Setting the Stage: The Ole Miss Rebels most likely to get picked in the 2023 NFL Draft
Eleven draft-eligible Ole Miss football Rebels hope to hear their names called sooner rather than later as the 2023 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday.
The opening bell for the first of the seven-round pick-a-thon opens at 8 p.m. CT and runs over multiple days. Rounds two and three are on Friday. Rounds 4-7 are Saturday.
Ole Miss has had over 250 players taken since the draft’s inception in 1937. The Rebels have had five or more players selected in a single draft 14 times in program history. Three of those classes have come in the last seven years — including in 2022, when Ole Miss had six draftees, the most since the Rebels also produced six in 2019.
Tight end Evan Engram (New York Giants, 2017) was the last of 10 Ole Miss first-rounders since 2000. The Rebels had their most ever back in 2016 with offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil, wide receiver Laquon Treadwell and defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche.
The previous high (2) was set by offensive lineman Michael Oher and defensive tackle Peria Jerry in 2009.
Tunsil in March became for the second time in his NFL career the highest-paid tackle in league history. Tunsil re-upped with the Houston Texans on a new three-year pact worth $75 million in overall value. The contract fully guarantees $50 million. He received $30 million in signing bonus.
Treadwell left Ole Miss as the all-time school leader in career receptions. However, he’s bounced among four teams over his career. He’s currently a free agent but spent last season with the Seattle Seahawks. He worked out for the Dallas Cowboys in the off-season.
Nkemdiche — the first and so far only No. 1 overall prospect signed by Ole Miss out of high school — last appeared with the Seahawks back in 2021.
Rebels up for selection this time around include offensive linemen Nick Broeker and Mason Brooks, linebacker Troy Brown, kicker Jonathan Cruz, running back Zach Evans, safety AJ Finley, wide receivers Jonathan Mingo and Malik Heath, defensive tackle KD Hill and EDGE Tavius Robinson.
Here we cover the Ole Miss Rebels best-positioned for selection over the coming days.
JONATHAN MINGO
Mingo has been one of the most rapid-rising prospects in the pre-draft process.
Mingo last season set a new Ole Miss single-game record for receiving yards (247) in a win over Vanderbilt. No other player in college football last season had more yards in a game. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Mingo for the year had 51 receptions for 861 yards and five touchdowns.
Mingo was recently mocked as a first-round selection of the New Orleans Saints by the NFL Network’s Peter Schrager, even if he’s mostly seen as a day-two pick.
TOP 30 VISITS: Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Tennessee Titans
QUOTABLE: “Ole Miss receiver Jonathan Mingo is a hot name right now, and he’s looking like a Top 50 pick. I’d stop short of saying he’s heading toward the first round, but I don’t expect him to wait long Friday to hear his name.” — ESPN NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay
ROUND FORECAST: 1-3
2023 NFL Draft prospects Zach Evans and Jonathan Mingo (Photo credit: Marina Puhalj-On3)
ZACH EVANS
Few, if any, draft-hopeful Rebels have flown under the radar more than Evans.
Like Mingo and a few other of his now-former Ole Miss teammates, Evans was invited to the NFL Scouting Combine in February. However, and as was an issue in his one and only Ole Miss season, injuries kept him from competing, though he did show well at Ole Miss Pro Day.
His durability is reportedly a concern for NFL scouts, and understandably so. But he’s still the former No. 1 overall running back and five-star prospect from the 2020 recruiting class who averaged some seven yards per carry over his college career.
TOP-30 VISITS: Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
QUOTABLE: “He’s got explosive long speed and great body control. He’s not afraid to be physical. I expect him to make an impact wherever he ends up.” — Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin
ROUND FORECAST: 4-7
RELATED: The week is here and Ole Miss players are trending towards a good NFL Draft showing
Former Ole Miss offensive lineman Nick Broeker goes through drills during Ole Miss Pro Day (Photo courtesy of Ole Miss athletics)
NICK BROEKER
No Ole Miss Rebel was invited to Kansas City — the host city of this year’s draft. So, then, Broker, a four-year starter for the Ole Miss offensive line, won’t be there. And, no, he doesn’t know when he’ll be selected, but he’s probably not going to have to wait all that long.
Notably, Broeker, who played tackle and guard at Ole Miss, snapped at Ole Miss Pro Day. A number of teams like him as a potential center. The 2022 second-team All-American appeared in 48 career games as a Rebel. He didn’t miss a single game and won the 2022 Kent Hull Trophy — handed out each year to the best offensive lineman in the state of Mississippi.
PRE-DRAFT VISITS: Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants, Pittsburg Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans
QUOTABLE: “One of the best competitors I’ve been around. Gives maximum effort every snap, aggressive in the run game and he can play all five positions on the offensive line.” — Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin
ROUND FORECAST: 4-7
Mar 2, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Mississippi defensive lineman Tavius Robinson (DL44) participates in drills during the NFL combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
TAVIUS ROBINSON
Robinson, like Mingo, has impressed in pre-draft and has next-level traits coveted by modern-day NFL evaluators, specifically as an athletic EDGE with monster size (6-6, 257). He, too, participated in the NFL Scouting Combine.
Robinson had 90 total tackles, 11.5 sacks, five forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries over his three-season Ole Miss career. His final season was his best. He had 44 tackles and seven sacks.
ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid released a full seven-round mock draft last month and had Robinson as a fifth-round selection (165th overall) to the New Orleans Saints. Among the organizations he met with in pre-draft include the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals staff former Ole Miss defensive line coach Marion Hobby.
The seven remaining Rebels are all likely headed to undrafted free agency.
QUOTABLE: “He’s a fierce competitor and he has the tools to be a great pro. His best ball is ahead of him.” — Ole Miss defensive line coach Randall Joyner
ROUND FORECAST: 4-7
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