Two Gators make College Sports Wire’s 2023 NFL mock draft 3.0
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There are still just under three months remaining until the 2023 NFL draft, which runs from April 27 to 29 in Kansas City, Missouri. The selection order has already been set now that the Super Bowl is well in the rearview mirror, though there are still chances of some shifting as teams trade picks to find their optimal spot.
Over the past three drafts, Florida football has had at least one representative among the first 32 players selected. According to College Sports Wire’s mock draft put together by Patrick Conn, the Orange and Blue will likely have a pair picked in the first half of the first round.
The first Gator in the mock is unsurprisingly quarterback Anthony Richardson, whose mercurial redshirt sophomore season has many viewing the standout athlete as an incomplete player, albeit with an extremely high ceiling due to his athleticism. Conn sees him taken at No. 6 by the Detroit Lions and here is why.
The Lions weren’t horrible in 2022, in fact, they were among one of the better teams in the NFC North. Jared Goff certainly has been a positive for the organization but if they feel he isn’t the quarterback of the future, they should look at Richardson. He can develop instead of being thrown into the fire immediately.
Also mentioned was consensus All-American offensive lineman O'Cyrus Torrence, who transferred from the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns with Billy Napier and made the most of his only SEC season. Conn sees the big man as a No. 12 overall pick this April and here is why.
With their first pick, the Houston Texans went the route of quarterback. Using a pick from the Deshaun Watson trade, the team can address protecting their investment with the best interior lineman in the draft.
The previous UF alumni taken in the first round of the draft are cornerback Kaiir Elam (2022, No. 23), tight end Kyle Pitts (2021, No. 4), wide receiver Kadarius Toney (2021, No. 20) and cornerback CJ Henderson (2020, No. 9).
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