South Carolina Football: 2023 NFL Draft Projections for Gamecocks

The college football season has been over for five weeks. The Senior Bowl has come and gone. Combine invites have been sent. The Super Bowl has been played. It is officially NFL Draft season.

The South Carolina football team has a number of players who hope to have their lifelong dream of playing in the NFL realized this April. The draft will be held from Thursday, April 28th through Saturday, April 30th in Kansas City. The Gamecocks have about twenty players who hope to make an NFL roster this summer, with about twelve of them having a chance at catching on in the NFL.

The Locks

CB Cam Smith

Smith has been projected as a high-round pick since last offseason. He routinely locks down opposing receivers and is not afraid to mix it up against the run despite his slight build. He has good ball skills and uses his hands well when the ball is in the air. He has a frame that can add needed weight and brings above-average length and speed to the table at the corner position. His film is very strong.

Projections: Most projections have Smith being selected anywhere from the late first round (CBS, NFL.com) to the mid-second round (The Athletic, ESPN).

Garnet and Cocky Projection: Late 1st Round

DT Zacch Pickens

Pickens has been viewed as an NFL player since his high school days as he was a five-star prospect in the 2019 class. It wasn’t until the end of his junior season, though, that Pickens’ play on the field looked like a high NFL draft pick. While almost certainly not a first-rounder this year, Pickens possesses tons of upside due to his incredible lower-body strength and above-average athleticism at defensive tackle. His stock rose after a Defensive Lineman of the Week performance at the Senior Bowl.

Projections: Pickens’ projections range from the late second round (USA Today) to the fifth round (NFL Mock Draft Database), but has received a lot of third-round mocks (CBS, Draft Countdown, Draft Network).

Garnet and Cocky Projection: 3rd Round

CB Darius Rush

Rush might end up as one of the lowest-rated high school recruits to be drafted in the first half of April’s draft. A low three-star prospect, Rush switched positions multiple times at South Carolina before eventually finding a home in the starting lineup in his fourth year on campus. Rush has great speed and length and has displayed the ability to play both zone and man. Like Pickens, Rush had a strong showing at the Senior Bowl as he was named Defensive Back of the Week by his peers. Expected to be undrafted as recently as last offseason, Rush put enough on tape to secure a spot in the Draft, likely on Day 2 (2nd-3rd Round).

Projections: Rush has recently received draft grades all over the spectrum. He has been mocked as high as the second round (NFL.com) and as low as the end of the draft (NBC), but many of the lower projections have changed to see him chosen in the third round (The Athletic, Draft Countdown, PFF).

Garnet and Cocky Projection: 3rd Round

The Hopefuls

OL Jovaughn Gwyn

Gwyn’s NFL Draft future is unpredictable. Outside of the highest-ranked prospects, interior offensive linemen are often drafted based on fit or if a particular team feels they can develop the player in their system. Gwyn projects as a center in the NFL and played almost his entire career at guard. He is strong despite being an undersized lineman, and he became a consistent contributor at South Carolina. A strong showing at the Senior Bowl moved Gwyn more into the spotlight, so he may get selected in April’s draft because of it.

Projections: Gwyn’s projections have generally been late. He is mocked in the 6th Round (Draft Scout) and 7th Round (NFL Mock Draft Database) by some outlets and is listed among the best undrafted players (Draft Countdown, Draft Tek) by others.

Garnet and Cocky Projection: 7th Round

WR Jalen Brooks

An intriguing receiver with size and speed, Brooks was invited to the NFL Scouting Combine because of his projectability at the next level. He became a decent contributor in his final year in Columbia but also struggled with his hands and route running at other times during his career. Brooks will almost certainly make a roster because of his upside, but a team might want to snag him late in order to make sure they get the first crack at unlocking Brooks’ potential.

Projections: Brooks seemingly is not known by many in the industry. Those that do know of him, however, believe he will be a fringe-draft guy who will be signed immediately after becoming a free agent (Draft Scout). Expect Brooks to get a little more buzz after the NFL Scouting Combine.

Garnet and Cocky Projection: Undrafted Free Agent Pick Up

OL Eric Douglas

Eric Douglas is a smart player who is a center, through and through. His best traits are mental as evidenced by his role in calling out pass protections and run slides for years in college. Douglas will need to improve physically in order to stick in the NFL, but his football IQ and work ethic indicate that this is something teams may view as a real possibility for his career. The unpredictability of drafting interior offensive linemen makes projecting Douglas’ future difficult, but there are sure to be several NFL teams that feel as if he is a “fit” for their organization.

Projections: Douglas has been mocked as high as a seventh-round selection (NFL Mock Draft Database). Most projections have him listed among the top undrafted players who are draft-eligible (Draft Scout, NFL Draft Buzz).

Garnet and Cocky Projection: Undrafted Free Agent Pick Up

OL Dylan Wonnum

Dylan Wonnum was a starter from his freshman year at South Carolina. He is not elite at any aspect of being an offensive tackle, but he is solid across the board. Wonnum was a Preseason Outland Award List member and played both right tackle and left tackle as a Gamecock. He is a better athlete than he seems, and that athleticism is intriguing to offensive line coaches at the next level. Wonnum has enough strength and mobility that he could be moved to guard if an NFL team sees him as a fit inside. He will likely go undrafted but will almost assuredly be signed by an NFL squad rather quickly.

Projections: Prior to a back injury that affected him in 2021 and 2022, Wonnum was projected to be a mid-round to late-round draft pick. Now healthy, he is typically placed among the high-end of undrafted players (Draft Tek, NFL Draft Buzz).

Garnet and Cocky Projection: Undrafted Free Agent Pick Up

TE Nate Adkins

Nate Adkins will probably not get drafted. However, the tight end/h-back/long snapper/special teams aficionado can do too many things well to not get a chance at the next level. A tough competitor, Adkins is a good blocker who always understands his assignments. He is athletic enough to be a pass catcher, even though he is better utilized as a blocker. His experience playing as an in-line tight end, split out in the slot, and in the backfield as an h-back provides Adkins with more opportunities to play. He seems to be a perfect fit with Bill Belichick in New England or in a similar situation where special teams and perimeter blocking are emphasized.

Projections: Because of the under-the-radar path of Adkins’ career, most draft projections do not mention Adkins. A small number (Draft Scout) have Adkins being signed as an undrafted free agent.

Garnet and Cocky Projection: Undrafted Free Agent Pick Up

WR Josh Vann

Josh Vann is a player who has a penchant for big plays. Despite being undersized (Vann is an outside receiver in a slot receiver’s body), Vann made several plays on jump balls in his career. He struggled with his hands early in his career but finished as a very reliable pass catcher. The Gamecocks’ best receiver in 2021, Vann has had some minor injury issues that will likely keep NFL teams away during the draft. He possesses excellent ball skills and has the giftedness to develop into a very good route runner out of the slot.

Projections: After a breakout 2021 season, Vann would have been drafted. Projected as high as a fourth-round pick (Pro Football Network), Vann elected to return to South Carolina for another season. Injuries hampered Vann, and he is largely mentioned now as being an undrafted player who will be signed (Sports Illustrated, NFL Draft Buzz, Draft Network, Draft Countdown).

Garnet and Cocky Projection: Undrafted Free Agent Pick Up

RB Christian Beal-Smith

Non-elite running backs are difficult to project in the draft. Some seasons have seen as few as 16 total backs selected, while other seasons have had almost 30 running backs picked. Christian Beal-Smith was viewed as a possible draft selection in the preseason before injuries slowed his 2022 season. A bruising back, Beal-Smith will probably go undrafted due to his injury history, but his past production at Wake Forest (and in spurts at South Carolina) could move a team to take a chance on him.

Projection: A seventh-round projection (NFL.com) sits alone as Beal-Smith’s only current draft projection. A probable selection if he elected to enter the 2022 draft, CBS now is expected to have to catch on with an organization through an undrafted free agent contract (Draft Scout).

Garnet and Cocky Projection: Undrafted Free Agent Pick Up

S Devonni Reed

Prior to transferring from Central Michigan, Devonni Reed was considered a potential late-round draft pick. He made the move to the SEC in order to improve his draft stock, but things did not go as planned. Reed struggled to adjust to the speed of SEC play and battled some injuries during his time in Columbia. Reed will need to test well at South Carolina’s pro day in March in order to have a chance to catch on with an NFL team after the draft.

Projections: A possible draft selection if he entered the 2022 NFL Draft, Devonni Reed will not be drafted in 2023. Some prospect ranking systems show Reed as a player who could get a contract as an undrafted free agent (Draft Scout, NFL Draft Buzz).

Garnet and Cocky Projection: Undrafted Free Agent Pick Up

DT MJ Webb

MJ Webb bounced around a bit from the offensive and defensive lines during his Gamecock career before settling in as a rotational defensive tackle his last couple of seasons. Webb is a block eater who can clog running lanes because of his size and strength. He does not possess NFL athleticism, even at nose tackle but could potentially develop into a goal line run-stuffer.

Projection: Webb is not projected to be drafted by any NFL Draft projections and has very little buzz regarding his chances to get picked up after the draft.

Garnet and Cocky Projection: Undrafted and Unsigned