Auburn offensive lineman Brandon Council declares for 2023 NFL Draft

Nikki Chavanelleby:Nikki Chavanelle12/08/22

NikkiChavanelle

Auburn offensive lineman Brandon Council announced his declaration for the 2023 NFL Draft on Thursday in a post on Twitter. Council started for the Tigers for three seasons after transferring from Akron for 2020.

Although he started the season as the starter at left guard, the 6-foot-5, 300-pound lineman proved to be a versatile plug-and-play piece at all five positions on the line.

Council played three years at Akron after redshirting his first year in 2016. He received a medical waiver for the 2018 season and then got COVID relief for the 2020 season, allowing him to play well past the typical length of eligibility.

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.