Michigan football pair selected in Mel Kiper's latest NFL mock draft
The 2023 NFL Draft is quickly approaching with plenty of pundits and scribes across the league getting their last batches of mock selections in. Michigan football will send another healthy helping of star power to the pros and a pair of their own have popped up in the latest mock draft from ESPN’s Mel Kiper.
Kiper’s haul of Wolverines is headlined by cornerback DJ Turner, who comes off the board at No. 25 overall to the New York Giants. After running a 4.26 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine – the fourth-fastest time in the history of the event – teams have apparently fallen in love with the Michigan cornerback’s tape.
“I’ve slotted in wide receivers to the Giants in my previous mock drafts, so let’s switch gears and go with another position they could target,” Kiper wrote. “They could use a player to challenge Aaron Robinson and Cor’Dale Flott on the other side of Adoree’ Jackson. Turner is a hot name in the league right now, largely because scouts and execs went back to the tape after his 4.26-second 40-yard dash at the combine. That was the fourth-fastest time at the combine since 2003. He’s in the first-round discussion now. At 5-foot-11, 178 pounds, Turner isn’t very big, but he has some versatility — he played outside and in the slot for the Wolverines. New York ranked 25th in the NFL with 19 takeaways last season.”
The second Michigan player in Kiper’s most recent mock is defensive tackle Mazi Smith, who was selected by the Arizona Cardinals with the No. 41 overall pick (second round).
“This pick comes from my trade projecting the Titans to move up to No. 3 for a quarterback,” Kiper explained. “I got Arizona edge rusher Tyree Wilson with its first-round pick, and let’s stay with the D-line. Smith is the best run-stopping tackle in this class. At 6-foot-3, 323 pounds, he is so strong at the point of attack. He’ll never rack up sacks, but he can eat up blockers in the run game.”
Most have Smith labeled as a potential second or third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Draft Network’s Damian Parson believes he is one of the better run defenders in the class.
“Smith has a two-down appeal right now as an NFL prospect,” he wrote. “His value as a run defender is high. If defenses continue to run the two-high safety sets next season, he will be valued well. He does not offer high-end passing-down value. There is some ability to impact quarterbacks with interior pressure but he will need to play quicker and more refined technically.”
The 2023 NFL Draft is set to take place from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri.
Round 1 of the NFL Draft is set to begin 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 will be broadcasted throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.
