It has long been anticipated that numerous players from the University of Texas would be picked in the April NFL Draft.
Most of those anticipated Longhorns are now expected to hear their names called early during the three-day event, which will place in Detroit from April 25–27, according to a mock draft.
Following this weekend’s Senior Bowl, ESPN NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller provided a two-round mock draft. Miller has six Texas players picked in the first 60 picks.
These six estimates are listed below along with Miller’s commentary on each.
16. Seattle Seahawks’ Byron Murphy II, DT
“The Ravens are the new coach, Mike Macdonald, who developed defensive tackle Justin Madubuike into an All-Pro type player. Macdonald now has access to another exceptional three-technique in Seattle. In Texas’ 3-3-5 scheme, Murphy was asked to play over the tackle, but his burst and power made him a reliable pass-rusher. The 30-8-pound, 6-foot-1 player has five sacks in 2023 despite not often being used in genuine pass-rush situations. Murphy would be fantastic in Macdonald’s defense because of his extremely high ceiling.
32. Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy.
Although the Chiefs’ offense was able to adapt throughout the playoffs, this team is still severely lacking in speed. Worthy is a powerful force on the field. In three seasons at Texas, he hauled in over 60 receptions and 750 yards per year in addition to 26 touchdown throws. Worthy may be the quickest player in the draft class, and Kansas City has been lacking something special since Tyreek Hill moved to South Beach: the ability to get past opponents and produce big plays.
38. Tennessee Titans wide receiver Adonai Mitchell
The Titans don’t have a prospective first-round pick in wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, and Treylon Burks hasn’t lived up to the hype surrounding him. Mitchell, a 6-foot-4 wide receiver, has excellent separation skills, as evidenced by his 41 first-down grabs and 11 touchdowns for the Longhorns in 2023. He performs best on vertical routes, which fits in nicely with Titans quarterback Will Levis’ arm talent.
49. Cincinnati Bengals TE Ja’Tavion Sanders
“Thomas’ first-round selection would be helpful for Cincinnati’s possible wide receiver void, but keep in mind that no tight end has a contract for the next campaign. Sanders is more of an in-line player than a Y tight end, and at Texas, he was paid to burst through seams. The 6-foot-4, 243-pound junior enters the NFL as a ready-made flex tight end option after catching 99 passes for seven touchdowns over the previous two seasons.
54. Cleveland Browns DT T’Vondre Sweat
“Let’s insert the 6-foot-4, 362-pound Outland Trophy winner at nose tackle to help the Browns’ run defense. In the middle of the defense, Sweat is an unyielding presence, but he also possesses enough speed to routinely collapse the pocket and pursue down ballcarriers, earning 22 pressures and two sacks in 2023. With three defensive tackles set to reach free agency as the Browns head into the summer, this is a nice bargain selection as well as a necessity for the team.
58. Green Bay Packers running back Jonathan Brooks
Before rupturing his ACL in November, Brooks was our first running back off the board, having amassed 1,139 yards and 10 touchdowns. At six feet and 207 pounds, he is a downhill runner with excellent runaway speed and patience. His size would make him a featured back in the professional ranks. Although I think Brooks has a good chance of being a future starter and rookie RB2, Aaron Jones still has some gas left in the tank.
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