Six Former Oregon Ducks Earn Invites to 2023 NFL Scouting Combine
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On Wednesday the NFL released its full list of 319 players invited to the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. This year's event will take place in Indianapolis from February 28 through March 6.
Cornerback Christian Gonzalez, linebacker Noah Sewell, linebacker DJ Johnson, offensive linemen Alex Forsyth, TJ Bass and Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu are the six former Oregon players that will represent the Ducks later this month.
Christian Gonzalez returns an interception against the Colorado Buffaloes.
© Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Noah Sewell celebrates a turnover against the Washington Huskies.
Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest
DJ Johnson celebrates a fumble recovery against the Arizona Wildcats.
© Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
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Gonzalez only played one season in Eugene but was undoubtedly the best player on the defense. He was one of the only bright spots on a group that struggled to defend the pass all year, snagging four interceptions and finishing with seven pass breakups in 2022.
The 6-foot-2, 201-pound defensive back is sure to be the first Duck off the board and could even be the first cornerback taken in this year's draft.
Sewell is a three-and-out player that finished his Oregon career with 215 total tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. He led the Ducks in tackles as a sophomore and quickly became one of the best run stuffers on their defense.
He's one of the the top-ten recruits to ever sign with the Ducks, but left a little to be desired when it came to his pass coverage. Even so, he was one of the most athletic linebackers in the country during his time at Oregon and has been projected from the late first round all the way to the third and fourth rounds.
Johnson finished his five-year Oregon career with 64 total tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks. His game was trending up in a big way the last two seasons when he was able to focus solely on defense after playing both ways in 2020.
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Aumavae-Laulu anchored the right tackle and right guard spots during his time in Eugene, coming in as one of the top junior college recruit in the country in 2019. He returned to Oregon for one more season in 2022 after initially declaring for the NFL Draft. He's an elite athlete at 6-6, 330 and should find a home on an NFL team.
Forsyth has been one of the best centers in the country since breaking into the starting lineup as a junior in 2020, when he started all seven games for the Ducks. He battled back spasms for much of the 2021 season and landed on the Rimington Trophy watch list recognizing the nation's best center prior to the 2022 season.
Like Forsyth, Walk also cracked the starting lineup as a junior in 2020, earning All-Conference first team honors. During his Oregon career he spent most of his time at either guard spot, but shined in 2021 at center when he had to slide over and fill in for Forsyth.
He started his college career as a walk-on and developed into one of the most talented and versatile offensive lineman in the Pac-12.
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