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 Texas 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 roster and flourishing.
Below is a look at the Texas Top 5 Draft Prospects, and how they project in the eyes of 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.
TEXAS TOP 5 NFL DRAFT PROSPECTS
NO. 1 PROSPECT
NAME: Keondre Coburn (DT)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJECTION: 2nd round
CAREER STATISTICS: Coburn has seen significant action for Texas since his sophomore year in 2019. Since then, he’s been fairly productive for the Longhorns, with him playing his best ball during his 5th season. In 2022, he’s racked up 25 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles.
THE TRUTH: Coburn is a shorter, stockier defensive tackle who offers incredible position versatility across the defensive front. Built like a nose tackle, he has the strong base and athletic traits to thrive at nose tackle, one technique, or three technique. He uses great leverage and is strong at the point of attack, making him a great run stopper with pass rushing upside. However, if there is one complaint on Coburn, it is his incomplete pass rushing toolbelt. He has a great motor, strong base and hands, and a nose for the football, but can often rely too much on his power, causing him to get stood up at the line. Still, he has the tools to become a high-level pass rusher.
NO. 2 PROSPECT
NAME: DeMarvion Overshown (OLB)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJECTION: 2nd round
CAREER STATISTICS: Overshown has made fantastic progression through his five seasons at Texas, showing improvement each year. In 2022, he has had his most productive season, totaling 95 tackles, four sacks, and five passes defensed.
THE TRUTH: Overshown is the modern hybrid edge player. He’s got the size, strength, and athleticism to thrive in pass rush off the edge while also being able to drop back in zone coverage when need be, a skillset any 3-4 team would covet. What makes him especially tough to stop in his pass rush is his quickness off the snap. This creates mismatches on the edge, but also gives him some versatility to bump inside and take on guards. His only concerns are his lack of true edge rusher size and an inability to shed blocks when the blocker gets hands on. However, his quickness and hand usage tend to overshadow these weaknesses.
NO. 3 PROSPECT
NAME: Roschon Johnson (RB)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJECTION: 4th round
CAREER STATISTICS: Johnson had his most productive season in 2019 as a freshman, totaling 649 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground with 158 yards and a touchdown on 23 catches. However, his statistical output has been down since the arrival of star back Bijan Robinson in 2020. Still, he’s been fairly productive in a rotational role, putting up 554 rushing yards and five touchdowns with 128 receiving yards and a touchdown in 2022.
THE TRUTH: Johnson has unfortunately had to play second fiddle to a potential generational talent during his last three seasons at Texas, but that doesn’t take away from his skillset. He is a larger back who is projected to run in the 4.3’s, giving him well roundedness not seen from many backs in the country. He tends to operate best in space, although he’s got the quickness and power to be a downhill runner. He’s not the greatest pass blocker and can often run with less power than what he’s capable of, but his quickness and straight-line speed give him the upside of an every down back. He looks to be a steal for whichever team drafts him, but even if he doesn’t blossom into a capable NFL running back, he’s got the ability to settle into a kick returning role. Either way, he looks to be a great option in the middle rounds.
NO. 4 PROSPECT
NAME: D’Shawn Jamison (CB)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJECTION: 6th round
CAREER STATISTICS: Jamison recorded his best statistical season as a freshman, racking up 35 tackles, three interceptions, three passes defensed, and one forced fumble. 2020 and 2021 weren’t quite as strong for him, but he’s bounced back a bit in 2022 with 19 tackles, a sack, two interceptions (one returned for a pick six), and seven passes defensed.
THE TRUTH: An undersized corner, Jamison has relied on elite athleticism and ball skills throughout his collegiate career. With that, he fits the mold of a modern-day NFL corner, being able to stick with faster receivers on deep routes to eliminate big plays. He also flashes an ability to break on the ball, although his footwork can get a bit sloppy at times allowing underneath routes to get open. He also, as previously mentioned, isn’t the biggest guy, creating mismatches against larger receivers. He has the upside for to be a solid rotational corner, but due to his size, he’ll likely be limited to a special teams role, maybe a kick returner if coached to do so.
NO. 5 PROSPECT
NAME: Christian Jones (OT)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJECTION: 7th round
CAREER STATISTICS: Jones has been a three-year starter for the Longhorns.
THE TRUTH: At 6’5, 333 pounds, Jones is a behemoth of a man, and, for good or for bad, he plays to that size. He’s a strong, powerful blocker who consistently wins in the run game with his elite athletic traits. However, the pass game is a different story. He tends to show poor technical skills on the edge and relies too heavily on his strength rather than his feet. He routinely pushes guys past the pocket rather than sticking with blocks, allowing coverage sacks. He also can get beat on bull rushes from higher caliber players, something a bit concerning for a man of his size. Overall, he’s got the frame and traits that will make an offensive line coaches mouth water, but he’s incredibly unrefined. He’s worth the day three pick, but he’s nowhere near a day one starter.
