. “He came in as a freshman, and you could see that he had a lot of potential because he’s a big kid. Just athletic for being such a big man. He was really a staple after that on our defensive line. We won a lot of football games because he was on there. … He was really, really, really good.”

Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras (7) throws a pass over Iowa State defensive lineman Tyler Onyedim (11) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, in Iowa City, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Their conversation shifted to the NFL draft. Onyedim improved his stock tremendously with one standout season at Texas A&M. The 6-foot-3, 292-pound defensive tackle posted 48 tackles (8.5 for loss) with 2.5 sacks and one forced fumble.

Where would he land in the NFL?

“When we talked, he said it felt like he had a third-round draft grade,” McDowell said. “The funny thing is that I don’t think the Broncos were mentioned.”

Fate had different ideas. On Day 2, the Broncos traded back four picks in the draft — No. 62 in the second round to No. 66 in the third round — when Onyedim received an orange-and-blue premonition. Then a phone call.

“I saw Denver on the clock. I saw they traded (a pick). I just had a feeling they were picking me. I just had a feeling,” Onyedim recalled later on a media call with local reporters. “When they traded, I looked at my agent, and I just knew. I knew what it was. That’s how I felt. … I feel like it’s the perfect place for me.”

It seems the NFL pundit class agrees.

Daniel Jeremiah is a former league scout who now provides analysis for the NFL Network. He discussed the Broncos’ potential options on Day 2 during a pre-draft media call.

“They lost John Franklin-Myers (in free agency), so you could look for a defensive lineman that maybe has some inside-outside versatility and flexibility,” Jeremiah said. “Now, there are a couple of intriguing guys. … Tyler Onyedim from Texas A&M would be another one.”

Onyedim garnered significant pre-draft praise from other national NFL analysts like Dane Brugler of The Athletic.

“It’s not just physical ability,” Brugler said on the Underdog Fantasy Football podcast. “He understands how to get blockers leaning, how to deconstruct those blocks, and then create that disruption versus the run and the pass. In my opinion, Onyedim is going to be a Day 2 pick and just be a solid player for a long time.”

Miami quarterback Carson Beck (11) fumbles the ball as he is sacked by Texas A&M defensive tackle Tyler Onyedim (11) during the second quarter in the first round of the NCAA College Football Playoff, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/Sam Craft)

Broncos general manager George Paton and coach Sean Payton discussed why the team selected Onyedim at No. 66 overall during a post-draft news conference at Broncos Park.

“At Iowa State they were playing him at a different (position),” Paton said. “It was a 3-3-5 scheme. He was two-gapping (and) playing blocks. He wasn’t penetrating. He wasn’t rushing as much. He got to see and do more at A&M, which he’ll be doing here. The tape was good at Iowa State, but we really liked it at A&M.”

Payton added: “It was really the athleticism, and playing a position (where) it’s always hard to find defensive tackles. His strike (and) his shed. But it was the athlete (and) makeup. Those were the traits.”

Onyedim told reporters he studied every member of the Broncos defensive line. He was also a college teammate with Eyioma Uwazurike at Iowa State. Onyedim said it was “a blessing” to “learn from the best” in Denver.

“I feel like I’m a versatile player. I can play anywhere on the defensive line,” Onyedim continued. “My get-off is a really good get-off. I have a really good first step. I feel like I’m a true defensive lineman.”

The Broncos are getting an equally talented person — if you ask his former high school coach.

“He flashes on the field. You see his talent and what he can do. His ferocity. But honestly, off the field, he’s quiet. He’s not going to bring a lot of attention to himself. He’s just going to put in the work,” McDowell told The Denver Gazette. “He’s super smart. He’s a gentleman. He’s a great football player. I think he’s going to represent the Denver Broncos to the fullest.”