Cedric Gray deserves more NFL draft hype
NFL teams have used a lot of their early selections in the past two drafts on star defensive players – the first five picks of the 2022 draft (Travon Walker, Aidan Hutchinson, Derek Stingley Jr., Sauce Gardner and Kayvon Thibodeaux) all play on defense, while top-10 2023 draft selections Will Anderson Jr., Devon Witherspoon, Tyree Wilson and Jalen Carter also play defense.
This year, there’s also a lot of talented defensive players in college football who could hear their name called in the 2024 NFL draft. Florida State’s Jared Verse is among the top defensive ends, while Clemson’s Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is among the best linebackers.
Another defensive player that NFL scouts should be taking a look at is linebacker Cedric Gray, undoubtedly the best player on UNC’s defensive in 2022. Gray led the Tar Heels and finished third nationally with 144 tackles (12 for loss) in 2022.
Based on intel from NFL scouting sources, here are 10 highly regarded NFL prospects on defense not being talked about enough at this point (listed alphabetically).
More on each here: https://t.co/LODkLuZR0C pic.twitter.com/bxxEFZaVIJ
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) July 18, 2023
On3 Sports senior national college football writer Matt Zenitz has Gray as one of his 10 under-the-radar defensive players deserving more NFL draft hype.
Carolina’s defensive unit, as a whole, was one of the worst in college football last year. Opponents racked up 5,697 yards (sixth-most) and score a lot of points against UNC – teams reached the 28-point mark in all but five games against the Heels.
With a mainstay like Gray in the middle, though, could Carolina’s defense become a reliable unit? It’ll take a lot more than one player, but it’s nice to know there’s a “closer” to count on.
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