2023 NFL Draft’s Mr. Irrelevant: Could another Gamecock be the final pick?

Since 1990, only one college football program has had multiple players selected with the last pick of the NFL Draft. The South Carolina football team had kicker Ryan Succop selected with the last pick of the 2009 NFL Draft and tight end Justice Cunningham picked with the final selection of the 2013 NFL Draft. “Mr. Irrelevant” is a funny title used to describe players picked last in each year’s draft, but it has become a bit of a talking point each April when the draft comes around.

The Houston Texans, via a compensatory pick, own the final of the 259 picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, and, barring a trade, they will be looking to find a diamond in the rough at the end of the seventh round to help their rebuilding team.

In 2023, three Gamecocks are viewed as locks to be drafted, but all three of them are expected to go in the top-100 picks, so none of them could possibly be the last player chosen. But are there any other Gamecocks who could be the next Mr. Irrelevant during this weekend’s NFL Draft? Here are the candidates:

IOL Jovaughn Gwyn

Gwyn was a starter at guard for most of his Gamecock career. One of the strongest players on the team despite being among the smallest Gamecock linemen, Gwyn posted really impressive athletic and strength testing numbers at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. He had some good moments as a run blocker in Columbia, and he showed solid leadership ability as a team captain.

Gwyn is the most likely of the remaining Gamecocks to be selected in the 2023 NFL Draft, but without a trade, he is unlikely to be Mr. Irrelevant. The Texans have signed two guards this offseason to replace their released starter from 2022 (fellow Gamecock AJ Cann) to save money. Houston needs a starting center, but it is unlikely that they find their starter in the seventh round as they will surely scour the free agent market instead.

TE Nate Adkins

Tight end Nate Adkins was only in Columbia for one season after transferring from East Tennessee State but quickly became a fan favorite because of his toughness and blocking ability. Adkins had his two biggest plays of the year against Clemson (a one-handed grab in traffic and a special teams forced fumble to seal the rivalry victory) and will be one of the favorite “one and done” Gamecocks ever.

Adkins is a virtual lock to be on an NFL roster this summer, but it is unclear if he will be taken in the draft. If he is selected, it will be late, and the Texans are in need of a tight end. Unfortunately for the prospects of Adkins being Mr. Irrelevant, the Texans already have players that fit the “blocking tight end” mold and are, instead, in need of better pass-catching threats. Adkins can make plays in the passing game, but that is not his primary strength as a future pro.

WR Josh Vann

A very productive player for the Gamecocks the past two seasons, Josh Vann’s best year was in 2022 when he was the team’s top pass catcher. Vann had stiffer competition in 2022 (Juice Wells ended up on the All-SEC team, several receivers stepped up, and there were more tight ends than ever) and his numbers dipped. An injury in the Clemson game seemed to really hurt Vann’s prospects of being drafted, but he had a very productive Pro Day at South Carolina that rekindled hope within Gamecock fans of seeing him taken in the draft.

The Texans have a big need at wide receiver, but that might actually hurt Vann’s chances of being taken by the team with the last pick of the draft. Houston is expected to take at least one receiver high in the draft, lessening Vann’s chances of becoming Mr. Irrelevant. A factor that plays in Vann’s favor is his experience on special teams. He spent time as a gunner some in college but was also a very good punt returner for the Gamecocks, something that he said has intrigued NFL teams during the pre-draft process.

IOL Eric Douglas

Eric Douglas was not a dominant offensive lineman in Columbia, but he demonstrated a high football IQ and was the unquestioned leader of a Gamecock offensive line unit that had several other senior leaders on it last season. As the team’s primary center for three seasons, Douglas understands the position and has shown he has what it takes mentally to play it well.

Douglas, like Gwyn, seems unlikely to be taken by Houston with the 259th pick. Houston does have a need at center, but they need a starter, something that usually is not found with a rookie taken in the seventh round. Douglas could play guard at the next level and actually is close to tackle size at 6’4″ and 300 pounds, but his abilities seem best utilized in the middle. He will likely be picked up as an undrafted free agent after the draft but could go late.

WR Jalen Brooks

Wide receiver Jalen Brooks was one of five Gamecocks invited to the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine along with Gwyn and the three Gamecock draft locks (Cam Smith, Zacch Pickens, and Darius Rush). Unfortunately for Brooks, he did not test well at all, especially in the speed and explosion categories. His film looks faster than his testing numbers, and he eventually put up somewhat better numbers at South Carolina Pro Day, but his poor performance in Indianapolis likely will keep him off of draft boards this weekend.

Like with Vann, Brooks doesn’t seem like the likely choice for Houston. While the team does need a couple of wide receivers, they are likely going to pick a receiver or two higher up in the draft, limiting the likelihood of them selecting one late in the draft proceedings. Again similar to Vann, Brooks was a productive special teams player for the Gamecocks, something that could help his cause as he hopes to stick with an NFL squad.

OT Dylan Wonnum

The final Gamecock with a chance to be drafted is offensive lineman Dylan Wonnum. A full-time starter at tackle for almost his entire four-year career in Columbia, Wonnum only was out of the lineup when he was injured. Unfortunately for him, he was injured quite a bit, and his biggest injury was a lingering back issue. Between his battles with injury and a severe illness suffered during bowl season this year, Wonnum lost a ton of weight and saw the scale dip below 270 pounds.

Almost any chance of Wonnum being picked in the draft disappeared with his weight loss, but tackle seems like an unlikely position for the Texans to select anyway. Laremy Tunsil is entrenched at one tackle spot, and the Texans have invested multiple draft picks and free agent signings in recent years to figure out spots 2-4 on the depth chart at tackle.