Inside the Article:
The 2022 NFL season has come to a close, and with that comes a plethora of 2023 NFL Mock Drafts. Pro Football Focus recently released an interesting mock draft where they take a look at how the draft could unfold if all college football players were immediately eligible. The mock draft has the Detroit Lions landing an elite wide receiver with the No. 6 overall pick.
Why it Matters for Detroit Lions and the rest of the NFL
The current rules state that college football players have to spend at least three years in college before they are eligible for the NFL Draft. However, if the rule changed to where all college players were immediately eligible, the 2023 NFL Draft could look very different. Teams would have more options to choose from, and the competition to land the best players would be even more intense. If all players were eligible, the Lions could have even more great options.
Lions Land WR Marvin Harrison Jr. in “All-Inclusive 2023 NFL Mock Draft”
In Pro Football Focus' mock draft, the Detroit Lions select Marvin Harrison Jr., a wide receiver from Ohio State. Harrison Jr. is the son of Hall of Fame wide receiver Marvin Harrison and has shown immense potential during his time at Ohio State. He possesses great speed, route-running ability, and has a knack for making tough catches. With his skill set, he could provide the Lions with the perfect complement to Jameson Williams, who was selected by Detroit in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Many teams, including the Lions, could go in a very different direction if all college players were available for the draft. The draft would be more unpredictable, and teams would have to do even more homework to make sure they land the right player.
Bottom Line: In Reality
In reality, only college players who have spent three years at the college level are eligible for the draft, which means some of the top players in college football will have to wait one or even two more years before they can enter the draft. While it is interesting to speculate on what could happen if all college players were immediately eligible, the current rules provide a more level playing field for all teams in the NFL. The Lions and other teams will have to wait and see how the 2023 NFL Draft unfolds and make the best selections based on the available players at the time.
