Thursday night, the 2023 NFL Draft begins its weekend-long domination of the sports headlines from Kansas City. Several players from HBCU football programs could be among the 229 players selected from now through Saturday.
Who better to ask about the prospects of each player than Maliik Obee, co-creator of DraftHBCU and a staff writer for the Seattle Seahawks? Obee, a Morgan State University graduate, sat down with HBCU Sports to talk about the draft, the players with the best chances of being drafted, and the shift in culture that has made HBCUs at the forefront of many a talent scout/evaluator’s mind.
HBCU Sports: In your scouting and studying of all the players available for this year’s draft, what do you think stands out the most as opposed to other years where HBCU talent may have been overlooked?
Maliik: This year, one thing that I’ve noticed just before the start of the season is there were a good number of HBCU players that were on watchlists and played in showcases such as the NFLPA Bowl, Shrine Bowl, and Senior Bowl. A lot of players were able to follow through throughout the season, keeping their flame hot in terms of keeping their names afloat in the greater scheme.
That said there’s a lot of talent at different value positions, especially at QB with Jalen Fowler (North Carolina A&T) and D.J. Golatt (Bowie State), seeing the amount of attention that they’ve gotten has been great. Isaiah Land (Florida A&M linebacker) has the fact he’s a Buck Buchanan Award-winner going for him.
There are variables that might get guys drafted whether it’s from tape, showcases they’ve been invited to, the Pro Football Focus analytics scores. Joshua Pryor, who’s looking to become the first Bowie State player drafted, Andrew Farmer from Lane College – there are a lot of guys being courted by NFL teams.
I think this year sets a new standard and follows behind last year’s blueprint – four HBCU players drafted (in 2022) and all the undrafted guys that made strides opened the door for guys to get more attention, and visibility. They stood up and followed through. It’s a class to be optimistic for the future for the 2024 and ones after that.
HBCU Sports: Who do you think has the best chance to become the first HBCU player taken in this year’s draft?
Maliik: Just looking at the structure of the NFL, it’s a pass rush-driven league now. You want guys who can defend against these front 7s, and Mark Evans II (Arkansas-Pine Bluff) is known for his ability to play on the outside, but at the Shrine Bowl, he moved around to play center and guard.
He showed the ability to pick up things quickly. That helps him not only get looked at but shows that he can stick out among other guys who aren’t able to play as many positions as well or move as well as he does.
Mark’s pretty athletic and nimble, so I definitely feel like he’s someone on Day Three that will be looked at pretty highly. He’ll likely be the first HBCU player chosen.
HBCU Sports: Aside from the players mentioned, are there any other HBCU players that could be dark horse picks or could help a team down the line?
Maliik: Considering the fact a lot of HBCU players have been picked up by the XFL, USFL, CFL and are staying there, I think there are still a lot of guys that can help a team. We’ll have more players as undrafted as HBCU than last year. Alfonzo Graham from Morgan State comes to mind – a solid running back with plenty of skills as a receiver. He has soft hands and is lightning in a bottle. Being among FCS’s top 10 rushers and his PFF analytics scores will help him out.
(Wide receivers) Shaq Davis from South Carolina State and Jadakis Bonds from Hampton could be in that rounds 6 and 7 and undrafted range. Dejon Warren from Jackson State, Kamari Averett (BCU TE, NFLPA Darius Hagans (VSU RB) OL Robert Mitchell from North Carolina Central, who was the MEAC’s offensive lineman of the year, that title will draw some interest, especially from local NFL teams such as the Panthers, Eagles, Commanders.
Keenan Isaac from Alabama State is an NFL-sized cornerback that will get some looks, and Xavier Smith, a wide receiver from Florida A&M, has a Steve Smith endorsement going for him.
HBCU Sports: We’ve seen a renewal in the interest of Black College Football and HBCUs as a whole in recent years. How big is the impact of these players having more opportunities to be seen now than maybe as recently as five or 10 years ago?
Maliik: It’s a different time – a lot of guys don’t have an excuse as to why they aren’t seen.
Josh Williams from Fayetteville State is a serious contributor to a Super Bowl championship team and the more guys like that shine and show, it proves the method to our madness. Whatever conference you’re in, we can show you that this guy compares to whoever and can compete with whoever, experiencing more visibility.
We’re also seeing better play in HBCU football. With this season coming up, I think we’ll have a lot more conversations about kids coming straight from high school and playing for Black colleges.
The more we even the playing the field, the more we see of these guys, and I’m confident we’re heading in the right direction. Schools are getting with the times, and I’m happy to see it. I was hoping the attention would give these schools time to build themselves up from a marketing and media standpoint and I think they have. This weekend’s draft is a step in the right direction for the current athletes, but it’s also a chance for the next generation to see that you can be seen at an HBCU.
