ESPN NFL draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. released his updated big board on Thursday, and if it’s any indication, it could be a solid draft come April 2023 for players with Utah relations.
While no Utah ties made his top 25 big board rankings, nine Utah ties did make Kiper’s latest position rankings (which rank the top 10 at each position).
That included three players each from Utah and BYU, as well as three players who prepped at Utah high schools and played college ball in other states.
Utah ties on Mel Kiper’s 2023 NFL draft position rankings
Quarterback
- No. 7: BYU’s Jaren Hall (Maple Mountain High).
Fullback/H-back
- No. 3: Utah’s Brant Kuithe.
- No. 9: BYU’s Masen Wake (Lone Peak High).
Tight end
- No. 4: Utah’s Dalton Kincaid.
- No. 8: Alabama’s Cameron Latu (Olympus High).
Offensive tackle
- No. 4: BYU’s Blake Freeland (Herriman High).
Defensive tackle
- No. 3: Baylor’s Siaki Ika (East High).
Inside linebacker
- No. 4: Oregon’s Noah Sewell (Oregon High).
Cornerback
- No. 6: Utah’s Clark Phillips III.
Of note: Utah’s Braeden Daniels and BYU’s Clark Barrington just missed the top 10 at offensive guard, while Stanford QB Tanner McKee, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who BYU pursued heavily, is No. 10 at that position.
A few observations
- These rankings will continue to change and evolve as more underclassmen declare for the NFL draft, like Utah running back Tavion Thomas already has.
- Hall still has yet to announce if the fifth-year junior will forgo his final season of college to pursue the NFL draft, though it’s widely expected that the native Utahn will turn pro after the bowl game. Kiper highlighted Hall’s ability to protect the ball when asked about quarterbacks outside the top tier to know. “Jaren Hall (BYU) has thrown 51 touchdown passes and just 11 picks over the last two seasons,” he wrote.
- One player noticeably absent is Utah junior quarterback Cam Rising, who, like Hall, hasn’t declared for the draft but has indicated this will likely be his final season at Utah. In October, Kiper’s colleague, ESPN’s Jordan Reid, ranked Rising No. 15 among QB prospects in the 2023 class — as a late-round or undrafted prospect.
- Kuithe, who suffered a torn ACL in late September, remained a high prospect at his position — while he’s played tight end at Utah, Kiper lists him among the fullback/h-back options.
- Kincaid, who’s received even more usage as a go-to tight end in Utah’s system after Kuithe’s injury, is seen as a consensus top 5 tight end prospect by a group of ESPN draft experts.
- Phillips was identified by Reid as a potential late first-round prospect in a recent Q&A about the 2023 draft.