Here’s Where All the Minnesota Gophers Went in the 2023 NFL Draft
Josh Frey
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The NFL Draft is very exciting for college football fans because it is the chance to see which NFL teams will be the landing spots for their favorite college prospects. For the Minnesota Gophers fans out there, here is a recap of where all the Minnesota Gophers went in the 2023 NFL Draft as well as those who signed as undrafted free agents or got tryout invites.
Draft Picks
C John Michael Schmitz: Round 2, Pick 57; New York Giants
The New York Giants were our predictive landing spot for John Michael Schmitz in the draft, but the prediction had him going a round earlier than this with the 25th overall pick. Instead, the Giants were able to snatch him 32 picks later in the second round.
The former Gophers center was arguably the best center prospect in this draft class, and with the Giants need to shore up their interior offensive line, this pick was a no-brainer. If the Giants go up against the Minnesota Vikings in the playoffs again, he could matchup against former college teammate Esezi Otomewo.
S Jordan Howden: Round 5, Pick 146; New Orleans Saints
Jordan Howden spent five years with the Gophers, playing significant snap numbers in all five of those seasons from 2018-2022. He was a very productive safety for Minnesota during that time, and in 2022, he held opponents to a 47.8 passer rating when targeted, per Pro Football Focus. For a Saints team that is getting older at that safety spot with Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Maye slated as starters, he could be part of New Orleans’ plan for the future.
CB Terell Smith: Round 5, Pick 165; Chicago Bears
The Bears desperately need more help in the secondary, and Terell Smith, despite some ups and downs with the Gophers program over the past few years, has been a key piece to the defense since 2018. An opposing passer rating of 68.2 in 2022 was a career-best for the cornerback, and it earned him enough trust from Chicago to get a fifth-round draft selection.
UDFA Signings
RB Mohamed Ibrahim: Detroit Lions
The big question for Mohamed Ibrahim heading into 2022 was whether or not he’d be able to bounce back to his usual productive self after his Achilles injury that ended his 2021 season after just one game.
Well, not only did he bounce back, but he recorded career highs in carries, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns. Now, he has a chance to compete for a roster spot in a talented Lions running back room.
EDGE Thomas Rush: Tennessee Titans
In his three years as a starter for Minnesota, Thomas Rush has consistently improved both as a pass rusher and a run stopper. His production won’t blow anyone away at this point in his career, but he gets a chance for continued improvement in the rebuilding Titans organization.
G Chuck Filiaga: Green Bay Packers
Chuck Filiaga is truly massive as a guard at 6’6 and nearly 330 pounds. He isn’t the most athletic player in the world, but again, that is less of a problem on the interior rather than if he were to play tackle.
QB Tanner Morgan: Pittsburgh Steelers
This is an intriguing landing spot for the former Gophers quarterback. Tanner Morgan looked like he could have turned into a star following his 2019 season, but he simply never was able to recapture the lightning that he found during that year. With Pittsburgh, though, there is a chance for him to learn as the QB3 behind Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky within one of the most stable franchises in the league.
LB Mariano Sori-Martin: San Francisco 49ers
In Mariano Sori-Martin, the San Francisco 49ers are getting a burly, tough linebacker that can be a force as a run-stopper. He hasn’t been all that productive on passing downs, which is a huge part of the reason why he went undrafted, but perhaps in a talented linebacker room he can continue his development.
Tryouts
K Matthew Trickett: Atlanta Falcons
Let’s give the Gophers kicker some love as well! Matthew Trickett doesn’t have an official contract yet, but he did get a tryout invite with the Atlanta Falcons following the draft. In 2022, he made all 46 of his extra-point attempts, and he went 15/18 on his field goal attempts. From under 50 yards, he has been almost automatic throughout his collegiate career, but he only went 2/7 from 50+ yards. Improving from this distance could determine how his NFL career goes.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.