Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders declares for 2023 NFL Draft
Arkansas Razorbacks star linebacker Drew Sanders has declared for the 2023 NFL Draft, he told ESPN on Tuesday.
Sanders earned All-SEC first-team honors with the Hogs in 2022, which was his first and only year in Fayetteville. He transferred from the University of Alabama after the 2021 season.
Leading the Razorbacks defense with 9.5 sacks, Sanders also accumulated 103 tackles, up from 24 last year with the Tide.
As he begins his preparation for the draft, Sanders will skip the Hogs’ postseason bowl. Arkansas will face off against Kansas in the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 28.
Sanders was a five-star prospect coming out of Ryan (Denton) High School in Texas in the 2020 class. He was the No. 27 overall prospect and the No. 6 linebacker in the nation, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
More on the 2023 NFL Draft
The 2023 NFL Draft takes place from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri. The event location this year is the plaza just outside of Union Station.
Round 1 of the NFL Draft begins at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Apr. 27. Rounds 2-3 will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 28, and Rounds 4-7 will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Apr. 29. The draft broadcast runs throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.
To be eligible for the NFL Draft, players must be at least three years removed from their final year of high school while having used up their collegiate eligibility. Underclassmen are able to request league approval to become eligible for the draft, as are players who have graduated prior to using up all of their collegiate eligibility. One hundred underclassmen gained approval for last year’s draft. Seventy-three of those 100 underclassmen received special eligibility while 27 of them were underclassmen who had completed their college degrees.
The 2023 NFL scouting combine will take place from Feb. 28 through March 6 in Indianapolis.