Texas football 2023 final NFL Mock Draft

In a few days, multiple former Texas football players will hear their names called as part of the festivities for the 2023 NFL Draft. Starting on April 27, Texas Exes will have the opportunity to have their names called in the 2023 draft, starting with the first round on Day 1.

Texas is expected to have one of its better turnouts for the NFL Draft in the last decade this week. There are more than a half-dozen former Longhorns that could be selected in the 2023 draft, which would be the most since 2010.

Since 2000, Texas only had more than five players drafted in the same class three times (2000, 2006, and 2007). And the last time the Longhorns had a player drafted in the first round was in 2015 when the New England Patriots selected defensive tackle Malcom Brown 32nd overall.

This could be the year that the Longhorns break that first-round draft pick drought. And Texas is all but guaranteed to not have a second consecutive year that it manages to not have a single player selected in the NFL Draft.

Where Bijan Robinson and each Texas football player will be selected in the 2023 NFL Draft

With that in mind, here’s a look at a final mock draft for former Longhorns in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Honorable mentions

Before we get into the list of players that are likely to be selected among the former Longhorns in the 2023 NFL Draft, let’s take a look at the players that could be fringe seventh-round picks, but that are widely projected to go undrafted.

D’Shawn Jamison, CB

Texas defensive backs were undervalued in the NFL Draft going back at least the last decade (i.e. DeShon Elliott, Kris Boyd, Quandre Diggs, and Adrian Phillips). And I think that could be the case with senior Texas cornerback/special teams weapon D’Shawn Jamison.

The four-year starter at Texas could contribute on defense and on special teams at the next level, giving him a pretty clear path to making an NFL roster if he does wind up getting signed as an undrafted free agent.

Anthony Cook, S

Another Texas defensive back that is projected to go undrafted in the 2023 class is senior safety Anthony Cook. The 6-foot-1 and 195-pound Cook is probably going to have to fight his way onto an NFL roster as an undrafted free agent this year after having a few productive seasons as a starter on the Forty Acres.

Cook did show a lot of versatility in the last few seasons, starting at cornerback, safety, and nickel at different points over the last three years.

Jahleel Billingsley, TE

The most likely of the honorable mentions on this list to get picked up on Day 3 of the draft is the former Texas and Alabama Crimson Tide senior tight end Jahleel Billingsley. The physically gifted 6-foot-4 and 230-pound receiving tight end has the tools to be an early-round-caliber talent in the NFL. It’s just a matter of Billingsley putting it all together on the practice field and then in live-game situations on a consistent basis.