2023 NFL Draft Preview – DraftID Podcast
5. Clark Phillips III | Utah, CB
#10 Utah at #12 Oregon | 10:30pm EST ESPN
For those willing to stay up past their bedtime, this PAC12 matchup is set to be one of the best this week. Despite both being out of the CFP race, both teams will fight for a potential spot in the conference championship. Phillips has been a ballhawk corner, but is hyper-aggressive in coverage and seems to have adopted the Trevon Diggs mentality in coverage.
The big play ability is obviously there and Phillips touts some of the best ball skills in the class, but he also has given up 405 yards and 3 TDs this season. Over the last two seasons, Clark has 8 interceptions, but has given up roughly 1,000 yards. This weekend, Clark likely will see his fair share of Oregon WR1 Troy Franklin, who has racked up 775 yards and 6 TDs this year. Franklin is a true sophomore, but certainly an emerging star for the 2024 draft class.
4. Jordan Addison | USC, WR
#7 USC at #16 UCLA | 8:00pm EST Fox
Jordan Addison has had a volatile season where he has shown dominant stretches of production, but also his fair share of injury woes. Addison returned to the lineup last week against Colorado, but played a smaller role and was held to just one reception for 2 yards. Both of these PAC12 contenders have had questionable pass defenses all season, so expect a shootout where we could see Addison back to full strength.
3. DeWayne McBride | UAB, RB
UAB at #6 LSU | 9:00pm EST ESPN 2
The Junior RB out of the University of Alabama in Birmingham might just be the best player you have never heard of. The Conference USA star now has rushed for 1,400 yards and 17 games this season as he has accounted for roughly 30% of the Blazers total yards this year. This week, McBride will face the toughest test of the season against a good LSU team filled with defensive NFL talent. If McBride can stay hot, this could be a tape that wins over NFL scouts and potentially push his stock into the early Day 2 range.
2. Cam Smith | USC, CB
#5 Tennessee at South Carolina | 7:00pm EST ESPN
South Carolina has sent its fair share of defensive backs to the NFL and Cam Smith could be the next guy to join that group. No, not the winner of the British Open…this Cam Smith is a lanky, yet explosive lockdown corner who will potentially be voted as a 1st team All-SEC CB and the one true bright spot of the South Carolina Gamecocks. This week, Smith faces the top offense in the nation that is headlined by two future NFL receivers, Cedric Tillman Jr and Jaylin Hyatt. If Smith can slow down this Vols passing attack, or at least lock down his matchup, he will have outperformed every else they have faced (not named Kelee Ringo).
1. Will Levis | Kentucky, QB
#1 Georgia at Kentucky | 3:30pm EST CBS
Despite a down season full of struggles, Will Levis is still a top QB prospect across the NFL scouting community and his story is far from finished. Will Levis had a breakout season for the Wildcats last year, but has struggled and looked very raw this season, but losing a pair of All-SEC offensive lineman and a 2nd round WR will do that to many QBs.
It’d be safe to say that nobody has expectations for Levis to upset the top ranked Bulldogs, but this tape will be critical when going through the draft process. Other QB prospects like Bo Nix, Hendon Hooker and Bryce Young all have looked human against UGA…over the last two seasons, this defense has been one of the most dominant that we have seen in a while. A solid outing can write Levis’s wrongs and I believe there is a lot more for him to gain than lose.
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