2023 NFL Draft: Reacting to the 2022 Preseason All-SEC Team

The SEC recently released its preseason all-conference picks. How well do these selections match up with the players who might hear their names called in the 2023 NFL Draft?

Author:
Eli Nachmany
Updated:
Aug 26, 2022 11:13 AM EDT
Original:
Aug 25, 2022

In this story:

The college football season is almost upon us. As preseason hype turns to regular season play, the preseason all-conference teams give fans a rough idea of which players to watch out for.

Last month, the SEC published its preseason all-conference team, as selected by the media. This article considers how the SEC’s preseason all-conference selections are likely to fare in the 2023 NFL Draft—based on what we know right now. We are certain to witness a season full of surprises, with players exceeding (or falling short of) expectations. For now, however, the SEC’s preseason all-conference team is worthwhile fodder for reaction.

Of course, this list of players only scratches the surface of those guys from the SEC who will get drafted in 2023. But it’s a great place to start.

To see the full press release and the team from the SEC, click here. (This article only discusses the first team, but the SEC also released a second team and a third team, available to view at the link provided.)

Reacting to the 2022 Preseason All-SEC Team

Offense

No one was surprised when the SEC announced Alabama quarterback Bryce Young as the preseason all-conference first-team player at his position. Young is coming off a terrific season, an appearance in the National Championship Game, and a Heisman Trophy win. He is also a top-flight 2023 NFL Draft prospect—he is a leader, a gamer, and a tremendously accurate passer. Young is going to face questions about his size (he is significantly shorter than the average NFL signal caller), but he does a nice job at finding windows to pass the ball. He could be a Top Five selection next year.

The running backs—Auburn’s Tank Bigsby and Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs—are also impressive. Bigsby cuts the frame of an NFL-level rusher. He is patient behind the line of scrimmage and hits the hole as he is supposed to. Bigsby should be a middle round pick, but could get a look early on Day Two with another big season. Meanwhile, Gibbs is one of the more underrated players in the draft. He just transferred to Alabama from Georgia Tech, where he distinguished himself as a top-flight receiving back with elite cutting and juking ability. Gibbs could be an early second-rounder.

At wide receiver, everyone knows LSU’s Kayshon Boutte, who could go in the Top Ten of next year’s draft. Boutte is a great, instinctive route runner through whom a creative playcaller could run an offense. At the same time, Alabama wideout Jermaine Burton (a Georgia transfer) has not gotten as much attention, but he could skyrocket up draft boards this season. He is particularly excellent on deep patterns and tracks the ball well.

Along the offensive line, expect to hear Alabama guard Emil Ekiyor Jr.’s name early in the 2023 NFL Draft (perhaps even in the first round). The other four offensive linemen—Ole Miss tackle/guard Nick Broeker, Florida guard O’Cyrus Torrence, Georgia tackle Warren McClendon, and Arkansas center Ricky Stromberg—are all legitimate draft prospects too (albeit projected to go in the middle-to-late rounds at this point). In particular, Torrence is going to be fun to watch; he just transferred to Florida from Louisiana-Lafayette, where he was a highly decorated offensive lineman. He has already earned rave reviews as a teammate and appears to be fitting in well with the Gators.

Defense

The all-SEC preseason first-team defense reads like a preview of the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Starting along the defensive line, three of the four players on the first team are likely first-round picks. The top player is interior defensive linemen Jalen Carter of Georgia. Carter just destroys offensive linemen with his bull rush and regularly wrecks plays in the backfield. He is a trendy Top Five pick in a lot of mock drafts right now—with good reason. Carter is probably the best defensive lineman in next year’s class.

Meanwhile, LSU EDGE B.J. Ojulari is an active pass rusher with stellar athleticism and speed. He and Auburn EDGE Derick Hall are comfortably in the first-round mix for next year. Tennessee EDGE Byron Young is also looking to make a name for himself and stands a decent shot of getting drafted.

The first-team linebacking corps is otherworldly. Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. is listed first—with good reason. He could be the first overall pick and is one of the best players to come out of Tuscaloosa in a few years (which, as any college football fan knows, is really saying something). NFL offensive linemen are going to have trouble with how quickly he gets off the ball, and Anderson’s ability to disrupt plays behind the line of scrimmage is unrivaled in this class.

Anderson’s teammate Henry To’oto’o (another first-teamer) is also fantastic, but is more of a do-the-little-things-well player. He is impossible to fool and should develop into a true field general. His tackling fundamentals are sound, he is always where he is supposed to be, and he has solid enough athleticism to play all three downs in the NFL. Expect To’oto’o to go in the middle of the first round.

The third linebacker is Nolan Smith of Georgia, another probable first-round pick. He has not been as productive as some other pass rushers, but he projects well to the next level and will be one of the anchors on a Bulldogs defense that lost a lot of stars to the NFL this year.

The cornerbacks and safeties round out the defensive first-team selections. At corner, Alabama’s Eli Ricks and Georgia’s Kelee Ringo have garnered a significant amount of attention. The two of them are regularly mentioned in first-round mock drafts; they will both have the opportunity to put themselves in first-round contention this year. Second-team SEC cornerback Cam Smith of South Carolina may be the most technically sound corner in next year’s class, but Ricks and Ringo have the athleticism to man up any receiver in the country.

The two safeties are Jordan Battle of Alabama and Jalen Catalon of Arkansas. Either one could play himself into the 2023 first round this season, particularly given the fact that next year’s safety class is a bit unsettled at the top. Catalon (alongside second-team linebacker Bumper Pool) is the heart and soul of an Arkansas defense that is hoping to lead the way for a resurgent Razorbacks program this year; watch out for him on Saturdays.

Special Teams

The final player to mention is Alabama kicker Will Reichard, who will be a senior this year. Reichard is likely to be at least an undrafted free agent pickup next year, particularly if he can demonstrate that he has the leg to knock it through consistently from 45+ yards.