The 2023 NFL Draft is right around the corner, with the first round scheduled for April 27. Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson, Will Levis, Will Anderson, Jalen Carter, Tyree Wilson, Christian Gonzalez, Devon Witherspoon, Peter Skoronski, Paris Johnson Jr., Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Broderick Jones, Lukas Van Ness, and Myles Murphy are among the names that have been expected to be in consideration for top-10 picks.
One name not listed there could be drafted within the top eight picks, according to an NFL insider.
Peter Schrager of Fox Sports and NFL Network appeared on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday and dropped in a very interesting scoop.
“I’m told that [Nolan Smith] might go as high as top-eight, and I haven’t seen him in any of the mock drafts going that high.” Schrager told McAfee.
"I'm told that Nolan Smith could go in the top eight and I haven't seen him in any of these Mock Drafts" ~ @PSchrags #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/dis4VBcJ9T
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 12, 2023
Georgia outside linebacker Nolan Smith has been viewed as a likely first-round pick, but most draftniks have placed him in the back half of the round. To hear him suggested in the top-10 would be eye-opening, and it’s especially stunning to hear that he could go in the top-eight. It’s a near certainty that at least three quarterbacks and Will Anderson will be selected in the first eight picks, for example.
Smith is a crazy athlete — he ran a 4.39 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine — with dynamic pass-rushing ability, but he may be limited to 3-4 defenses as a 6’2″, 238-pound edge rusher.
Nolan Smith is a DE prospect in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 9.22 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 120 out of 1532 DE from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/CGbMzAAlN7 #RAS pic.twitter.com/v6lftlvhig
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 21, 2023
In 2022, Smith had three sacks over eight games on the national champion Georgia Bulldogs’ dominant defense, but his season was cut short after eight games due to a torn pectoral muscle.
