The clock is ticking down as the 88th annual edition of the 2023 NFL draft — which kicks off on April 27 and runs until April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri — quickly approaches. The sports media has been furiously publishing its respective mock drafts, including CBS Sports writer Jonathan Jones, who published his first-round mock draft on Friday
The first Gator off Jones’ board is standout quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag], who is selected at No. 5 by the Seattle Seahawks with a pick acquired in a trade with the Denver Broncos. Here is what Jones had to offer on the former Gator’s draft prospects.
General manager John Schneider hangs tight and gets his QB of the future. Geno Smith is fantastic, but he’s essentially on a one-year deal, which is perfect for Richardson to wait and learn.
The second Florida alumnus selected is offensive lineman [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag], who is taken with the No. 27 pick by the Buffalo Bills. Get a gander at Jones’ take on the bruiser from the bayou.
He’s a Day 1 starter at guard in the NFL, and that’s all I have to say about that. Obviously the Bills could go defensive tackle here, but I can’t overlook Torrence.
The most recent 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).
[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1368]
[mm-video type=video id=01gxxeqq2vhjmccteth4 playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gxxeqq2vhjmccteth4/01gxxeqq2vhjmccteth4-2346b84476bb420195db0f813431176e.jpg]
Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.