Mock Draft Roundup: Where Louisville's Top NFL Prospects are Projected to Land

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The 2023 NFL Draft is exactly three weeks away, and several Louisville players are hoping to hear their name called on draft night. 16 Cardinals recently took part in the program's annual Pro Day, highlighted by Yasir Abdullah, YaYa Diaby and Kei'Trel Clark.

With the draft nearly upon us, mock draft and big board season is in full swing. Over the last couple weeks, various outlets have begun to publish complete seven-round mocks, giving us a better idea of where Louisville's top NFL prospects could wind up.

Where are these Cardinals being projected to go? Take a look below:

Pro Football Network

Recently, the folks over at Pro Football Network released two separate seven-round mocks, one from Ian Cummings and another from Cam Mellor. Both analysts agree on one thing, and that's cornerback Kei'Trel Clark going to the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round with the No. 129 overall pick. The two view defensive end YaYa Diaby in completely different regards, with Cummings projecting him to be taken in the third round with pick No. 78 by the Green Bay Packers, but Mellor dropping him to the sixth round at pick No. 213 held by the Arizona Cardinals.

The two analysts have three Louisville players in their mocks, but the third Cardinal is different for each one. Cummings has linebacker Yasir Abdullah in his mock while Mellor doesn't, placing him in the fourth round with the No. 125 overall pick held by the Los Angeles Chargers. Mellor, in what was the only seven-round mock I could find up to this point, has tight end Marshon Ford being picked up by the Cleveland Browns with the No. 229 overall pick in the seventh round.

ESPN

Well known ESPN NFL Draft analysts Mel Kiper, Jr. and Todd McShay have yet to release their own seven-round mocks, but Jordan Reid has us covered. Reid is also very high on Diaby, projecting that he will be picked up in the fourth round by the Jacksonville Jaguars with pick No. 127. Abdullah is heading to the New York Giants after being selected in the fifth round with the No. 172 overall pick, and Clark is listed as a sixth round selection after being taken with the No. 211 overall pick held by the Minnesota Vikings.

Sporting News

Like in years past, Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer is likes the potential out of Louisville's draft class, listing five Cardinals in his most recent mock. However, all five players are day three picks in his eyes. He has Abdullah and Clark slotted as sixth round picks, with the former going to the Tennessee Titans at pick No. 186 and the latter projected to the Baltimore Ravens at pick No. 199.

Iyer's mock draft has the seventh round kicking off with back-to-back Cardinals being drafted, and is the only mock up to this point in the offseason that has quarterback Malik Cunningham getting drafted. The longtime starter under center for the Cardinals is projected to go to the Chicago Bears with pick No. 218, and Diaby getting picked up right behind him at No. 219 to the Philadelphia Eagles. Iyer is also the only mock to predict that running back Tiyon Evans gets drafted, placing him at the No. 231 overall pick held by the Las Vegas Raiders.

Draft Countdown

Shane Hallam over at Draft Countdown has regularly updated his mocks to follow recent trends, news and rumors, and is now on his Mock Draft 11.0. That being said, he only has two Cardinals being drafted as of right now. Hallam predicts that Diaby gets picked up in the fourth round by the New Orleans Saints with pick No. 115, and that Abdullah goes in the next round to the Houston Texans with the No. 161 overall pick.

(Photo of YaYa Diaby, Yasir Abdullah: Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)

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