LOOK: Every LSU player invited to the 2023 NFL draft scouting combine
With the Super Bowl upon us this weekend, draft season will be in full swing before we know it.
The 2023 NFL draft isn’t until the end of April, but there will be a lot to talk about in the meantime. LSU will host its pro day before then, and the NFL draft scouting combine will be here soon as it is set to begin on Feb. 28 and run through March 6.
On Wednesday, the league announced the full list of 319 prospects who will be invited to participate in the combine, and that list featured nine former LSU players. Here’s the full rundown of Tigers players at the combine.
LB Micah Baskerville
Scott Clause/The Daily Advertiser via AP
Baskerville had his most productive season yet as a fifth-year in 2022. He made 10 starts in 14 appearances and led the team with 89 tackles. He also netted 4.5 tackles for loss, a sack, five quarterback hurries, eight pass breakups and an interception, which was returned for a touchdown in the win over Southern.
WR Kayshon Boutte
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Boutte entered the season with massive expectations after his phenomenal 2021 campaign was cut short after six games due to an ankle injury. He never quite developed a strong connection with [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], however, and he finished second on the team in receiving behind [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] with 538 yards and two touchdowns on 48 catches. Boutte initially decided to return in 2023 before declaring for the draft.
OL Anthony Bradford
AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman
A utility player on the offensive line, Bradford became a full-time starter in 2022, appearing in 13 games and starting 12. Most of that action came at right guard, though he also made one start each at right tackle and left tackle. That versatility should help his stock.
CB Mekhi Garner
AP Photo/Matthew Hinton
Garner, who came from Louisiana after the departure of Billy Napier, was one of the top transfers in the country last offseason. He lived up to that hype, becoming one of the SEC’s best corners in 2022. He had 43 tackles, and his eight-pass breakups led the team. Perhaps no player on the roster boosted their draft stock this season more than him.
DL Ali Gaye
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Gaye was a three-year starter at LSU after transferring in from the JUCO ranks, and he had a great season in 2022, notching 36 tackles (six for loss) and 2.5 sacks. He was one of two edge starters LSU will lose this offseason alongside [autotag]BJ Ojulari[/autotag] (more on him later).
WR Jaray Jenkins
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Jenkins saw his production drop off a bit as a senior, but he was still one of the more reliable targets in a talented receiver room. He finished third among wide receivers with 404 yards on 27 catches, and his six receiving touchdowns led the team in 2022.
EDGE BJ Ojulari
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
A vocal leader both on and off the field for this LSU defense, Ojulari was one of the best players on this defense and was awarded the prestigious No. 18 jersey in his final season. He had 58 tackles with 8.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and a forced fumble this season as his pass-rushing production dropped a bit, likely thanks to the arrival of [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag]. Still, he’s likely LSU’s best chance of hearing a former player’s name called on Night 1.
DL Jaquelin Roy
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Something of an unsung hero on the defensive line, Roy — a Baton Rouge native who became a full-time starter this season — had very respectable production with 49 tackles (3.5 for loss) and half a sack. Alongside [autotag]Mekhi Wingo[/autotag], who returns in 2023, the Tigers had a very formidable duo in the middle. Roy boosted his draft stock quite a bit this season.
DB Jay Ward
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Another player who probably didn’t receive enough credit for his impact on defense, Ward began the year as a starter at safety before moving to the nickel, where he was really able to thrive. He finished with 60 tackles (2.5 for loss) an interception and a fumble recovery, and his versatility seems to have boosted his draft stock after participating in the Senior Bowl.
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