Mizzou football alums await 2023 NFL Draft results
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Multiple members of the 2022 Mizzou football roster will wait to hear their fate once the 2023 NFL Draft starts in Kansas City on Thursday.
The draft will run Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29 at Union Station in downtown Kansas City.
The headliner of the group is former Tiger defensive end Isaiah McGuire. He was the only MU player to earn an invite to this year's NFL Combine, after having a standout senior season. He wrap up his final season in Columbia with 7.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss and 39 total tackles through starting all 12 games.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Dave Matter said McGuire consistently got better every year.
I think he was a really respected guy in the locker room, it seemed like. He just made himself better," Matter said. "I mean, he was one of the best pass rushers in the SEC and if you’re one of the best pass rushers in the SEC, that means you’re one of the best in the country.”
In addition to McGuire, Rock Bridge alum safety Martez Manuel also participated in a pro day on Mizzou's campus. Through his last two seasons at MU, he started in all 12 games and ended up with 48 tackles, nine tackles for loss and four sacks in his final year.
Matter said Manuel is a player that may sneak into the late round of the NFL Draft.
“He’s a guy that I think can play a couple different positions, at safety. I don’t know if he has the size to be a safety that really jumps at you like 'okay that’s a really physical tackler, that’s gonna help our defense on day one,'" Matter said. "So he might be a little bit in-between on some positions, but a productive tackler for sure at Mizzou and played a lot.”
Defensive lineman DJ Coleman, wide receiver Barrett Banister, tight end Kibet Chepyaytor, kicker Sean Koetting and long snapper Jake Hoffman also went through drills on pro day. The group will wait to hear their names called either during or after the 2023 draft.
