Gridiron Heroics partners with Draft Scout to give each school’s Top 5 NFL Draft prospects in the Big 12. Welcome to a list of the Oklahoma State Top 5 NFL Draft prospects for 2023, as seen by Draft Scout.
Each week brings us closer and closer to one of the most anticipated days on the sports calendar — the NFL Draft. This year’s draft will be held in Kansas City, Mo. from April 27-29. Starting today? We take a look at the Big 12 seniors, the class of 2023. Since we don’t know yet which underclassmen will declare? We’ll reconfigure the rankings when that happens, so be sure to revisit us.
Our Big 12 Draft prospect series will run beginning soon and will run for the next week, with three schools running per day in alphabetical order. A master conference list of the Big 12’s Top 20 NFL draft prospects will wrap things up afterwards. Please check the team links below frequently so you can check out the other schools’ top prospects as the week progresses.
BIG 12 TOP 20 PROSPECTS: Overall Big 12 Top Prospect List
BIG 12 PROSPECTS: Baylor | BYU | Iowa St. | Kansas | Kansas State | TCU | Texas | Texas Tech | Oklahoma| Oklahoma St. | West Virginia
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So, we all know that not every team in the country has five surefire draft picks on it. Some programs do, especially in some of the more elite conferences, but the vast majority don’t have that many top-flight prospects. But, we also know that the definition “top-flight” doesn’t always pan out, and at the same time that strong undrafted free agent everybody forgot? He ends up making an NFL and flourishing.
Below is a look at the Oklahoma State Top 5 Draft Prospects, and how they project in the eyes of a Draft Scout. Again, for now, we’ll go strictly with seniors (c/o 2023), as no underclassmen have been allowed to declare earlier yet, though when they do? We’ll update the lists below.
OKLAHOMA STATE TOP 5 NFL DRAFT PROSPECTS
NO. 1 PROSPECT
NAME: Tyler Lacy (DT)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJECTION: 3rd-4th round
CAREER STATISTICS: Lacy has started in 35 career games and had made 31 straight career starts. He is the most ready for the NFL on the Oklahoma State team. In 2021, The defensive tackle had 8 rushes on the quarterback and recorded a record 34 tackles.
THE TRUTH: The Truth about Lacy is he has great size and speed for an interior d-lineman. The 6’4″, 285 lb. Texan native runs a 4.87 forty-time and is speedy enough to make a quick stop in the backfield. He is also a perimeter tackler as he can go side-side to make key stops on the money downs. Look for Lacy to be a day 2 or day 3 NFL draft pick in April.
NO. 2 PROSPECT
NAME: Brock Martin (DE)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJECTION: 4th round
CAREER STATISTICS: One of the super seniors on the Oklahoma State roster, Martin is like a coach out on the field. The Oologah OK, native was named a Coaches First Team All Big 12, and an AP Second Team All Big 12. He also played in 50 career games in 2021 which are the most on OSU and made 22 starts. This kid is a gem prospect and is a natural born leader.
THE TRUTH: The Truth about Martin is he is a hybrid DE-LB and can play both positions in either a 4-3 or a 3-4 multiple defense in the NFL. At 6’2″, 245 lbs. the super-senior runs a 4.78 forty-time, but his game speed is even more impressive than that. He is an edge rusher on the outside and much like Martin, he can sack the QB in a hurry. He has a tremendous quick first step and can tackle on the edges when kicking into second gear. Look for the DE/LB to be picked somewhere in the 4th round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
NO. 3 PROSPECT
NAME: Jason Taylor II (SS)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJECTION: 6th round
CAREER STATISTICS: Taylor II is ranked 5th among all active FBS players entering 2022 with three career defensive scores. He is also up for the Jim Thorpe Award which is awarded to the nations best defensive back. If he wins that award, he will join other prominent college stars in the past like Jamar Fletcher who bounced around in his NFL career. He won the award in 2000.
THE TRUTH: The Truth about Taylor II is he’s an animal out on the field and is a ballhawk too. The 6’0″, 215 lb. safety is speedy, running a 4:54 forty-time. His aggressiveness and ability to both make plays to the ball and tackle the ball carrier is second to none. He is also a bone crusher as he will hit you hard if you catch him on the wrong day. Look for Taylor to carve his own patch to the NFL draft as a 6th round selection.
NO. 4 PROSPECT
NAME: Braydon Johnson (WR)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJECTION: 7th round
CAREER STATISTICS: Johnson is another of the super seniors alongside teammate Brock Martin. An underrated prospect, Johnson is like a raw version of Tyreek Hill as he can really hit that home run speed on go routes. He can also return kicks and is projected to be a late round pick with the ability to play special teams right away. While Martin is a project, you can’t coach natural quickness, but you can program him into the type of receiver you want in a passing league like the NFL.
THE TRUTH: The Truth about Johnson is he is one of the fastest players on the team, running a 4.38 forty-time. He also has a good frame at 6’0″, 205lbs. Whether it’s catching the ball deep for a go route or for a kick return TD, you better be quick to take an action shot of him if you’re a photographer. If not, you will have missed Johnson doing something beneficial for his team. He is one of the teams go getters.
NO. 5 PROSPECT
NAME: Spencer Sanders (QB)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJECTION: 7th round-HPFA
CAREER STATISTICS: Sanders was named the 2021 PlayStation Fiesta Bowl MVP in Oklahoma State’s comeback win against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He returned to campus this year as a super senior and did not disappoint. The dual threat quarterback is in the top 10 of all Returning Power Five Players from 2021 with 6,911 passing yards. He and Mason Rudolph are the two most winningest QB in program history.
THE TRUTH: Sanders is a true dual threat quarterback that burst onto the scene last year. He has a cannon for an arm and is very accurate. He also is very mobile and can take off with his legs or throw on the run. The Texan native also has a high football I.Q and knows how to read complicated defenses while running an up-tempo offense. While DraftScouts look for him to be drafted in the 7th round or as an HPFA, he maybe underestimated and to others, he is really a 2nd or 3rd round pick. But our guess is only as good as anyone else’s predictions so he has a great chance and the skills to prove all of us wrong.
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3 Comments
Great article!
Does Mike Gundy still have his mullet?
Love the article. Awesome detailed factual and introspection. Fantastic read!!
THE TRUTH: The Truth about Taylor II is he’s an animal out on the field and is a ballhawk too. The 6’0″, 215 lb. safety is speedy, running a 4:54 forty-time. His aggressiveness and ability to both make plays to the ball and tackle the ball carrier is second to none. He is also a bone crusher as he will hit you hard if you catch him on the wrong day
“THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE”.
Totally 💯% agree with this article’s call outs!! 👍👍