Tag: LSU Draft

How to watch LSU’s top prospects in the 2023 NFL draft

Here’s everything you need to know as a number of former Tigers hope to accomplish their dreams of reaching the NFL.

It’s that time of year again, folks. The 2023 NFL draft is upon us.

Last year’s event saw 10 former LSU players selected headlined by [autotag]Derek Stingley Jr.[/autotag], who went to the Houston Texans with the third pick. Things are a little different this time around, however.

It would be at least moderately surprising to see a Tiger selected on Day 1 of the draft Thursday night, though [autotag]BJ Ojulari[/autotag] — a projected early second-round pick — could sneak into the first 31 selections if things break right. [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag], once seen as a surefire first-rounder, now just hopes he won’t slide beyond Day 2 after a tough 2022 season and poor athletic testing at the combine.

LSU also isn’t likely to match last year’s 10 players selected, but there are a number of former Tigers who should hear their names called during the three-day event, which will be held at Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri.

Here’s everything you need to know to watch the draft this weekend, as well as the latest projections for each of LSU’s top prospects via NFL Draft Buzz.

LSU among the best talent producers in college football

LSU has been a bed of talent for the NFL in recent years.

Several former LSU players have gone onto stardom in the NFL.

That level of production has put LSU among the top in NFL draft producers in recent years.

Forty-one Tigers have been drafted in the last five years. Only Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State have more. With the draft on Thursday, LSU has the chance to add to this list.

Last year, [autotag]Derek Stingley Jr.[/autotag] kicked off draft night for the Tigers when the Houston Texans took him third overall.

It’s unlikely LSU has a first-rounder this year. If that’s the case, it would be the first time since 2018 an LSU name wasn’t called on the first night.

The first LSU player off the board this year could be [autotag]BJ Ojulari[/autotag], an edge expected to go in the second round. After that, it’s anyone’s guess.

Where [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag] goes, or if he’s even drafted, is very much still up in the air. Other LSU prospects that could hear their name called this weekend include [autotag]Jaquelin Roy[/autotag], [autotag]Mekhi Garner[/autotag] and [autotag]Jarrick Bernard-Converse[/autotag].

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1389]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

[mm-video type=video id=01gx3vb07gxv0hy3z96s playlist_id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=01f1jz1vgtfhzk6ner image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gx3vb07gxv0hy3z96s/01gx3vb07gxv0hy3z96s-de72a8f131d997d2c89a683bba155960.jpg]

Several NFL teams meet with former LSU cornerback ahead of draft

The New Orleans Saints and defending champion Kansas City Chiefs are among the teams that met with Mekhi Garner ahead of the draft.

Unlike most previous years, LSU doesn’t have a surefire first-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

In all likelihood, no former Tigers will hear their names called on Thursday night, though [autotag]BJ Ojulari[/autotag] does have an outside shot. Still, there are a number of intriguing draft prospects from LSU who could prove to be steals.

One of them is cornerback [autotag]Mekhi Garner[/autotag], a transfer from Louisiana who became one of the SEC’s top defensive backs in his lone season with the Tigers. Garner apparently recently met with several teams including the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.

He worked out privately for the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots, and he had additional meetings with the New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys, per NFL reporter Aaron Wilson.

 

Garner is seen as a likely Day 2 or even Day 3 pick. A Third Team All-Sun Belt selection with the Ragin’ Cajuns in 2021, he totaled 43 tackles and led the Tigers with eight pass breakups in 2022.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1389]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

[mm-video type=video id=01gx3vb07gxv0hy3z96s playlist_id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=01f1jz1vgtfhzk6ner image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gx3vb07gxv0hy3z96s/01gx3vb07gxv0hy3z96s-de72a8f131d997d2c89a683bba155960.jpg]

BJ Ojulari a 1st-round pick in latest College Sports Wire mock draft

Ojulari sneaks into the first round in this mock.

[autotag]BJ Ojulari[/autotag] is likely to be the first LSU player to hear his name called at the 2023 NFL draft, which starts later this month. Exactly where that will be, though, is a bit of a mystery.

Ojulari was seen as a likely first-round pick entering the season, and he earned team captain honors as well as the prestigious No. 18 jersey, which is reserved for leaders on and off the field. Despite a slight dip in production from Ojulari — which almost certainly coincided with the emergence of superstar true freshman [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] — he will likely still be a late Day 1 or early Day 2 pick.

Most mock drafts seem to have him falling into the second round, but College Sports Wire’s Patrick Conn has him heading to the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs with the final pick in the first round.

B.J. Ojulari, Edge: Louisiana State

The defending Super Bowl champs find some help on the defensive side of the ball in B.J. Ojulari. He didn’t have as productive season as many expected, mostly due to the emergence of freshman Harold Perkins Jr. However, Ojulari can come in and provide a pass rush presence for the Chiefs.

As Conn mentions, Ojulari is an enticing prospect as one of the best pass-rushing specialists in this draft, though there are more well-rounded edge defenders when it comes to stopping the run.

You know what you’re getting with Ojulari, and he would help the Kansas City pass rush immensely.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1389]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

[mm-video type=video id=01gx3vb07gxv0hy3z96s playlist_id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gx3vb07gxv0hy3z96s/01gx3vb07gxv0hy3z96s-de72a8f131d997d2c89a683bba155960.jpg]

Kayshon Boutte passes on 40-yard dash, other tests at LSU’s pro day

Boutte will let his sub-par testing numbers from the combine stand.

Kayshon Boutte’s draft stock has been all over the place in the weeks since he declared for the draft.

Really, it goes back longer than that.

There’s been no shortage of story or intrigue surrounding the receiver. He was a breakout star in 2020 but a season-ending injury in 2021 threw his LSU career off-course.

Boutte originally announced a return to LSU for his senior year but flipped shortly before the bowl game, entering the draft.

His tests at the combine weren’t great, but he looked good running some drills. At LSU’s pro day, Boutte was there, but he opted to pass on those tests that he struggled with at the combine.

But Boutte’s route running remained impressive.

Boutte isn’t the first-round pick he once was viewed as, and NFL teams will certainly do their due diligence.

After the injury in 2021, there were some hiccups in the recovery process for Boutte. That could be the explanation for the production drop-off we saw last year.

However, Boutte still flashed that talent from time to time and now that he’s over a year removed from recovery, there could be a chance he gets back to his old self.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1389]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

[mm-video type=video id=01gwj5dvhjzbbcdcw7z3 playlist_id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gwj5dvhjzbbcdcw7z3/01gwj5dvhjzbbcdcw7z3-68ce8e97b449b2c085040093417f5f6b.jpg]

Best photos of LSU’s NFL draft prospects at Tigers pro day

The Tigers’ draft hopefuls took the field in front of NFL scouts on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, LSU’s draft hopefuls took the field at the team’s pro day in Baton Rouge looking to put on a show for the NFL scouts in attendance.

The major story on the day was [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag], who struggled at the NFL scouting combine. His pro day was highly anticipated, but he only participated in drills and not in athletic testing, meaning his subpar combine numbers — including a 4.50 40-yard dash — will stand.

In addition to Boutte, [autotag]Sevyn Banks[/autotag], [autotag]Anthony Bradford[/autotag], [autotag]Ali Gaye[/autotag] and [autotag]Jay Ward[/autotag] didn’t participate in athletic testing.

[autotag]Micah Baskerville[/autotag], [autotag]Jarrick Bernard-Converse[/autotag], [autotag]Joe Foucha[/autotag], [autotag]Mekhi Garner[/autotag], [autotag]Todd Harris Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]Jaray Jenkins[/autotag], [autotag]Mike Jones Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]BJ Ojulari[/autotag], [autotag]Colby Richardson[/autotag], [autotag]Jaquelin Roy[/autotag] and [autotag]Tre’Mond Shorts[/autotag] were full participants.

Here were the best photos of LSU players participating in drills on Wednesday.

PFF offers high praise of BJ Ojulari ahead of NFL draft

Mike Renner said that Ojulari has the best pass-rush moves in this edge class.

[autotag]BJ Ojulari[/autotag] is one of the more intriguing prospects in this draft class.

As a junior in 2022, he became one of LSU’s on and off-field leaders, earning the No. 18 jersey. He was a major part of the team’s success defensively, though his production did drop off a bit (in part due to the emergence of [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] opposite him).

Ojulari was seen as a likely first-round pick entering the season, and even if that’s no longer a given, he certainly has a shot of hearing his name called in the first round.

In his breakdown of the defensive line class, Pro Football Focus’ Mike Renner offered some high praise for Ojulari, giving him the superlative for the best pass-rush moves in the class.

Ojulari has easily the deepest bag of moves in the edge class. While he doesn’t necessarily have one dominant go-to move, his varied pass-rush toolbox means he almost never goes home empty-handed, which is why he averaged 4.3 pressures per game the past two seasons. Making that all the more impressive is the fact that Ojulari won’t turn 21 years old until early April.

Ojulari finished the 2022 season with 58 total tackles — a career-high — as well as 5.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He is largely projected as a late first or early second-round pick, but given his skill as a pass rusher, he could find himself as a Night 1 selection

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1389]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

[mm-video type=video id=01gvkvgrr5rtvbwzhmed playlist_id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gvkvgrr5rtvbwzhmed/01gvkvgrr5rtvbwzhmed-97f2f37e54e6970ec6173ac60eec7812.jpg]

Touchdown Wire mocks Kayshon Boutte in 1st round despite combine struggles

Does Boutte still have a shot at being a first-rounder?

Entering the 2022 season, [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag] seemed like a surefire first-round pick.

But Boutte didn’t look quite the same on the field returning from injury, and reporting that his ankle injury didn’t heal properly paired with poor results at the NFL scouting combine has naturally taken a toll on his stock entering the 2023 NFL draft.

But there’s still a reason for optimism with Boutte. He’s a former track star who was known for his speed at LSU, and he will hope to test better at the Tigers’ pro day later this month. It’s easy to see how an NFL team could be tantalized by the talent he displayed in 2021, and Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar has Boutte going to the Cowboys with the 26th pick in his latest first-round mock draft.

This would make some sense. Dallas has two good receivers in CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup, but the latter has seen his production drop off over the last couple of seasons. Adding some young talent at the position on a rookie deal could be a good move.

Still, there will be a lot of questions regarding Boutte that he could silence with a strong showing at his pro day.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1389]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

[mm-video type=video id=01gvkvgrr5rtvbwzhmed playlist_id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gvkvgrr5rtvbwzhmed/01gvkvgrr5rtvbwzhmed-97f2f37e54e6970ec6173ac60eec7812.jpg]

Jaquelin Roy impresses with strong bench press at NFL combine

Roy’s 30 reps tied for the second most among any defensive lineman.

LSU has a slew of performers at the NFL scouting combine this week, including defensive tackle [autotag]Jaquelin Roy[/autotag].

Roy impressed with his bench press. At 34 reps, he was tied for second among all defensive linemen.

Roy declared early after arriving at LSU in 2020. He saw time right away, playing 267 snaps as a freshman. According to PFF, the Baton Rouge native totaled 78 pressures and five sacks in his career.

According to The Draft Network, Roy’s best tools stem from his athleticism.

“Roy’s athletic upside helps him as both a run defender and a pass rusher,” The Draft Network wrote.

Roy measured in at 6-foot-3 and weighed 305 pounds. His combination of experience, size, athleticism and strength should catch the eye of a few NFL teams. He’s not a top prospect but has a chance to be a Day 2 pick.

With Roy gone, LSU remains in a good spot at defensive tackle with [autotag]Mekhi Wingo[/autotag] and [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] along with several transfers.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1389]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

[mm-video type=video id=01gtfyh7f1pxs7jy8kjr playlist_id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gtfyh7f1pxs7jy8kjr/01gtfyh7f1pxs7jy8kjr-5c8c11972b76d3cc0072e68192d752ad.jpg]

BJ Ojulari says his versatility will give him a leg up in the NFL

Ojulari played in multiple schemes while at LSU and demonstrated his ability to drop back into coverage at the “JACK” position this past season.

[autotag]BJ Ojulari[/autotag] is one of the top edge rushers in the 2023 NFL draft class, and the former LSU player could potentially hear his name called on the first night. If that happens, Ojulari thinks his versatility will have played a major role.

During his three seasons at LSU, Ojulari had the opportunity to play in several different defensive schemes. This past season under first-year defensive coordinator [autotag]Matt House[/autotag], Ojulari played in the Tigers’ “JACK” role, which allowed him to rush off the edge but also drop into coverage as an off-ball linebacker.

In an interview at the NFL Scouting Combine this week, Ojulari said his ability to fill different niches on defense makes him valuable.

“Yeah, so in coach House‘s defense I played more of a ‘JACK’ outside linebacker, dropping, being able to show my versatility in the drop, being able to rush as well and create plays behind the line of scrimmage,” he said. “But, any defense I feel like can flourish. Whatever the coaches and the coaching staff decide I’m gonna do, I think I’m gonna be very good at it.”

Ojulari contrasted House’s scheme with former defensive coordinator [autotag]Daronte Jones[/autotag]’. Ojulari played his first two seasons under Jones, and he said that his former coordinator’s strategy focused more on getting behind the line of scrimmage.

“Coach Daronte’s defense is more, like you said, destroying blocks, creating a lot of movement,” Ojulari said. “If you go watch the Alabama game, we created a lot of pressure, a lot of movement on the line of scrimmage, and that allows us to be freed up and be able to create tackles behind the line of scrimmage.”

Ojulari saw his production drop a bit in 2022, in large part due to the emergence of [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] as an absolute menace coming off the edge. Still, he’s coming off a good season and should impress at the combine this week with his athletic profile.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1389]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

[mm-video type=video id=01gtfyh7f1pxs7jy8kjr playlist_id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gtfyh7f1pxs7jy8kjr/01gtfyh7f1pxs7jy8kjr-5c8c11972b76d3cc0072e68192d752ad.jpg]