Tag: Josh Downs

NFL Draft analyst high on UNC football wideout Josh Downs

UNC football wide receiver Josh Downs is already getting a lot of nationally recognition ahead of the 2022 season and 2023 NFL Draft.

The 2022 NFL Draft has come and gone and now it’s about looking at some of the key 2023 potential draftees. One of those players is UNC football star wideout [autotag]Josh Downs[/autotag].

According to Mike Renner, lead draft analyst for Pro Football Focus, Downs is one of the top wideouts moving forward.

“He may very well be the most twitched up receiver in the country”

Downs comes into the 2022 season as one of the top wide receivers in the country following a breakout season last year. In 2021, he was one of the most dynamic receivers in college collecting 101 receptions for 1,335 yards — both UNC program records for a single season. He led the ACC and ranked fifth nationally in receptions and was second in the league and 11th nationally in receiving yards.

Downs had 11 games with at least eight receptions and also had five 100+ yards receiving games. He had seven straight games to start the season with at least one touchdown.

One of the first 2023 mock drafts came from Doug Farrar of the Touchdown Wire, who has Downs getting selected at No. 29 to the Green Bay Packers.

Since then, ESPN’s Todd McShay has Downs at No. 31 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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Two Tar Heels land in first round of first ESPN NFL mock draft

UNC football players Tony Grimes and Josh Downs were named as first-round picks in this early 2023 mock draft by Todd McShay.

The NFL offseason has shifted to rookie minicamps beginning last week and before we know it. training camp will be here in July. While the 2022 NFL draft was completed but it’s never too early to look ahead to 2023.

And yes, the first mock drafts are already out.

ESPN’s Todd McShay wasted no time releasing his first mock draft for the 2023 cycle, putting out all 32 first-round picks. Among the 32 picks in that first round, McShay has two Tar Heels listed just a year after not having a first rounder selected.

McShay has UNC defensive back [autotag]Tony Grimes[/autotag] going No. 28 overall to the Detroit Lions with a pick they have from Los Angeles in the Matthew Stafford trade:

Grimes has 6-foot-1 size and good speed, and he broke up seven passes last season. A duo of Grimes and Jeff Okudah should help turn things around for Detroit’s lackluster pass defense.

It doesn’t take long to find the other UNC player either.

At No. 31 overall, McShay as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers taking wide receiver [autotag]Josh Downs[/autotag]:

Downs is an explosive route runner who caught 101 passes for 1,335 yards last season and excelled after the catch. He’d be dangerous in Tampa Bay’s offense. Also keep an eye on the QB situation here; the Buccaneers could potentially turn to Kyle Trask or sign a free agent if Tom Brady retires after the 2022 season, but they could also focus on the draft class for a replacement.

That could be an ideal landing spot for Downs as he would be able to come in and learn from Chris Godwin and Mike Evans right away. He could also be playing with Tom Brady if he decides to return for another year.

Obviously, there is a long ways to go and a full season ahead, so both players could improve their stock or potentially hurt it.

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UNC receiver Josh Downs mocked in first round of 2023 NFL draft

UNC football wide receiver Josh Downs lands in the first round of this very early 2023 NFL mock draft by the Touchdown Wire.

The 2022 NFL draft is in the books and while teams open up rookie minicamps this week, some are already thinking about the 2023 NFL draft.

And by some, I mean those who love mock drafts.

One of the first 2023 mock drafts comes from Doug Farrar of the Touchdown Wire, who has his first “Are you kidding me?” very early mock draft. Farrar went through the entire first round of the draft and within the first 32 picks, one UNC player was selected.

Farrar has wide receiver [autotag]Josh Downs[/autotag] mocked to Green Bay at pick No. 29 overall, a good landing spot for the talented receiver.

Downs is the fourth receiver selected in the first round in Farrar’s mock draft, behind only a few other talented players at his position. The good news is that Downs has a whole year to improve his stock and potentially climb even higher in the first round.

And if Downs has a season close to what he had last year, he will certainly improve that stock.

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UNC football tabbed as ‘bounce-back’ team in 2022

UNC football getting recognized as a team that should bounce-back after a subpar 2021 season that had high expectations.

UNC football had high expectations heading into the 2021 college football season ranked preseason top-10 and a Heisman candidate in [autotag]Sam Howell[/autotag]. But, a season-opening loss to Virginia Tech and an inconsistent season saw them fail to meet those lofty expectations.

The Tar Heels finished 2021 6-6 overall and 3-5 in the ACC, topped off with a disappointing 38-21 loss in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl to South Carolina.

Despite no Sam Howell under center and some other pieces on to the NFL or transfer portal, that Tar Heels seem to be in a bit of a rebuild. But, Josh Pate of 247Sports sees a bounce-back for UNC.

Marvin Mims among the top 10 returning wide receivers according to Rivals’ Mike Farrell

Oklahoma Sooners Marvin Mims is one of the top 10 returning wide receivers according to Rivals’ Mike Farrell.

The Oklahoma Sooners’ passing game took a bit of a hit over the offseason with the transfers of [autotag]Mario Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Jadon Haselwood[/autotag] and the NFL draft departure of [autotag]Mike Woods[/autotag]. While the Sooners lost their top three wide receivers in targets and receptions, they’re bringing back arguably their best wide receiver over the last two seasons, [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag].

Mims production in 2021 was a product of circumstance. After leading the team in receptions and yards in 2020, expectations soared for the sophomore receiver heading into last season. With the depth and the inconsistent nature of the offense, it was difficult for Mims to find consistent opportunities last fall.

As teams began to take the deep ball away from the offense, little adjustments were made to get Marvin Mims opportunities in the short to intermediate parts of the field. Just 15 of his 41 targets on the season were within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. Only 37% of Mims targets went to the short part of the field. Compare that to Mike Woods (59%), Mario Williams (54%), and Jadon Haselwood (48%), and it’s clear that Lincoln Riley didn’t know how to get his best wide receiver involved. And that doesn’t account for the number of routes run deep down the field where he didn’t get the ball thrown his way.

But as the Sooners look to the future with [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag] as the offensive coordinator and Cale Gundy as the wide receivers coach, there’s renewed optimism in Marvin Mims and his ability to lead a wide receiver group that has talent but also has something to prove. Last week, Mike Farrell released his top 10 wide receivers returning for the 2022 season, and Marvin Mims came in at No. 7.

Mims is joined by three other Big 12 wide receivers, including Xavier Hutchinson of Iowa State at No. 10, Quentin Johnston of TCU at No. 5, and Xavier Worthy of Texas at No. 4.

The Big 12 leads the way with four wide receivers in Farrell’s top 10. The ACC is next with three, followed by the Big 10 with two, and the SEC with one.

Looking over this list, it’s clear that Mims could be more involved in the offense. Five of the top 10 wide receivers on the list had more than double the number of receptions that Mims saw in 2021. Two of those receivers had three times as many receptions last year.

Heading into his third season, Marvin Mims has a chance to lead the Oklahoma Sooners in receiving yardage yet again. His big-play potential has stood out since he stepped foot in Norman. Will Jeff Lebby get him involved in other ways instead of solely relying on him as a deep threat? Based on the number of plays and the tempo Lebby wants to play with, Mims will have a chance to put up big numbers in 2022.

Here’s a look at the top 10 returning receivers according to Mike Farrell and their numbers from 2021.

Notre Dame vs. North Carolina: Second-Quarter Analysis

That was an action-packed first half.

Notre Dame had to know it was facing a North Carolina team that has been struggling. We don’t know how much that went into the preparation for this game. What we do know is that in spite of recent trends, we’re seeing signs of why the Tar Heels were hyped up as an ACC contender coming into the season. Still, the Irish hold a 17-13 lead at halftime.

The Tar Heels picked up where they left off in the first quarter as Ty Chandler scored a 3-yard touchdown to tie game on the first play of the second. The tie didn’t last as Jack Coan hit Avery Davis for gains of 10 and 20 yards, respectively, on the next drive to get to midfield. The Irish mostly focused on runs from there and were able to get to the 13-yard line. After Coan was forced to throw away a third-down pass, Jonathan Doerer kicked a 31-yard field goal to put the Irish back in front.

The Tar Heels moved the ball almost at will on their next drive, but they were helped by a couple missed tackles from the Irish. When Josh Downs received a 31-yard pass from Sam Howell, it was first-and-goal. On that series, the Tar Heels were hurt by a holding call. Then, Isaiah Foskey and Jayson Ademilola sacked Howell on third down, forcing Grayson Atkins to kick a 38-yard field goal to salvage the drive and knot things up again.

Coan and Michael Mayer put the Irish in position to score again when they connected on a 30-yard completion to get into Tar Heels territory. Faced with a fourth-and-2 at the 35, the Irish opted to go for it. The subsequent pass fell incomplete, but a face-mask penalty kept the drive going. Coan made the Tar Heels pay when he immediately found Kevin Austin in the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown.

Ja’Qurious Conley set the Tar Heels up nicely when he returned the ensuing kick 40 yards. Three straight solid runs by D.J. Jones continued to make conditions favorable for a Tar Heels score. Another Howell-to-Downs connection placed the ball in the red zone. With only seven seconds left and the Tar Heels getting possession to start the second half, they opted to take the points on a 26-yard field goal from Atkins, which gives us our halftime score.

Notre Dame vs. North Carolina: First-Quarter Analysis

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On the eve of Halloween, Notre Dame and North Carolina are locked in a tight battle in South Bend. Initially, neither side did much of anything to separate itself from the other. Then, the Irish broke through, and they have a 7-0 lead after one quarter.

The Irish had the opening possession and picked up a couple of first downs on it. That progress was halted around midfield when Jack Coan was sacked Kaimon Rucker on third down. The Tar Heels’ first possession was almost identical. They also earned two first downs before stalling out near midfield, though their drive ended on an incomplete pass.

Kyren Williams returned Ben Kiernan’s first punt 47 yards to set the Irish up in Tar Heels territory. This time, the Irish focused on the run, and it paid off with gains from Williams, Tyler Buchner and, believe it or not, Coan. Much of Coan’s progress was wiped out on a false start, but Buchner still hit Avery Davis for a 7-yard touchdown on a screen pass.

Faced with an early deficit, the Tar Heels took the ball back with new life. With a balanced attack, they reached Irish territory for the first time. The quarter ended when Sam Howell hit Josh Downs for 40 yards to give the Tar Heels a first-and-goal, then ran himself to get his team closer:  The 3-yard line to be exact. That goose egg on the scoreboard doesn’t appear it will last much longer.