Predict NFL Draft order of Longhorns

We have what could be 5 players drafted in the first 2 rounds. A nice change from recent years and a sign we have finally upgraded our talent.

There are several others like Brooks, Ford, Whittington currently projected 3rd round or later.

I thought it would be fun to have folks rank the 5 players currently projected to be 1st 2 round picks in the order you think they will be drafted. I'll start-

1. Byron Murphy. 2. Adonai Mitchell 3. Xavier Worthy 4. T'Vondre Sweat 5. Ja'Tavion Sanders

 

I tend to agree with the order you selected. Sanders could be the wild card, potentially moving up to late in the first round. TE has become a premium position in the NFL, and we will see arguably the best two on Sunday.

 

1 Murphy
2.Sweat
3. Mitchell
4. Sanders
5. Worthy
6 Ford

 

Caryhorn beat me to it. That’s my order too.

 

1 Murphy
2 sanders
3 mitchell
4 worthy
5 sweat

 

I agree with Caryhorn, except Sweat at the top. Guys that dominate the center of the field mean a lot to an NFL defense.

 

Keep in mind, draft order doesn't have much to do with NFL success rate. I think Sweat might have the best chance of these guys.

1. Mitchell - either late 1st or any time 2nd
2. Murphy - 2nd
3. Sanders - 2nd
4. Sweat - late 2nd or 3rd
5. Worthy - late 2nd or 3rd
6. Brooks - anywhere from 4-7
7. Ford - probably 6-7

UFA - Whitt, Jones, Sanborn

 

Early 3-round mock has 2 Horns going in the first round and 4 in the second. Three-round 2024 NFL mock draft: Patriots deal for Justin Fields in one of five first-round trades

 

I believe that Whit should be drafted. Good hands and yac plus he is a blocker.
Team guy with hard work ethic.

 

FTR, I like Mitchell more than Worthy for the next year or so.

1 Murphy
2 Worthy
3 Mitchell
4 Sanders
5 Sweat
6 Brooks
7 Ford

 

I think teams are going to fail to pull the trigger on Worthy due to his drops/effort from 2022 and how he tends to come up limping half the time. He'll get drafted but I think his first "real" looks at the NFL are on the return team.

RB is a really, really bad position for this draft. It's going to inflate where Brooks is taken and I don't think he's prime for NFL success yet.

Murphy has a real shot to be our next Casey Hampton. He's really technical and like an immovable bowling ball there.

 

That was fun to read. Some takes:

Not sure why Terrion Arnold of Bama is so highly rated. Great kid, but didn’t AD Mitchell have his way with him?

Bo Nix at 33 is interesting. Penik at 50 is a shocker. That would be a coup for Seattle if he lasts that long.

T Sweat to the Raiders seems like a good fit.

Love Worthy to the Bills if it happens. (Hope he can catch and cold weather.)

BTW, Brock Bowers to the Chargers might be a franchise changing choice, and an ideal addition for Herbert.

 

Same here.

If I ran a franchise I'd take a late swing at JWhitt. Good blocker, team guy, can keep a drive going

 

I think JWhitt will also be an excellent special teams guy, which should help him stick somewhere.

 

JWhitt is the wide receiver version of Roschon Johnson. His character, work ethic etc., along with Johnson and Bijan are the bedrock foundation of the programs current trajectory (from a player perspective, not leaving Sark's and his coaches out).

 

it actually makes me wonder if he'll play more than a year or so before striking out into business.

 

Cattle?

 

I forgot about Jonathan Brooks. What a dumb mistake.
I do think he will be drafted in the 5th or 6th round. I think his talent is such that some team will take him. I’d like to see the cowboys take him but I don’t think they are smart enough to.
Brooks reminds me of Christan McCafferty. Deceptively quick/elusive, fast enough to run away from defenders and he gets yards after contact.
Had he avoided injury I think he’d go in late 2nd or third round.

 

Brooks might still go that early because, as stated, it's a terrible year for RBs and someone will take them. I could see him falling as far as the 5th RB taken, but there's no way the 5th RB gets taken as late as the 6th round.

 

^^^Good points. JB is a quality person as well as a fine RB. Would love to see him taken early.

 

Charles Davis mock has Worthy going to the Chiefs in the first round as Mahomes' new deep threat. I'd watch that combination anytime. Charles Davis 2024 NFL mock draft 1.0: Giants turn to J.J. McCarthy as successor to Daniel Jones

 

Yeah I'm amending my order to put Worthy either the very end of the 1st round or early 2nd after his 4.21. Teams would be stupid to pass on him knowing the excitement it would generate for kick returns and occasional WR work.

I still think Mitchell is taken ahead of him because of his all-around traits at the Combine.

With all of my criticisms of him, Christian Jones might have worked his way into a late pick after all. Probably 7th round, but I could see someone taking him in the 6th if they need some desperation competition for their preseason OL.

 

Amazing performance by Worthy. Davis has five Longhorns going in the first round. Nice!

 

I, too, am going to change my draft order after the combine.
first round:
1 Mitchell
2 sweat or Murphy
3 Worthy-I think Worthy sneaks into the first round due to his combine performance.
2nd round
4 sweat or Murphy
5 Sanders

I am actually a little excited about this year's draft.

 

Definitely fun to speculate, and it’s just that. I still agree with LHABSOS’s assessment and order, with one change:

1. Byron Murphy, between 8-12. He’s a hot commodity. Too many comparisons to Aaron Donald to ignore. That gets GMs very excited.

2. Adonai Mitchell, mid first. Not a glitzy name like Harrison, but the dude is just a winner who plays great in the biggest games. And, he plays for winners. Additionally, his performance at the combine was stellar.

3. Xavier Worthy, late 1st.

4. Ja'Tavion Sanders, sneaks into R1. TE is a feature position in the NFL, and without a dominant one, it seems hard to go deep into the playoffs.

5. T'Vondre Sweat, 33-40. It wouldn’t surprise me if he ends up being an all pro, but I think GMs may be a little concerned about his weight and endurance.

 

Here's my amended list:

Mid 1st: Murphy and Mitchell
Late 1st / Early 2nd: Worthy
Late 2nd: Sweat and Sanders
Late 3rd or anywhere in 4th: Brooks
Anywhere from 5-7: Ford
Anywhere from 6-7: Jones

UFA signings: Whitt, Sanborn

 

Murphy and Worthy in the 1st round.

Murphy at 16
Seahawks NFL Draft grades 2024: Why Seattle picking Byron Murphy II makes sense for new coach Mike Macdonald

Worthy at 28
Chiefs NFL Draft grades 2024: Kansas City snags WR Xavier Worthy after trading up with AFC rival Bills

 

Through 3 rounds, Murphy, Worthy, Sweat, Brooks and Mitchell have all been drafted. I can't remember the last time the Horns had 5 players in the 1st 3 rounds.

Surprised Sanders has dropped to 4th round.

 

K. Robinson was a surprise to me. But, seeing as how the NFL changed kickoff rules, it makes sense. Everyone in the league is now going to need a Kavontae Turpin type of guy unless opponents want everyone to start at the 30.

Watts was selected to be Pittsburgh's 8th CB, meaning that he's practice squad bound. They'd need some kind of mass exodus for him to play meaningful snaps.

 

2010: Earl Thomas, Colt, Shipley, Kindle, and Lamarr Houston