Josh Downs named the best NFL draft prospect on UNC per ESPN
It’s no secret that wide receiver Josh Downs is the UNC football program’s best returning player here in 2022. Downs broke out last season with a record-breaking campaign and is now earning some much-deserved recognition from the national media.
Ahead of this season, Downs is being ranked as a player who could hear his name called as early as day one of the 2023 NFL draft as it’s very likely this is his final year in Chapel Hill. And on Thursday, ESPN reaffirmed that by naming him the best draft prospect on UNC’s team this season.
Here is what the website said about Downs ahead of the 2022 campaign:
Downs, one of the best slot receivers in the nation, doesn’t have elite size (5-foot-11, 171 pounds) but is a handful to cover and even harder to bring down in space. His 1,335 yards last season put Downs on the NFL’s radar. He has Round 1 talent.
Downs stock has ranged from a late first-round pick to a second-round pick in some mock drafts. The good news is that he can improve that stock or solidify it with a big season in 2022.
And if he does, he could be the first UNC wide receiver drafted in the first round since Hakeem Nicks in 2009.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.
