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Who will be the first player with Utah ties off the board during Day 2 of the NFL draft?

Brandon Judd
·6 min read
Brigham Young Cougars offensive lineman Kingsley Suamataia (78) prepares to defend during spring football practice at the Indoor Practice Facility in Provo on March 10, 2023.

For the first time since 2019, a player with Utah ties did not get selected during the first round of the NFL draft, which kicked off Thursday in Detroit.

That leaves several intriguing local prospects looking to be drafted during Day 2 of the draft, which features Rounds 2 and 3.

There will be 68 total picks made on Friday: 32 in the second round and 36 more in the third round.

Round 2 begins at 5 p.m. MDT and will be televised on ABC, ESPN, ESPN Deportes and NFL Network.

Here’s where the top available Utah prospects sit on big boards heading into Rounds 2 and 3 of the NFL draft.

Jackson Powers-Johnson, C, Corner Canyon High

UPDATE: Powers-Johnson was selected No. 44 overall in the second round by the Las Vegas Raiders.

Where Powers-Johnson lands on best available lists:

Where Powers-Johnson appears in Day 2 mock drafts:

Centers taken in first round: 1 (No. 26 — Duke’s Graham Barton to Tampa Bay Buccaneers).

Quick hit: Powers-Johnson, who starred at Oregon in college, is viewed as one of the best available players overall heading into Round 2 — CBS Sports rates him the eighth-best player available, while NFL.com has him at No. 9. With Barton off the board, Powers-Johnson is the best center remaining and multiple experts have talked about his ability to slide over to guard.

“Powers-Johnson possesses starting-caliber power and finesse traits at center or guard for both zone or gap-blocking concepts. He is dominant enough at his position to be considered a top-20 talent,” Pro Football Focus’ John Kosko and Trevor Sikkema wrote.

Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU and Orem High

UPDATE: Suamataia was selected No. 63 overall in the second round by the Kansas City Chiefs.

Where Suamataia lands on best available lists:

Where Suamataia appears in Day 2 mock drafts:

  • The Athletic: Round 2, No. 53 overall to Philadelphia Eagles.

  • Pro Football Focus: Round 2, No. 44 overall to Las Vegas Raiders.

  • CBS Sports: Round 2, No. 36 overall to Washington Commanders.

  • Bleacher Report: Round 2, No. 34 overall to New England Patriots.

  • NFL.com: Round 2, No. 40 overall to Washington Commanders.

Offensive tackles taken in first round: 7 (No. 5 — Notre Dame’s Joe Alt to Los Angeles Chargers; No. 7 — Alabama’s JC Latham to Tennessee Titans; No. 11 — Penn State’s Olu Fashanu to New York Jets; No. 14 — Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga to New Orleans Saints; No. 18 — Georgia’s Amarius Mims to Cincinnati Bengals; No. 25 — Arizona’s Jordan Morgan to Green Bay Packers; No. 29 — Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton to Dallas Cowboys).

Quick hit: With seven offensive tackles going in the first round, Suamataia moved up quite a bit on the best available draft boards.

He’s still seen as a raw prospect that could take time to develop, which has caused some media experts to drop him further down their best available lists, although most Day 2 mock drafts view him as a potential early second-round choice. “Suamataia is a dream Day 2 prospect for a team to draft and develop,” Pro Football Focus wrote.

Cole Bishop, S, Utah

UPDATE: Bishop was selected No. 60 overall in the second round by the Buffalo Bills.

Where Bishop lands on best available lists:

Where Bishop appears in Day 2 mock drafts:

Safeties taken in first round: 0.

Quick hit: ESPN actually has Bishop as the best available Utah tie on the board — he is rated the 22nd-best player available overall, landing one spot ahead of Powers-Johnson on the list.

Day 2 mock drafts expect Bishop to be a third-round pick, with no team earning more than one prediction for his selection. In pre-draft mocks, Bishop was a popular selection with the safety-needy Buffalo Bills, as well.

Jonah Elliss, Edge, Utah

UPDATE: Elliss was selected No. 76 overall in the third round by the Denver Broncos.

Where Elliss lands on best available lists:

Where Elliss appears in Day 2 mock drafts:

Edge rushers taken in first round: 5 (No. 15 — UCLA’s Laiatu Latu to Indianapolis Colts; No. 17 — Alabama’s Dallas Turner to Minnesota Vikings; No. 19 — Florida State’s Jared Verse to Los Angeles Rams; No. 21 — Penn State’s Chop Robinson to Miami Dolphins; No. 27 — Missouri’s Darius Robinson to Arizona Cardinals).

Quick hit: Unlike his counterparts, not every Day 2 mock draft used for this article has Elliss projected as a Day 2 pick.

Elliss, who comes from a family full of NFL players, has the potential to slide into either the second or third round after five edge rushers were taken in the first round, moving him slowly up the draft boards.

Other names to watch

Sataoa Laumea, G, Utah: Laumea is ranked No. 4 among offensive guards on ESPN’s best available list and among the top 8 by both NFL.com and CBS Sports, though he’s largely viewed as a Day 3 prospect. There were a couple mock drafts in the lead-up to the draft, though, that saw Laumea jumping into the third round.

Dallin Holker, TE, BYU and Lehi High: Holker, who finished his college career at Colorado State, is buried on the best available lists at tight ends right now following a first round where only one tight end, Georgia’s Brock Bowers, was selected. Last year, though, former Olympus High standout Cameron Latu was a late third-round selection and, like Holker, was projected as a Day 3 prospect, giving hope that Holker, who starred at Colorado State, could sneak into Day 2.

Sione Vaki, S, Utah and Keaton Bills, G, Utah and Corner Canyon High: Both Vaki and Bills are also pretty far down on the best available list at their respective positions, though they’re ones to watch for as a sneak pick late in the third round — Vaki in particular is viewed as a sleeper in some draft circles.