INDIANAPOLIS — Kyle Philips remembers when Greg Dulcich was the skinny walk-on attempting to play tight end for UCLA.

Dulcich’s appearance has drastically changed and the NFL Network cameras took notice Thursday on the opening night of workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Dulcich impressed with his unofficial time of 4.61 seconds in the 40-yard dash, but the cameras and the viewers were likely more impressed with the UCLA standout’s chiseled physique and luscious long hair and stand-alone mustache. Dulcich was listed at the combine at 6-foot-4 and 243 pounds.

It took Dulcich six months to fully grow his mustache and his transformation from wide receiver to tight end probably took longer than growing out his brown locks. The St. Francis High grad was patient with his development when UCLA coaches asked him to change positions, and he’s still learning, admitting he needs to add size and improve as a blocker.

Judging from his tight end trajectory, Dulcich will likely become a complete tight end, but if he’s one dimensional, some NFL teams might be OK with that because his wide receiver background has turned him into arguably the best playmaking tight end in this year’s draft.

​”Just a dynamic player, that’s what I bring to the table,” Dulcich said. “Big-play potential.”

NFL Network draft expert Daniel Jeremiah agreed with Dulcich’s self-assessment and has him ranked as his top tight end prospect in April’s draft. Other draft experts are split on Dulcich, but he continues to gain attention after an impressive Senior Bowl and he’s making a strong case to be a Day 2 draft selection.

“He displays nuance and polish at the top of routes to create separation out of the break,” read Jeremiah’s assessment of Dulcich on NFL.com. “He is very effective on seams and crossers, using his speed to pull away. He can track the ball naturally and will attack the ball at the highest point when needed.”

Dulcich said he met with the Chargers, who are in need of tight end help. The La Cañada Flintridge native would like to stay home, but he’ll gladly go anywhere to achieve his NFL dreams after starting as a walk-on at UCLA.

“Absolutely baller and workhorse,” Philips said about his college teammate. “He was a really skinny wide receiver. … I’m proud of him.”

UCLA wide receiver Kyle Philips catches a pass for touchdown against Fresno State on Sept. 18, 2021, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)

Dulcich also raved about Philips, a standout wide receiver for the Bruins. Dulcich claimed Philips won every one-on-one rep during his practice week at the East-West Shrine Bowl.

“Yes, sir,” Philips confirmed. “All of them. But I had good quarterbacks, though.”

Philips is viewed as a quality slot wide receiver who has the potential of going in the middle rounds of the draft. He wants to prove at the combine that he’s more than a route runner and has enough speed to play on the outside.

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Philips said he patterns his game to the Chargers’ Keenan Allen, Packers’ Davante Adams, Raiders’ Hunter Renfrow and Bills’ Cole Beasley.

Philips also met with the Chargers and is a close friend of Chargers running back Joshua Kelley, a UCLA product. But Philips wouldn’t mind going to the New England Patriots and reconnecting with Bill Belichick.

Philips said he once saw the Patriots’ head coach at UCLA while working on a midterm paper.

“It definitely took a while to get to writing my paper,” Philips said about his encounter with Belichick.

.@UCLAFootball TE @Greg_Dulcich is MOVIN’

A 4.61u time for @BuckyBrooks‘ No. 4 TE in this class.

: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/xmxCUCR3OE

— NFL (@NFL) March 3, 2022