Sooners who can help their NFL Draft stock in 2023: Austin Stogner, Danny Stutsman, others
A year from now, a new group of Sooners will be joining the NFL.
This year, Oklahoma had five players selected in the 2023 NFL Draft – left tackle Anton Harrison, wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr., right tackle Wanya Morris, running back Eric Gray and tight end Brayden Willis. Expectations are high for OU in 2023, with many Sooners hopeful they’ll be the next to go pro.
But which players have the most to gain in 2023?
Here’s a look at five Sooners who can help their draft stock the most next season:
OT Tyler Guyton: There might not be a player with more upside on Oklahoma’s roster than Guyton. The TCU transfer and former tight end has strong hands and good footwork. At 6-foot-7, 328 pounds, he certainly has the size, too, of a potential first-round pick. Last season, he appeared in 10 games, starting five at right tackle. The departures of Wanya Morris and Anton Harrison, who were both drafted, increase Guyton’s role in 2023. And he could have the same trajectory as Harrison, who jumped up draft boards into the first round last season.
WR Jalil Farooq: To be drafted in 2024 or 2025, this season will be crucial for Farooq. He will have plenty of opportunities with Mims gone and playing in an offense that’s tailored to Farooq’s skillset. The junior’s burst and agility will stand out to NFL scouts, but he needs to showcase consistency as a playmaker. He needs to prove he’s a No. 1 receiver. If Farooq can have a productive 2023 season – 800-plus yards receiving and 8-plus touchdowns – he could position himself to leave early. Or he could at least set himself up for a big senior season. Still, whenever he leaves, he will likely test well at the combine and Pro Day due to his athletic ability.
TE Austin Stogner: Stogner came back to Oklahoma for this exact reason. The fifth-year senior has the size of an NFL tight end at 6-foot-6, 251 pounds. But he doesn’t have the production. He was primarily a blocking tight end last season at South Carolina, which will help during the draft process. The ball will be thrown his way often at Oklahoma. He hopes he can replicate the success of Willis, who was drafted in the seventh round by the 49ers. A year ago, Willis wasn’t a draftable prospect, but 514 yards and seven touchdowns in 2022 changed that. If Stogner can have similar production in 2023, he could also be drafted.
LB Danny Stutsman: If Stutsman has the 2023 season that many hope and expect him to have, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him leave early. Stutsman has all the makings of an NFL linebacker. He’s the right size at 6-foot-4, 240 pounds and he possesses a good skillset, running sideline-to-sideline and playing downhill. His instincts will especially stand out during the evaluation process, too. But where he has to improve in 2023 is consistency. Whether it was missed tackles or blown assignments, Stutsman has shown his youth with the Sooners. Though, if he has a strong junior season, his stock could really rise.
CB Woodi Washington: A fifth-year senior, Washington could have left after last season and possibly snuck into the late rounds. But odds were he was going to go undrafted, which is why he’s back with the Sooners. He’s one of the most experienced cornerbacks in college football, making 23 career starts including all 13 games last season. His best attribute is his ball skills, having five career interceptions. His athletic ability could allow him to play multiple spots in the secondary, starting his career at safety for OU. If Washington can add a couple more interceptions to his stats this season and put together some nice film against top Big 12 receivers, he could find himself getting drafted on Day 3 next year.
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