2027 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Khalil Derman, FB, Wilfrid Laurier University

Name: Khalil Derman
Position: FB/TE
College: Wilfrid Laurier University
Height: 6’2
Weight: 233 lbs
Twitter: khalildermanf01
Instagram: khalil.derman3

What makes you a top prospect at your position in the 2027 NFL Draft?

Versatility. Over my time at Laurier I went from pretty much a 6th O-lineman every time I was on the field to now being able to create seperation and get yards after the catch on top of being a great run blocker. I would also say I add a lot of special teams value with my size, speed and feel for the game. 

Tell me about a time you faced adversity and how you responded?

Adversity shows up at every level but to give a more recent example, I would say towards the end of my rookie year when I stopped dressing. I had dressed for 6 games, and then for the 7th I didn’t see my name on the 50 man roster. I’m not gonna lie, there were a few days of self-pity before I decided that that moment was not going to define my football career at Laurier. The week after that I worked as hard as could on the scout team and ended up being the scout team player of the week. It was a small win for sure, but many lessons were learned from that one little experience. 

What are your hobbies outside of football?

I’m a big music guy and have made my own music for 6 or 7 years now. I would say that it’s definitely my biggest passion outside of football. On top of that, I also have been cutting hair as a little side hustle throughout university and that’s created some amazing experiences for me as well.

What role do you see yourself playing at the next level?

Hopefully a very similar role to mine at Laurier. I definitely want to make a special teams impact right away. I think that’s where a lot of my value as a prospect resides. But offensively, using me as a point of attack blocker on the line of scrimmage, adding into the box as a fullback and being involved in the pass game are all things I hope to be able to continue doing so long as I’m given the opportunity. 

If you could donate to one cause in the world, what would it be?

My father is Togolese and although it’s a small and relatively unknown country it is definitely something I carry a tremendous amount of pride in. So if I had unlimited resources, I would say helping the country or at least my dad’s community by building up the infrastructure and helping it be more self-sufficient would be a priority despite the goal maybe being a little far fetched. 

How do you handle coaching, especially criticism or being corrected repeatedly?

I’d like to think I’m a very coachable player. My high school basketball coach always harped on not making the same mistake twice, and that was something that really stuck with me. It’s almost like I still hear his voice in my head anytime I receive a coaching point to this day. I would say I’m very able to take the coaching points on the field, or in the film room and make the corrections, no matter who is saying it and how they are saying it. My coaches at Laurier always made it clear that they were correcting the action, and not YOU the player which has always allowed me to accept and learn from the coaching points no matter how upset, frustrated or disappointed my coaches may seem with me in the moment. 

Who is the most underrated teammate at your school?

There’s a lot of people this can go to but I have to say Jaxon Stebbings. He’s a guy that just does everything that’s asked of him. He has some of the safest hands on the team, adds into the box, plays special teams… there’s just not much he doesn’t do. The first thing that stood out to me about him was his work ethic, which has then translated into leadership and he’s a guy I feel more than comfortable strapping up for those Saturday afternoon battles with. 

If you could have dinner with three people, dead or alive, who would it be and why did you choose them?

Tupac Shakur, Fred Hampton, Bob Marley. I feel like all three of those people are extremely charismatic and polarizing leaders who stood for causes that they believe in and got other people to buy in as well. I think there is a lot to learn from people like that who inspire, teach and lead. I think leadership is extremely important not only as a football player, but as a man. And each of them lead in ways that I would love to learn from and try to emulate. 

If you were benched tomorrow, what would be the most likely reason?

Probably something goofy or clumsy. Maybe the quarterback hitting his thumb off my helmet. There was a close call once, but only ONCE. 

Walk me through your typical pre-game routine?

I need to walk around the field once, walking on the white perimeter, the whole time. Then I usually hot tub for 8-10 mins and everything after that is just stretching and activation. Nothing too crazy.

What is your favorite snack food?

I would say anything chocolate covered. Almonds, raisins, peanut m&ms. Those are my go tos. 

What scheme do you feel you fit the best in?

As I said earlier, I would say my biggest strength is versatility. I’m a guy who can pick up the playbook pretty quickly and play a few positions, so I’m just here as a guy who can do whatever’s asked of him. I love running anything in the power family so as long as I get to dominate some D-ends every once in a while, I’m happy to play wherever. 

What is your degree in?

Psychology

What would be the first thing you buy with your first NFL check?

Probably just a few things to help support my family. I have 6 siblings so they would definitely have a bit of an early Christmas as well. 

Describe a time in a game where you feel you made a mistake, and explain how you bounced back?

Yeah I mean I’ve probably made a mistake in every game I’ve played but I have always said there is no option but to bounce back. Every play is an opportunity to go 1-0, and each new play has nothing to do with the outcome of the one before it or after it. You can’t dwell on past mistakes to the point that it impacts your play for the rest of the game. Short-term memory is always the message from our coaches to us as players. 

Name three songs, we can expect on your playlist?

Pregame before our early outs I’m a little more chill so I’m gonna say Stuck in the mud by Isaiah Rashad feat. SZA. When it’s closer to game time I need to listen to Boogieman by EBK Jaaybo and then Faneto by Chief Keef is definitely an all time classic.