Gridiron Heroics partners with Draft Scout to give each school’s Top 5 NFL Draft prospects in the ACC. Welcome to a list of UVA’s Top 5 NFL Draft prospects, 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 ACC’s UVA 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 ACC Draft prospect series will run beginning Nov. 7 and will run for the next week, with three schools running per day in alphabetical order. A master conference list of the ACC’s Top 20 NFL draft prospects will wrap things up on Monday, Nov. 14. Please check the team links below frequently so you can check out the other schools’ top prospects as the week progresses.
ACC TOP 20 PROSPECTS: Overall ACC Top Prospect List
ACC ATLANTIC PROSPECTS: Boston College | Clemson | Florida State | Louisville | N.C. State | Syracuse | Wake Forest
ACC COASTAL PROSPECTS: Duke | Georgia Tech | Miami | North Carolina | Pittsburgh | Virginia | Virginia Tech
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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 UVA’s 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.
UVA’s TOP 5 NFL DRAFT PROSPECTS
NO. 1 PROSPECT
NAME: Anthony Johnson (CB)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJECTION: 3rd-4th round
CAREER STATISTICS: Johnson started his college career at Louisville where his role was fairly limited. However, he exploded onto the scene during his first season at UVA, racking up 44 tackles, two TFLs, three interceptions, and six PBUs. Now in his second year with the Cavaliers, he has continued his production, totaling 47 tackles, two interceptions, and 11 passes defensed.
THE TRUTH: Johnson isn’t the fastest guy, leading many scouts to believe he projects better as a safety in the NFL. However, at 6’2, he’s got the size and length to match up well with bigger receivers and tight ends. He’s a playmaking DB who has a knack for reading quarterbacks and making plays on the ball while also not being afraid to make tackles, traits which will translate well as a prototypical strong safety. However, he has the ability to play on the outside as a true corner if need be, especially against larger receivers.
NO. 2 PROSPECT
NAME: Nick Jackson (ILB)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJECTION: 5th-6th round
CAREER STATISTICS: Jackson saw significant action in his first two seasons before settling in as a full-time starter in 2021. During that season, he totaled 117 tackles, six TFLs, 2.5 sacks, and six QB hits. So far in 2022, he’s continued to ramp up his production adding 93 tackles and five sacks to his career totals.
THE TRUTH: Jackson projects well as a 4-3 inside linebacker. He’s a bit shorter at 6’1, but his combination of bulk and quickness give him pass rushing ability, which will allow him to settle into a blitz-heavy backer role in the NFL. He may not be a day one starter with some limitations in pass coverage, but his sideline-to-sideline ability gives him rotational upside on a linebacker needy team. At the very least, he can plug-in as a special teams ace while he develops into a capable off-ball linebacker.
NO. 3 PROSPECT
NAME: Keytaon Thompson (WR)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJECTION: 7th round
CAREER STATISTICS: Thompson played the first three years of his college career at Mississippi State as a speedy dual-threat quarterback. However, after transferring to UVA in his fourth year, he made the transition from QB to WR. His first season with the Cavaliers saw limited production, although three touchdown receptions showed his potential. This led to a massive 2021 campaign where he racked up 78 catches for 990 yards and two touchdowns, with 12.7 yards per catch. He was also able to make an impact on the ground with 247 yards and four touchdowns. 2022 has seen him regress a bit as he’s currently without a receiving touchdown, but he’s still averaged over 10 yards-per-reception on 53 catches.
THE TRUTH: Thompson is the definition of an athlete with the ability to do it all offensively. Now I’m not saying he’ll be the next Taysom Hill, but as a former quarterback with plenty of reps on the ground, he has a skillset unlike many other receivers in the class. However, while he’s got an array of skills, his ability as a true wide receiver is a bit limited. For starters, he’s not the fastest guy in the world, and although he has the ability to gash a defense down the seams, he’ll never be a deep ball receiver. Second, he has the ability to get off the line and beat press coverage, but his overall ability to separate is below par. In all, he probably projects best as a special teamer, maybe a gadget player for a creative offensive coordinator.
NO. 4 PROSPECT
NAME: Brennan Armstrong (QB)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJECTION: HPFA (High Priority Free Agent)
CAREER STATISTICS: Armstrong’s senior season was one to behold, which made him a big name in draft talks. After stepping into the starting role in 2020, he took off with 4,449 passing yards and 31 touchdowns for a 156.4 passer rating in 2021. He also totaled 251 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. However, 2022 has not been as kind to Armstrong. While his ten interceptions mirror what he did in 2021, his 2,058 passing yards and six touchdowns do not. He has gone back to his scrambling roots a bit more with 417 yards on the ground, but all in all, his stock has plummeted with lack of production.
THE TRUTH: The lefty is athletic with a strong arm and the ability to make all the throws. He doesn’t have blazing speed like a Lamar Jackson, but he is effective enough with his legs to extend plays and pick up yards when need be. His downfall mostly lies on two-factors: his size and his off-kilter throws. For starters, he is only 6’1, which hasn’t stopped some NFL quarterbacks from finding success, but is still seen as a detriment in the eyes of scouts. He may be just fine with his lack of height–it clearly hasn’t hurt him too bad to this point–but NFL teams still prefer larger quarterbacks who can, naturally, see the field better. More concerning, however, are his off-kilter throws, which leave something to be desired. He has a great arm, but he’s fairly inaccurate throwing off of his back foot and is prone to mistiming throws. He also has a habit of taking sacks. He projects to be a backup to practice squad player in the NFL.
NO. 5 PROSPECT
NAME: Billy Kemp IV (WR)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJECTION: HPFA
CAREER STATISTICS: In 2020 and 2021, Kemp IV was the man for the Cavaliers. In those two seasons, he caught 141 balls for 1,369 yards and seven touchdowns. He also served as one of the team’s punt returners. However, 2022 has seen his reps cut significantly, largely due to the emergence of the aforementioned Keytaon Thompson. This season, Kemp IV has only been able to catch 12 passes for 78 yards while also seeing his return reps significantly decrease.
THE TRUTH: Kemp IV is very undersized at 5’8, but it wouldn’t be the first time a smaller guy has made the jump to the NFL. Guys like Boston Scott, Jakeem Grant, and best of all Tyreek Hill all came in lacking prototypical size but have carved out roles regardless. This is good news for Kemp IV who fits the mold of a quick slot receiver/returner, especially with his natural ability to create separation. The bad news for Kemp IV is that he isn’t as fast as most other small guys and doesn’t create the explosive plays. Ignoring size, he has all the tools a coach could want, but not seeing it come to fruition in college is definitely concerning to scouts. He would be lucky to make an NFL roster at this point, likely sticking around as a returner if anything, but probably being asked to fill a practice squad spot. However, he has the skillset to potentially catch a coach’s eye, meaning it’s not out of the question that he earns his way onto an official roster.
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