The 2023 NFL Draft is right around the corner, and the Illinois football program has numerous players who are going to be picked or have a chance to be selected.
This past season was special for the Illini. We won eight games for the first time since 2007. Some of the talented players who helped lead us to this great run are now going to be playing on Sundays instead of Saturdays.
Here is the Illinois football 2023 final Mock Draft.
Devon Witherspoon
Illinois had one of the best defenses in the country in 2022, and this great unit was led by cornerback, Devon Witherspoon. The 5-foot-11.5, 181-pound defensive back departed the program as one of the 21 consensus All-Americans in Illinois history.
Witherspoon is the highest-graded Illinois football player in the 2023 NFL Draft, according to NFL.com. He checks in with a grade of 6.47.
Every mock draft has Witherspoon in the top 10 picks on Thursday. But where will the superstar cornerback land?
I believe the Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans, and Indianapolis Colts will all go after a quarterback. The Arizona Cardinals have some serious issues to address, but I don’t think they go defensive back. The Seattle Seahawks were 13th in the NFL in pass defense in 2022.
Devon Witherspoon’s landing spot in the 2023 NFL Draft
Those teams are probably out of the Witherspoon sweepstakes. I think that narrows the options down to the Detroit Lions and Las Vegas Raiders at picks No. 6 and No.7, respectively.
The Lions have former Illinois cornerback Kerby Joseph on their roster. The Raiders have former Illinois cornerback Nate Hobbs on their roster. So, Witherspoon would have some familiar company with both teams.
Detroit and Las Vegas ranked third and fourth to last in pass defense last season, respectively. They both need Witherspoon. With the Lions picking first, I think he ends up going to Detroit and helping their secondary improve greatly.
Pick #6 (1st Round) – Detroit Lions
Quan Martin
One of the biggest risers in the 2023 NFL Draft has to be Quan Martin. He came into the draft process as a potential 6th or 7th round pick, but now he is someone who could go pretty high.
Martin is coming into the draft with a grade of 6.22 by the NFL. He is the second-highest Illinois player grade-wise.
Entering the NFL, Martin is looked at as a versatile player. He can play safety, cornerback, or in the nickel defense. I think that is what makes him so valuable in the NFL Draft. You are getting a player who can do various things on the defensive side of the ball.
Last season, Martin finished the year at Illinois with 64 tackles, 11 pass deflections, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, and one sack. He is truly a Swiss Army Knife of defensive backs.
Quan Martin’s landing spot in the 2023 NFL Draft
Most mock drafts have Martin going either in the late second round or somewhere in the third round. He is going to be a second-day selection, and that is a near-lock.
With Martin being so talented in the secondary, I think you have to look at teams with a big need for pass coverage. I would think a team who struggled in pass defense is going to look at defensive back help in the early rounds.
There are a handful of teams I could see taking Martin in the late second round. I would include the Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, and Buffalo Bills on this list. But there is one team that keeps coming to mind.
Late in the second round, the Jacksonville Jaguars have a selection. They have a lot of good pieces on the offensive side of the ball, and now it is time for them to start thinking about the defense. Jacksonville finished fifth-worst in pass defense in 2022. The owner of the Jaguars, Shad Khan, also graduate from Illinois.
Pick #56 (2nd Round) – Jacksonville Jaguars
Sydney Brown
Illinois has had some mean safeties over the years, but I don’t think I have seen someone as jacked and ready to lay a hit as Sydney Brown. He is going to be a scary player to mess with at the next level.
Heading into the 2023 NFL Draft, Brown has a grade of 6.14 by the NFL. He has the third-highest grade for any Illinois football player.
If an NFL team needs someone who can scare wide receivers in the middle of the field, look no further than Brown. He finished his senior year at Illinois with 60 tackles, seven pass deflections, six interceptions, and one sack. He also had two touchdowns, one via interception and the other was a fumble return.
There are quite a few NFL teams that need a good safety over the middle. I don’t necessarily look for bad pass coverage teams in this spot but which team has the lowest-graded safeties.
Sydney Brown’s landing spot in the 2023 NFL Draft
There are a lot of mock drafts out there, and most of them have Brown going in the third round. I think this is eventually where he ends up getting selected.
I have three teams that I think should be all over Brown at safety. The first team is the Denver Broncos. They had a top-15 pass defense last season, but they have safety issues. Their highest-graded safety was Justin Simmons, who ranked No. 31 among all safeties with a grade of 70.7.
Another team I would keep an eye on is the Kansas City Chiefs. They were a middle-of-the-road secondary last season, and their safety play was below par. The Chiefs’ highest-rated safety was Justin Reid at No. 32 with a rating of 70.3.
While Brown could land with those two teams, I am going to predict that he finds his way out to Arizona to be the Cardinals’ safety in 2023. Arizona had a below-average pass defense last season, and their highest-graded safety, Budda Baker, has requested a trade.
The Cardinals have two picks in the third round. I think they will use one on Brown and solidify their secondary.
Pick #66 (3rd Round) – Arizona Cardinals
Chase Brown
Over the past decade or so, the value of a running back, on paper, has decreased. This has hurt the draft stock of players like Chase Brown.
Brown is currently the fourth-highest-graded Illinois football player. He checks in with a grade of 6.12, according to NFL.com.
I was amazed by Brown this past season. He dazzled with his mean running ability and great speed. Brown would finish the 2022 campaign with 1,643 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. He also had 240 yards and three touchdowns through the air.
If this was a draft in 2005, I think Brown is a first-round pick. There are still a lot of teams who could use a solid running back, though.
Chase Brown’s landing spot in the 2023 NFL Draft
From the mock drafts that I have seen, most of them have Brown going in the fifth or sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. This would be a great value for any team. You could get a player who was in serious conversations for the Heisman Trophy at one point last season.
I have three teams that I think would be the best option for Brown to land. The first team is the Tennessee Titans. Derek Henry is the obvious starter there, but he is getting up there in age, and he doesn’t have a reliable backup right now.
Look for the Dallas Cowboys to be in the market for a running back. They let go of Ezekiel Elliott about a month ago, and now Tony Pollard is the lead running back. Pollard is good but there is no depth behind him.
My pick to land Brown would be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They have moved on from Leonard Fournette, and the projected starter is Rachaad White. There isn’t much behind White either. This team needs a running back.
The Buccaneers have two picks in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. If Brown is still left on the board, I am expecting them to use one of those two picks on this talented running back from Illinois.
Pick #153 (5th Round) – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Potential late-round NFL Draft picks
Calvin Avery
A highly rated recruit coming out of high school, Calvin Avery finally started to gain some traction late in his career at Illinois. With Bret Bielema taking over, the Illini moved to a 3-4 defense, and this helped Avery as he was the nose tackle on the front lines.
Avery has a 5.80 rating by NFL.com. I haven’t seen him on a single mock draft, but that really doesn’t matter. He is the fifth-highest-rated Illinois player with draft potential.
NFL teams could always use a tough nose tackle. Illinois had a good rush defense this past season, and Avery was a part of that great unit.
If a team reaches up into the draft and snags Avery, I would think it would either be the Miami Dolphins or Green Bay Packers. The Dolphins only have two picks in rounds six and seven, but Green Bay has five picks in those two rounds. The Packers also like to draft nose tackles late in drafts, as both of the nose tackles on their roster were selected in the fifth and seventh rounds.
Calvin Avery’s potential 2023 NFL Draft landing spot – Green Bay Packers
Alex Palczewski
There is always a shortage of talented offensive tackles in the NFL. A team can never have enough linemen. This should help the prospects of Alex Palczewski.
Palczewski has a rating of 5.68 by the NFL. He isn’t projected to be picked in the 2023 NFL Draft, but offensive linemen can climb into the mix based on position need.
With Palczewski, I am looking at some of the worst running teams in the league as potential landing spots. The first one that comes to mind is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They were last in the NFL in rushing yards per game. He would continue to block for Chase Brown, as I have them taking the Illinois running back in the fifth round.
Tampa Bay has three picks in the sixth round and a pick in the seventh round. Don’t be surprised if they take a flyer on Palczewski with one of these picks.
Alex Palczewski’s potential 2023 NFL Draft landing spot – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Alex Pihlstrom
The final player that the NFL graded was Alex Pihlstrom. He was Illinois’ center last season, and he has been one of the most versatile players this program has had in the last decade. He started his career as a tight end. He then moved to guard and finished as a center.
Pihlstrom earned a grade of 5.66 by NFL.com. He isn’t currently projected to get picked in the 2023 NFL Draft, but neither was Doug Kramer last year, and he was selected by the Chicago Bears.
With the running attack and style of play of the San Francisco 49ers, I would think they would be in the market for a nice young center who could develop in their system.
As of right now, the 49ers’ first and second string consist of two centers who are both in their 30s. They both ranked 20th or worse among all centers in the NFL as well. This team needs more protection and leadership on the line, and someone like Pihlstrom could provide that.
San Francisco has one pick in the sixth round and four picks in the seventh round. If Pihlstrom does sneak into the draft, look for the 49ers to select him with one of their seventh round picks.