Detroit Lions select Antoine Green in seventh round of 2023 NFL Draft

Former North Carolina standout, wide receiver Antoine Green, has been selected by the Detroit Lions in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-2, 199-pound pass catcher from the Tar Heels has been a feature of North Carolina’s receiver room for the past five seasons.

Antoine Green posted fantastic production for the Tar Heels over the past two seasons, hauling in 72 total catches for 1,310 receiving yards, while bringing in 12 touchdowns. One of the biggest moments of Green’s time at North Carolina came last season when he caught a game-tying touchdown with time expiring against rival NC State.

Trailing 24-17 with seconds left on the clock, quarterback Drake Maye found Green in the endzone with zero seconds on the clock to tie the game. Although North Carolina went on to lose the game in second overtime, the impact of Green in front of the fans at Chapel Hill won’t soon be forgotten.

Green’s selection makes him the second wideout taken from the Tar Heels behind teammate Josh Downs who was selected earlier in the draft.

Green played high school football at Rockledge, Florida, where he was a three-star prospect. He was the No. 79 receiver overall recruit in the 2018 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Antoine Green

NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein spoke about Green’s potential in the draft while sharing his scouting report on the North Carolina star. According to Zierlein, Green entered the draft as a sixth-round prospect that brings a vertical threat to any offense that selects him.

“Green’s size and deep-ball success make him a more intriguing Day 3 prospect than the overall production and skill set might suggest,” explained Zierlein. “Like most vertical specialists, he’s not going to shake man coverage on intermediate routes, but he has decent hands and consistently finds himself overtaking deep coverage with his build-up speed. He might find himself fighting for a spot on a practice squad or the back end of a roster.”

Green’s measurable stats put him on par with the top level receivers in this year’s draft class, running his 40-yard-dash in 4.48 seconds.