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Six Oregon Ducks receive invites to 2023 NFL Combine

Jarrid Denneyby: Jarrid Denney02/08/23jarrid_denney
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(Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

On Wednesday, the NFL announced its official list of players invited to the 2023 Scouting Combine.

Of the 319 players invited, six Oregon Ducks made the cut.

Oregon’s three offensive invitees were offensive linemen Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, T.J. Bass, and Alex Forsyth. On the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Noah Sewell, outside linebacker DJ Johnson, and cornerback Christian Gonzalez received invites.

The possible draft outcomes for those six players could range from the first round to day three.

Gonzalez is currently projected by several NFL Draft analysts as a top-10 pick.

In his lone season with the Ducks, Gonzalez established himself as one of the best cornerbacks in a conference that is stacked with talent at the position. In 12 games during the 2022 campaign, Gonzalez recorded 50 tackles, including 35 solo stops, and 1.0 tackles for loss. He hauled in four interceptions and broke up 11 passes.

Pro Football Focus issued Gonzalez a season grade of 81.0 overall — the second-best among Oregon defensive players and the 10th-best among Pac-12 defenders who play regularly.

ESPN currently lists Gonzalez as its No. 16 overall prospect and No. 2 cornerback.

The next Duck off the board, in all likelihood, will be Sewell.

In 12 games this season, Sewell racked up 56 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. He also grabbed one interception and deflected three passes.

ESPN lists Sewell as its No. 109 overall prospect and No. 7 inside linebacker.

A handful of Draft analysts have moved Forsyth up their boards in recent weeks. After three seasons as Oregon’s starting center, Forsyh is currently listed as ESPN’s No. 206 overall prospect and No. 5 center.

Bass is projected as ESPN’s No. 128 overall prospect and No. 12 offensive tackle.

In 13 games this season, Bass played 894 offensive snaps — the third-most among Oregon offensive players and the 13th-most among all Pac-12 offensive linemen, according to Pro Football Focus. He did not surrender a sack and has surrendered just two quarterback hits.

Aumavae-Laulu is not listed among ESPN’s top 300 prospects. In 13 games this season, he played 902 snaps — the most of any Oregon player — and garnered an overall PFF grade of 77.0. That was the sixth-best among the Ducks’ offensive players who played regularly.

Johnson is listed as ESPN’s No. 147 overall prospect and No. 14 outside linebacker. In 11 games last season, Johnson racked up 39 tackles, including 15 solo stops. His 6.0 sacks were the most on the team, and his 8.5 tackles for loss are second on the team behind Brandon Dorlus (9.0).

A few notable players who did not receive combine invites are defensive back Bennett Williams, offensive lineman Ryan Walk, defensive lineman Jordon Riley, and receiver Chase Cota.

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