The 2023 NFL Draft is inching ever closer, and football fans are anxiously awaiting to hear all 259 names called over the course of the three-day event. Fans of professional football franchises eagerly anticipate which college stars might help their team next season, while college football fans are more interested in how to continue following the careers of their favorite players.
For South Carolina football fans, it is clear that multiple Gamecocks will have their lives forever changed in Kansas City next week, but it is less clear the exact number of former garnet and black-clad stars who will be selected in the 2023 NFL Draft.
According to Dane Brugler from The Athletic and his full, 259-pick mock draft, that number is three.
Brugler mocked all three of his Gamecock picks in the first 66 picks of the 2023 NFL Draft.
CB Cam Smith: Los Angeles Chargers; Round 2, Pick 23; 54th Overall
First up was cornerback Cam Smith. Brugler projected the Blythewood product to the Los Angeles Chargers with the 23rd pick of the 2nd round (54th pick overall). The Chargers have a real need at corner, and Smith has long been viewed as an impact NFL player at the position thanks in large part to his elite hips, above-average length, and experience playing out wide and in the slot. The All-SEC defensive back would be expected to compete for a starting job at either outside corner or at nickel if taken by the Chargers.
DT Zacch Pickens: Houston Texans; Round 3, Pick 2; 65th Overall
The second Gamecock taken in Brugler’s mock draft was defensive tackle Zacch Pickens. In the mock, Pickens was taken by the Houston Texans with the second pick of the third round (65th pick overall). The tackle would join fellow former Gamecock Taylor Stallworth in the defensive tackle room in Houston. Pickens has the athletic profile to be a solid NFL defensive tackle, but with the team signing three tackles this offseason, Pickens would have an uphill battle for early playing time.
CB Darius Rush: Arizona Cardinals; Round 3, Pick 3; 66th Overall
The third and final South Carolina alum in Brugler’s mock was another corner. In the hypothetical draft, Darius Rush went to the Arizona Cardinals with the pick right after Pickens’ selection (3rd pick of the third round, 66th pick overall). Corner might be the Cardinals’ biggest need heading into the draft, and one who has both elite speed and elite size for the position makes sense. Rush fits both those criteria and has an incredibly high ceiling that can be realized with his strong work ethic and some solid coaching.