LOCALS IN THE NFL
Three Locals Projected As First Round Picks In ESPN NFL Mock Draft
SALT LAKE CITY – Multiple college football players with ties to the state of Utah received first round grades in ESPN’s latest NFL mock draft.
ESPN NFL Draft Analyst & Insider Matt Miller released his latest 2023 mock draft on Tuesday, June 28.
Three players with ties to the Beehive State were predicted as first round picks in April’s 2023 NFL Draft, according to Miller’s mock.
Those players were BYU’s Jaren Hall, former East High standout Siaki Ika, and ex-Orem High star Noah Sewell.
It’s never too early for a Mock Draft.
Here’s my look at how the first round could shape out in just 10 short months. https://t.co/r91uBdme55
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) June 28, 2022
Hall was one of six quarterbacks projected as a first round pick by Miller. The BYU signal-caller was slotted as a top-10 selection in the mock draft.
Ika and Sewell were listed as late first round picks.
Jaren Hall – Quarterback (Maple Mountain High/BYU)
Prior to his time at BYU, Hall was a standout athlete at Maple Mountain High School in Spanish Fork, Utah.
He’s been a member of the BYU football program since 2018. Hall became the first Black starting quarterback in Cougar history in 2019.
What a moment 🙌
Jaren Hall throws a 35-yard touchdown pass to Dax Milne! pic.twitter.com/Pl3QMQvfb0
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) October 12, 2019
Last season, Hall led the Cougars to a 10-3 record.
During his time at BYU, Hall has thrown for 3,003 yards, 21 touchdowns, and five interceptions with a 64 percent completion rate. He’s added 450 yards and six touchdowns on the ground.
If Hall were to be taken where Miller has him landing in the 2023 NFL Draft, he would become BYU’s second top-1o pick in the last three years. Former BYU and current New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson was the No. 2 overall pick in 2021.
Siaki Ika – Defensive Tackle (East High/Baylor)
After his time at East, Ika decided to pursue college football with the LSU Tigers. Ika played at LSU for two seasons before transferring to Baylor ahead of the 2021 campaign.
During his three seasons in college, Ika has recorded 47 total tackles, 26 solo tackles, five sacks, and one pass breakup.
Siaki Ika last season:
🐻 85.7 Pass Rush Grade (3rd among P5 DTs)
🐻 16.2% Pass Rush Win Rate (2nd) pic.twitter.com/PA9ZXvj7lA— PFF College (@PFF_College) May 22, 2022
Noah Sewell – Inside Linebacker (Orem High/Oregon)
Following a standout high school career with the Orem Tigers, Sewell decided to head out of state to play with the Oregon Ducks.
During his two seasons at Oregon, Sewell has accumulated 158 total tackles, 78 solo tackles, five pass breakups, six sacks, three forced fumbles, and one interception.
He was named first-team All-Pac-12 in 2021.
NOAH SEWELL 4th DOWN STOP 💪#CFB
pic.twitter.com/6IzSdw9tWd— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 11, 2021
He is the younger brother of Penei Sewell (Detroit Lions), Nephi Sewell (New Orleans Saints), and Gabriel Sewell Jr. (USFL’s Philadelphia Stars).
The 2023 NFL Draft is slated to take place from April 27-29 in Kansas City, Missouri.
Kyle Ireland is a Locals in the NFL Insider for KSLSports.com and host of the Yards After College Podcast. Follow him on Twitter (@kyleireland) and Instagram (@kyleirelandksl).
