Cedric Gray, Tez Walker amongst best remaining NFL Draft prospects on Day 2
Day 1 of the NFL Draft on Thursday, April 25 was no shortage of excitement.
Several teams found their quarterbacks of the future, the Carolina Panthers traded up to get their next big receiver and the Atlanta Falcons made a head-scratching selection at eighth overall, selecting Michael Penix Jr. after committing $100+ million to Kirk Cousins in the offseason.
One of the top names off the draft board was UNC football legend Drake Maye, who was selected third overall by the New England Patriots. Maye joins a storied AFC East franchise looking to get back to its early 2000s-glory.
Maye isn’t the only former North Carolina Tar Heel expected to be chosen in the NFL Draft.
Just moments ahead of Rounds 2 and 3 on Friday, April 26, UNC linebacker Cedric Gray and wide receiver Tez Walker are ranked amongst USA Today’s 125 best remaining NFL Draft prospects.
Gray, ranked 88th, earned First Team All-ACC Honors in each of the past two seasons. He led North Carolina with 121 tackles in 2023, one of two Tar Heels to hit the century mark (Power Echols), while also sacking opposing quarterbacks five times, generating seven quarterback hurries, four pass breakups, plus forcing a team-high two fumbles and recovering a team-high two.
Walker, ranked 109th, is one of the more underrated wide receiver prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. He only played in eight games for the Tar Heels last year, but led them with seven receiving touchdowns while adding 699 receiving yards (second-most). Walker’s season was shortened due to initially being ruled ineligible, a decision which was eventually flipped.
According to Gray’s NFL Draft Scouting report, there’s a decent chance he gets selected tonight. If Walker isn’t selected today, he’ll definitely be gone by tomorrow.
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