*Walt taking 2014 and 2018
Charlie Campbell, Senior Draft Analyst
Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell for updates.
Led all NFL media in draft rumor accuracy in ’15,
’16,
’17,
’18,
’20,
and ’21
Led all NFL media in correct picks for the 2017 and 2019 NFL Drafts
2nd Place in all NFL media with correct picks for 2021
2021 NFL MOCK DRAFT – WALT’S | CHARLIE’S ROUND: 1
This page was last updated Nov. 18, 2023. Follow Walter @walterfootball for updates.
Send Charlie an e-mail here: draftcampbell@gmail.com
2023 NFL Draft Position Rankings:
QB | RB | FB | WR | TE | OT | G | C | DE | DT | NT | 3-4 OLB | 3-4 DE | OLB | ILB | CB | S | K | P
2024 NFL Draft Position Rankings:
QB | RB | FB | WR | TE | OT | G | C | DE | DT | NT | 3-4 OLB | 3-4 DE | OLB | ILB | CB | S | K | P
2025 NFL Draft Position Rankings:
QB | RB | FB | WR | TE | OT | G | C | DE | DT | NT | 3-4 OLB | 3-4 DE | OLB | ILB | CB | S | K | P
Ruke Orhorhoro*, DT, Clemson
Height: 6-4. Weight: 295.
Projected 40 Time: 5.15.
Projected Round (2024): 1-2.
11/18/23: Thus far this year, Orhorhoro has 19 tackles, three sacks and a pass defended. He has been a solid defender for Clemson.
8/19/23: Orhorhoro recorded 23 tackles, five passes batted and four sacks in 2022. He was a solid rotational defender for the Tigers. Orhorhoro took advantage of the opportunity of Bryan Bresee going out with injury in 2021 to have a solid season. Orhorhoro totaled 36 tackles and 2.5 sacks that year. While Orhorhoro might be a rotational backup, NFL teams like his potential and have him with a favorable projection entering his junior season.
Brandon Dorlus, DT, Oregon
Height: 6-3. Weight: 290.
Projected 40 Time: 4.95.
Projected Round (2024): 1-2.
11/18/23: Dorlus has 21 tackles, five sacks and five passes batted in 2023. He has shown dangerous interior pass-rush ability this season.
8/19/23: Dorlus was a solid defender for the Ducks in 2022, recording 39 tackles, 2.5 sacks and two passes defended. He totaled 25 tackles, 2.5 sacks in 2021. For the NFL, Dorlus could stand to add some more strength.
Johnny Newton, DT, Illinois
Height: 6-2. Weight: 295.
Projected 40 Time: 4.95.
Projected Round (2024): 1-2.
11/18/23: Newton has 42 tackles, 4.5 sacks, one forced fumble and two passes batted so far this year. He was not impressive taking on Kansas or Toledo. Newton turned in a mixed game versus Penn State and has not had big games since then.
8/19/23: Newton made his debut in the covid-shortened 2020 season, recording 1.5 sacks, 23 tackles, one forced fumble and 1.5 tackles for a loss. In 2021, Newton made his presence felt with three sacks, four tackles for a loss and 50 tackles. He was even better for the Fighting Illini in 2022, recording 5.5 sacks, 14 tackles for a loss, 62 tackles, 11 quarterback hurries and two fumble recoveries.
Against the pass, Newton is an impressive speed rusher. He is athletic and twitchy at the point of attack with a burst to fire his gap. Utilizing developed strength and active hands, Newton will slap hands off of him and use his speed to dart past blockers. He has a real burst to close, and there is no doubt that Newton is a fast interior rusher.
In the ground game, Newton is strong and tough at the point of attack. He plays low and can hold his ground. The question that team sources have about Newton, and a clear answer may not be provided in 2023, is if Newton can hold up well when going against mass being that Newton has a short, stocky, sawed-off build.
Michael Hall Jr.*, DT, Ohio State
Height: 6-2. Weight: 290.
Projected 40 Time: 5.20.
Projected Round (2024): 1-3.
11/18/23: Hall has 17 tackles and 1.5 sacks thus far in 2023. He has been solid, although not overly impressive. Hall should return for his senior year.
8/19/23: Hall got off to an impressive start for the 2022 season, showing speed and playmaking ability at the point of attack. While Hall (6-2, 290) is a little light, he is fast off the ball with the ability to fire his gap. He recorded 19 tackles and 4.5 sacks in 2022, but looked like he was just scratching the surface of his potential.
Maason Smith**, DT, LSU
Height: 6-6. Weight: 315.
Projected 40 Time: 5.05.
Projected Round (2024): 1-3.
11/18/23: Smith was suspended in Week 1 and has 17 tackles, one sack and two passes defended on the year. He has not looked like the dynamic interior defender he was before and might need some more post-injury recovery prior to returning back to his earlier form. Smith flashes his old form, but has been inconsistent. He should return for his junior year to put together a bigger season and have a better shot at being a first-rounder in 2025.
8/19/23: Smith was a dynamic freshman for the Tigers in 2021, and the former five-star recruit made an instant impact for them, recording four sacks and 19 tackles. There was a ton of hype coming from LSU that he was poised to have a monster 2022 season, but he suffered a torn ACL in the season opener against Florida State and missed the year. The 6-foot-5, 298-pounder has excellent size and length with the upside to build on his fantastic debut. Smith could break out and dominate in 2023.
Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio State
Height: 6-2. Weight: 290.
Projected 40 Time: 5.00.
Projected Round (2024): 1-3.
11/18/23: Williams flashed interior rush ability in 2021 when he had five sacks and 16 tackles. In 2023, he has played solid football while recording 42 tackles, three sacks and five passes defended. Williams (6-2, 290) had a number of impressive plays against Notre Dame, getting the better of left tackle Joe Alt.
Byron Murphy, DT/NT, Texas
Height: 6-1. Weight: 308.
Projected 40 Time: 4.99.
Projected Round (2024): 2-3.
11/18/23: Murphy has impressed team sources this season, showing the ability to defend the run and contribute to the pass rush. Thus far in 2023, he has 22 tackles and 2.5 sacks for the Longhorns. Murphy has good size and is tough at the point of attack. Murphy could return to Texas for next season, and team evaluators like what he has put on tape.
T’Vondre Sweat*, DT, Texas
Height: 6-4. Weight: 340.
Projected 40 Time: 4.99.
Projected Round (2024): 2-3.
11/18/23: Sweat did well in games against Alabama and Oklahoma, but in other games, he did not play as well. In 2023, Sweat has 35 tackles, two sacks and three passes broken up. Sweat looks heavier this season and does not seem to be moving as well. Those things will only reinforce the work ethic and conditioning concerns.
8/19/23: Sweat is a massive nose tackle who is a beast at the point of attack in the ground game. He had his best statistical year in run support in 2022, recording 29 tackles. Sweat totaled 22 stops total in each of his previous two seasons. He is a big, powerful, strong man who can cause disruption at the point of attack and also generate a push in the pass rush. Off the field, team sources say Sweat a good kid but has some issues with lethargy and likes to party. Sweat possesses a big-time skill set and upside to develop.
Kris Jenkins, DT, Michigan
Height: 6-3. Weight: 305.
Projected 40 Time: 5.10.
Projected Round (2024): 2-3.
11/18/23: In 2023, Jenkins has 22 tackles, 1.5 sacks and an interception.
8/19/23: After spending a couple of seasons as a backup, Jenkins earned a starting spot in 2022 and had a strong debut with 54 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, two sacks and two hurries. It would help Jenkins to ramp up his pass-rush production in 2023. Jenkins is the son of former Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Kris Jenkins.
Jordan Burch*, DT, Oregon
Height: 6-6. Weight: 295.
Projected 40 Time: 4.95.
Projected Round (2024): 2-3.
11/18/23: Thus far this season, Burch has 27 tackles, three sacks and a pass batted. He is a physical run defender at the point of attack.
8/19/23: After a few quiet years at South Carolina, Burch had a breakout year in 2022, recording 60 tackles with 3.5 sacks. He then transferred to Oregon for 2023. If Burch builds on last season’s performance, he could be a riser for the 2024 NFL Draft.
Ty Hamilton, DT/DE, Ohio State
Height: 6-3. Weight: 295.
Projected 40 Time: 5.00.
Projected Round (2024): 2-3.
11/18/23: Team sources say that they like how Hamilton has played during his senior year. In 2023, Hamilton has 28 tackles and a sack. He has been a solid run defender this season and stout the point of attack. Hamilton possesses sufficient size to hold up in the ground game and flashes some quickness and athleticism on the inside of the line. He could be a sleeper who ends up being a nice value pick from the 2024 NFL Draft.
Jordan Jefferson*, DT/3-4DE, LSU
Height: 6-4. Weight: 317.
Projected 40 Time: 5.10.
Projected Round (2024): 2-3.
11/18/23: The big and strong nose tackle Jefferson has impressed team evaluators with his play this year. The senior from Navarre, Florida has been a tough run defender in the middle of the defensive line for the Tigers. He has 22 tackles, a sack and pass defended this season. As junior, he recorded three sacks and 31 tackles. Jefferson has good size for the NFL and could be a physical interior defender as a pro.
Darius Robinson, DT, Missouri
Height: 6-5. Weight: 296.
Projected 40 Time: 5.10.
Projected Round (2024): 2-3.
11/18/23: Robinson has been a really solid football player for the Tigers in 2023, recording 34 tackles, 6.5 sacks and a forced fumbles. With good height, length and weight, Robinson is flexible to play a few end or tackle at the pro level. He could be a base end who moves inside to tackle in the sub package.
Nazir Stackhouse, DT, Georgia
Height: 6-3. Weight: 320.
Projected 40 Time: 5.02.
Projected Round (2024): 2-4.
11/18/23: In 2023, Stackhouse has 14 tackles, two sacks and a pass batted. Some team sources think Stackhouse could be a second-day pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, while others have him projected to the early rounds of Day 3.
8/19/23: In 2022, Stackhouse was a solid gap plugger and run defender for the Bulldogs, recording 33 tackles, but zero sacks. He needs to show more pass-rush ability in 2023 order to rise for the 2024 NFL Draft.
Leonard Taylor*, DT, Miami
Height: 6-3. Weight: 305.
Projected 40 Time: 5.10.
Projected Round (2024): 2-4.
11/18/23: Taylor has recorded 20 tackles and a sack while playing in eight games this year. He should go back to Miami for 2024.
8/19/23: Taylor flashed some potential as a freshman in 2021, racking up 24 tackles, 8.5 tackles for a loss, three sacks and a pass broken up. In 2022, he recorded 10 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Taylor has upside and talent, but his desire is the question. Some sources say he could go as high as the first round or as low as the fifth round depending on how hard he plays and works.
Rylie Mills, DT/DL, Notre Dame
Height: 6-5. Weight: 296.
Projected 40 Time: 5.15.
Projected Round (2024): 2-4.
11/18/23: In 2023, Mills has recorded 39 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
8/19/23: Mills flashed the past two seasons with three sacks in 2021 and 3.5 in 2022. He improved his tackle total from 16 to 24, but he needs to produce more as a senior to rise.
Justin Eboigbe, DT/NT, Alabama
Height: 6-5. Weight: 292.
Projected 40 Time: 5.30.
Projected Round (2024): 3-5.
11/18/23: Eboigbe has 47 tackles and five sacks in 2023. Team sources say Eboigbe has power but is limited athletically. He is a strong, and his strength can be seen in the ground game, but he lacks explosion and feel as a rusher. Eboigbe has decent speed and isn’t a bad athlete. Sources said they feel he could be a backup end who takes snaps as a three-technique.
8/19/23: Eboigbe was a rotational backup in 2022, just like he was over the previous three seasons. Eboigbe is a projected starter who needs a season of big production to rise for the 2024 NFL Draft.
Ty Robinson, DT/NT, Nebraska
Height: 6-6. Weight: 310.
Projected 40 Time: 5.10.
Projected Round (2024): 3-5.
11/18/23: Robinson has 25 tackles, one sack and three passes batted thus far this year. He was a solid defender for the Cornhuskers across the previous two seasons, including 24 tackles and two sacks in 2022 and 27 tackles and two sacks in 2021. Robinson possesses good height and length.
Fabien Lovett, DT, Florida State
Height: 6-4. Weight: 310.
Projected 40 Time: 5.10.
Projected Round (2024): 3-5.
11/18/23: So far this year, Lovett has 16 tackles and a pass batted. He has also dealt with injuries.
8/19/23: Lovett flashed in 2021 with 28 tackles and two sacks. In 2022, he was held back by injury and only played in six games, recording 10 tackles with a sack and forced fumble. Lovett looked heavier in 2022, and that seemed to have cost him some explosion off the ball. Lovett needs to put together a productive senior year to rise for the 2024 NFL Draft.
Mosiah Nasili-Kite, DT, Auburn
Height: 6-2. Weight: 310.
Projected 40 Time: 5.20.
Projected Round (2024): 3-5.
11/18/23: Nasili-Kite has recorded 10 tackles so far this year.
8/19/23: Nasili-Kite flashed some pass rush-ability for Maryland in 2020 and 2021, recording four sacks in each of those seasons. In 2022, he recorded one sack and 26 tackles. Nasili-Kite transferred to Auburn for the 2023 season. If he rushes the passer well in the SEC, he should be a riser for the 2024 NFL Draft.
Warren Brinson, DT, Georgia
Height: 6-4. Weight: 305.
Projected 40 Time: 5.02.
Projected Round (2024): 4-6.
11/18/23: In 2023, Brinson has 10 tackles and one sack.
8/19/23: Brinson was a rotational backup for the Bulldogs in 2022, recording 12 tackles and a sack. If Brinson produces more pass rush as a senior, he has the potential to rise as the 2024 NFL Draft nears.
Tyler Davis, DT, Clemson
Height: 6-2. Weight: 300.
Projected 40 Time: 5.30.
Projected Round (2024): 4-6.
11/18/23: Davis has 29 tackles, a half sack and a pass batted thus far in 2023.
8/19/23: In 2022, Davis totaled 32 tackles, 5.5 sacks and two passes batted. He displayed some quickness and athleticism. If Davis were a little taller and longer, he would be rated higher. Over the past three seasons, Davis flashed some ability for the Tigers. In 2019, he had an excellent debut with 44 tackles, 5.5 sacks and two passes batted. He has not played to that level since then. After recording two sacks and 13 tackles in 2020, he recorded 23 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 2021.
Cam Jackson, DT/NT, Florida
Height: 6-6. Weight: 355.
Projected 40 Time: 5.55.
Projected Round (2024): 4-6.
11/18/23: Jackson has collected 26 tackles and a pass defended in 2023.
8/19/23: Jackson played at Memphis in 2022 with quality production for a massive nose tackle. He recorded 41 tackles and 2.5 tackles for a loss. It would help Jackson to show the ability to create some push in the pass rush to be more than a run-stuffing nose tackle.
Justin Rogers, DT/OG, Auburn
Height: 6-3. Weight: 332
Projected 40 Time: 5.33.
Projected Round (2024): 5-7.
11/18/23: Thus far this season, Rogers has recorded 15 tackles.
8/19/23: Rogers was a rotational contributor at Kentucky before transferring to Auburn for his senior year. With the Wildcats in 2022, he recorded 36 tackles and .5 sacks. Rogers needs to show more pass-rush ability with the Tigers.
Tim Smith, DT/DE, Alabama
Height: 6-4. Weight: 304.
Projected 40 Time: 5.20.
Projected Round (2024): 5-7.
11/18/23: Smith has 23 tackles and two sacks this season.
8/19/23: Smith has the talent upside to rise in his final season if he can produce more for the Crimson Tide. In 2022, he notched 20 tackles and a sack.
Damon Payne Jr.**, DT, Alabama
Height: 6-4. Weight: 304.
Projected 40 Time: 5.10.
Projected Round (2024): 6-FA.
11/18/23: Payne has seven tackles thus far in 2023 from playing in just five games. Payne should go back to school for next year.
8/19/23: Payne has a skill set with talent, but he has not earned consistent time for Alabama. If Payne plays up to his potential, he could be riser.
Howard Cross III*, DT, Notre Dame
Height: 6-0. Weight: 276.
Projected 40 Time: 5.00.
Projected Round (2024): 7-FA.
11/18/23: So far this year, Cross has recorded 54 tackles, one sack, two passes defended and two forced fumbles.
8/19/23: Cross flashed some interior disruption for the Fighting Irish during the past two seasons. Cross totaled five sacks over that span with 33 tackles in 2022 and 22 in 2021. For the NFL, Cross is extremely undersized. He lacks the height and length to move to defensive end and is very underweight to play defensive tackle. He needs to add mass and strength to compete versus NFL offensive linemen.
2023 NFL Draft Position Rankings:
QB | RB | FB | WR | TE | OT | G | C | DE | DT | NT | 3-4 OLB | 3-4 DE | OLB | ILB | CB | S | K | P
2024 NFL Draft Position Rankings:
QB | RB | FB | WR | TE | OT | G | C | DE | DT | NT | 3-4 OLB | 3-4 DE | OLB | ILB | CB | S | K | P
2025 NFL Draft Position Rankings:
QB | RB | FB | WR | TE | OT | G | C | DE | DT | NT | 3-4 OLB | 3-4 DE | OLB | ILB | CB | S | K | P