Top NFL Draft prospects at Texas Longhorns feat. Quinn Ewers

Texas is another Big 12 program on their way to the SEC, but before they head southeast, the Longhorns have unfinished business in the conference.

Looking at this roster and the makeup of the team, the Longhorns should run roughshod over all their opponents in the Big 12 and compete for a spot in the college football playoffs. If they don’t, it will be a massive failure of coaching.

2024 NFL Draft: First thoughts on the top prospects at Texas

The Longhorns offense has two or three first-round prospects on the depth chart, starting with tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders. A big, athletic pass catcher, Sanders plays the tight end position like an oversized receiver, consistently getting downfield and making the contested reception.

He possesses reliable hands, catches the ball with good fundamentals and gives effort blocking. He’s what teams are looking for these days at the position -- a big-bodied tight end who creates mismatches downfield.

I probably have Quinn Ewers rated higher than most, but I see potential greatness in the second-year starter and a franchise quarterback in the making. Ewers is a rifle-armed passer who can make all the throws. He shows tremendous accuracy and the ability to drop the ball between defenders and right into his target’s hands. He’s tough, smart and mobile.

What Ewers isn’t is consistent; he has games when he looks like a top-five pick and other instances where he looks pedestrian. Ewers was beating up on Alabama early last season before his injury, so I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and look forward to watching him this season.

Xavier Worthy is a home run-hitting wideout and a deep-play threat. He’s incredibly tough to cover and consistently gets behind the defense. Worthy also does a good job separating in underneath coverage. He’s a bit inconsistent, and he has a rail-thin build and character concerns. Expect a large divergence of opinions on Worthy when he enters the draft, which will be next April.

Jordan Whittington doesn’t have the deep speed of his teammate, but he’s a lot more consistent and is a clean prospect. Whittington always comes through for the Longhorns and is a tough pass catcher who sacrifices his body to make the catch, which he always does.

Big-play ability notwithstanding, you can make the argument Whittington is much more complete than Worthy and what the NFL wants at the position.

UT’s top defensive prospect is defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat, who is loved in many areas of the scouting community. The senior is large, takes up a lot of space in the middle of the line and is impossible to move from the point of attack. He moves incredibly well for someone that measures 6-foot-4.5 and 345 pounds. In my opinion, he’s a bit one-dimensional, which is why I stamped him with a third-round grade.

Barryn Sorrell looks like a star in the making and benefits from his teammates’ ability to occupy blockers. Sorrell is a terrific pass rusher who is explosive and athletic. He has an upside, and I’d like to see his game take off this season.

Finally, the Longhorns have two dominant receivers who transferred to the program and are expected to take the field this season.

Off the 2021 film, Adonai Mitchell looked like he was special and was going to be a very early draft pick. Playing for Georgia, he was a big-play wideout with outstanding length and the speed to match. Mitchell was sidelined with injury for nine games last season before transferring to Texas. If he gets back to 2021 playing form and develops from there, the sky is the limit.

Isaiah Neyor was a big-play wideout for Wyoming who averaged 19.95 yards on 44 receptions with 12 touchdowns in 2021. He was injured and ruled out before the 2022 season even began. Neyor goes 6-foot-3.5, 215 pounds and plays fast. If he’s able to build upon past dominance, Neyor will make a big jump up draft boards.

Texas Pro Prospects Grade Rnd Full Name Pos # Yr 4.07 1st Ja'Tavion Sanders TE 0 3Jr 4.04 1st Quinn Ewers QB 6 3Jr 4.02 1-2 Xavier Worthy WR N 3Jr 3.67 3rd Jordan Whittington WR 13 5Sr 3.61 3rd T'Vondre Sweat DT 93 5Sr 3.55 4th Adonai Mitchell WR 5 3Jr 3.47 5th Barryn Sorrell DE 88 3Jr 3.44 5th Ryan Watts CB 6 4Sr 3.42 5th Jahdae Barron CB 23 4Sr 3.39 6th Jake Majors C 65 4Jr 3.36 6th Alfred Collins DE 95 4Sr 3.35 6th Jaylan Ford ILB 41 4Sr 3.33 6th Jerrin Thompson S 28 4Sr 3.31 6th Keilan Robinson RB 7 5Sr 3.29 7th Hayden Conner G 76 3Jr 3.22 FA Christian Jones T 70 6Sr 3.11 FA Trill Carter DT 99 5Sr 3.00 FA Isaiah Neyor WR 8 5Sr