There are just a little over two-and-a-half months remaining until the 2023 NFL draft, which kicks off on April 27 and runs until April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri. Each franchise knows the selection order now that the Super Bowl is well in the rearview mirror — though they are always subject to change at any time before and during the draft as teams swap positions to pick their preferred prospects.
Over the past three drafts dating back to 2020, the Gators had at least one representative among the first 32 players selected. According to College Sports Wire’s mock draft 4.0 put together by Patrick Conn, Florida football will likely have a pair picked in the first half of the first round this year.
First up is quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag], a mercurial redshirt sophomore who many see as an incomplete player, albeit with an extremely high ceiling due to his athleticism. In his previous mock, Conn predicted the Detroit Lions to take him at No. 6, but this time around fell to the Carolina Panthers at No. 9.
The Panthers tried Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, and P.J. Walker as their starting quarterbacks in 2022 to no avail. Here the team can give new head coach Frank Reich a quarterback to develop with Richardson.
The second Gator taken in Conn’s mock was offensive lineman [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag] — a transfer from the Lousiana Ragin’ Cajuns joining Napier in Gainesville — who was the No. 12 pick with the Houston Texans in the previous mock but fell a spot to No. 13, where the New York Jets currently hold the selection.
If the Jets truly believe in Zach Wilson as their quarterback, addressing the offensive line is the key. Torrence is an absolute mauler that can keep Wilson upright and pave the way in the run game.
The previous UF alumni taken in the first round of the draft are cornerback [autotag]Kaiir Elam[/autotag] (2022, No. 23), tight end [autotag]Kyle Pitts[/autotag] (2021, No. 4), wide receiver [autotag]Kadarius Toney[/autotag] (2021, No. 20) and cornerback [autotag]CJ Henderson[/autotag] (2020, No. 9).
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