The 88th edition of the 2023 NFL draft kicks off on April 27 and runs until April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri, which means the hyped-up spring event is quickly drawing near. The annual amateur draft festivities are among the most-followed storylines at the end of the month, culminating in the start of 259 professional football careers.
Given the fanfare that surrounds the league’s long-running tradition, the sports media has been frothing at the mouth with its respective mock drafts — including CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards, who unveiled his full seven-round projections for every pick in the draft on Friday. Among those selected were five former Florida Gators who look to represent the Orange and Blue at the next level.
The first Gator off Edwards’ board is standout quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag], who is selected at No. 5 overall by the Seattle Seahawks. Here is what Edwards had to offer on the Gainesville native’s draft prospects.
Seattle restarts the financial clock at quarterback with the selection of Anthony Richardson. He is afforded the time to grow and develop as a professional under the guidance of Geno Smith before being inserted into the starting role.
The second Florida alumnus selected is offensive lineman [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag], who is taken with the No. 19 pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Get a gander at Edwards’ take on the bruiser from the bayou.
Tampa Bay invested in its offensive line for years but the unit needs some attention after the past few offseasons. The Buccaneers have at least two long-term pieces to build around with Tristan Wirfs and now O’Cyrus Torrence.
Next up is defensive lineman [autotag]Gervon Dexter[/autotag], who gets the call in the second round at No. 63 by the Kansas City Chiefs, followed by offensive lineman [autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag] in the sixth round at No. 189 overall to the Los Angeles Rams. Lastly, there is talented but oft-injured linebacker [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] who goes a few spots later to the New England Patriots at No. 192.
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