Tag: Chandler Zavala

Secret Superstars of the 2023 NFL draft: The best underrated prospects

Who are the best underrated prospects in the 2023 NFL draft? Doug Farrar runs down the sleepers who could make surprising differences in the NFL.

Several NFL executives have already made it clear that they’re struggling to find as many as 20 prospects in the 2023 NFL draft class deserving of a first-round grade.

That may look like a pull quote, but it’s not entirely uncommon. Drafts like the 2023 one, which starts Thursday at 8:00 p.m. EST, are wider than they are tall, which means that while there aren’t a ton of obvious first-round guys, there are second- and third-day players who can make a difference on an NFL roster right away.

And that’s why it’s so important to have your scouting go all the way through all seven rounds and beyond. Ask the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, who got their eventual starting running back (Rutgers’ Isiah Pacheco) in the seventh round. Or the Seattle Seahawks, who bagged starting cornerback Tariq Woolen out of UTSA in the fifth. And of course, there were few more interesting rookie stories in 2022 than the tale of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, the most relevant “Mr. Irrelevant” in pro football history.

Looking ahead to the most talented sleepers in the 2023 draft class, there are prospects who have been pushed down in loaded position groups, those who need a bit of finishing work to fully unlock their NFL potential, and those who don’t have a total skill set, but who do a few things very well. They are all more than worthy of NFL consideration, and just because they’ll probably hear their names called in the late second or early third day of the draft, don’t automatically discount their NFL potential.

That’s a mistake the smartest NFL teams never make. Here are my most gifted sleepers — the “Secret Superstars” of the 2023 NFL draft.

1 iOL prospect for the Colts in each round of NFL draft

Taking a look at the best C/G prospects for the Colts.

The Indianapolis Colts are closing in on the 2023 NFL draft where they likely will use a number of their picks to address the offensive line.

One of the biggest needs that remain throughout the offseason is the interior offensive line. While Quenton Nelson holds down the left guard spot, center Ryan Kelly was the subject of trade rumors, and the right guard position currently doesn’t have a projected starter.

There are still some free agents the Colts could target for the right guard position, but we should expect them to dive heavily into the draft class next weekend.

For the purpose of covering both centers and guards, we proposed a “best prospect fit” for each position in each round.

Following this series of articles, we’ve also looked at these positions:

We’ll be tracking the Colts’ reported interest in the 2023 draft class so be sure to keep up with latest updates via our tracker.

Here’s a look at one guard and one center prospect who fit the Colts in each round of the draft:

Panthers 2023 mock draft 7.0: We want the smoke edition

We’re following the smoke in our latest 2023 mock draft for the Carolina Panthers.

We’re now close enough to the 2023 NFL draft where the all the smoke could actually lead us to the fire. So, let’s follow it in our latest set of projections for the Carolina Panthers.

Here—inspired by some recent rumors, reports and speculation—is our seventh mock draft of the offseason.

Broncos host OL Chandler Zavala on pre-draft visit

Broncos draft prospect Chandler Zavala is projected to be a fourth-round pick in this year’s NFL draft.

The Denver Broncos have (or soon will) host N.C. State interior offensive lineman Chandler Zavala on a pre-draft visit, according to The Draft Network’s Justin Melo.

Zavala (6-3, 322 pounds) started his college career at Fairmont State in 2017, earning first-team All-MEC recognition in consecutive seasons (2018-2019). After his 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19, Zavala later transferred to N.C. State ahead of the 2021 season. After missing seven games due to injury in his first year with the Wolfpack, Zavala returned for a sixth year of eligibility in 2022.

The 24-year-old prospect started 12 games at left guard last fall and earned first-team All-ACC honors. He is now projected to be a fourth-round pick in this year’s NFL draft.

The Broncos currently hold pick No. 108 overall in the fourth round (view the team’s full order of picks here). If selected by Denver, Zavala would likely serve as a backup swing guard behind Quinn Meinerz and Ben Powers. Zavala might also be a candidate to compete at center.

The 2023 NFL draft will be held in Kansas City from April 27-29.

Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=482983128]

Giants meeting with NC State OL Chandler Zavala

The New York Giants will meet virtually with NC State offensive lineman Chandler Zavala.

The New York Giants have scheduled a pre-draft virtual meeting with North Carolina State guard Chandler Zavala.

Looking at the chart, Zavala gets high marks in every area except for height, which is listed at 6-foot-3 and a half. Sound familiar? Think Will Hernandez.

There’s not much Zavala can do about his height, but he scores high in every other possible area. The Giants are seeking interior help on the offensive line and he could be an option.

247Sports predicts Zavala will be a Day 2 pick after a “Pro Day performance included him throwing up 30 bench press reps of 225 pounds, a 32 1/2-inch vertical jump and a 5.01-second 40-yard dash. That came after he was already an All-ACC First Team selection with 31 pancake blocks and allowed just 0.5 sacks in 747 snaps last season — all thanks to NC State fighting for an extra year after the NCAA denied his medical waiver.”

[lawrence-related id=708368,708362,708353]

[stnvideo key=”yg0ep75qQj-2660746-7491″ type=”float”]

Panthers to meet with NC State G Chandler Zavala

Per Jordan Schultz of theScore, the Panthers are set to meet with NC State G Chandler Zavala.

Selecting one offensive lineman from Raleigh worked out pretty well for the Carolina Panthers this past year. So, how about another?

As first reported by Jordan Schultz of theScore on Wednesday, the Panthers will meet with North Carolina State University guard Chandler Zavala ahead of the 2023 NFL draft. Being that the 6-foot-5, 325-pounder is local, the meeting likely will not count as a top-30 visit for the team.

Following a four-year stay at Fairmount State University, Zavala played his fifth and sixth seasons of college eligibility at NC State. He appeared in five games in 2021, alongside current Panthers left tackle and sixth overall pick Ikem Ekwonu, and 12 in 2022—all from the left guard position.

According to Pro Football Focus, Zavala allowed zero sacks, one quarterback hit and seven hurries over those two years. That body of work helped him earn a 71.5 overall grade from PFF in 2021 and a 76.0 in 2022.

If all goes well and the dominoes fall a certain way, perhaps Ekwonu won’t be a one-man wolf pack much longer.

[lawrence-related id=672039,666517,671951]

Lions 2023 draft: An offensive guard for every round

An offensive guard prospect for Detroit to consider in each round of the 2023 NFL draft

Up next in the draft series for 2023: the interior offensive linemen. The focus here is on guards, though some of the prospects listed across the draft rounds here might also fill in at center in a pinch.

The Lions are set in 2023 with Pro Bowl left guard Jonah Jackson and some combination of Halapoulivaati Vaitai and Graham Glasgow on the right side. They flank Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow, the NFL’s highest-paid interior lineman. There is long-term uncertainty at both guard spots, however; Jackson is entering the final season of his rookie contract, while Big V and Glasgow are both coming off serious injuries and on expiring contracts. There is almost no depth with any experience outside of brief, underwhelming appearances from Kayode Awosika, Logan Stenberg and Ross Pierschbacher (the reserve center).

Signing Graham Glasgow gives the Lions options on the offensive line

Here is one interior offensive line prospect that fits the Lions from each round of the draft. Detroit doesn’t currently have any picks in the fourth or seventh rounds, but players from those ranges are included because trades happen all the time during the draft weekend.

Lions 2023 draft: A cornerback for every round

This is not meant to be a comprehensive list, just one from each range, in an effort to show the relative level of talent that should be available in those rounds.

Vikings 2023 7-round mock draft: Matt Anderson’s 7.0

In his latest seven round Minnesota Vikings mock draft, @MattAnderson_8 has the Vikings focusing on the outside before moving inward.

The Minnesota Vikings have made some great moves in the early stages of the offseason by filling some key needs. They were quick to sign several quality players in free agency, including pass rusher Marcus Davenport and cornerback Byron Murphy.

While these signings have undoubtedly strengthened the team, there are still some holes that need to be filled. The upcoming NFL Draft presents the Vikings with an opportunity to address those needs and add some promising young talent to their roster.