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North Carolina receiver Josh Downs declares for 2023 NFL Draft

20200517_134556by:Justin Rudolph•12/09/22
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North Carolina‘s star wide receiver Josh Downs has decided to forgo his senior season and has declared for the 2023 NFL Draft, with ESPN’s Pete Thamel reporting the news first. Here was said report:

Downs was a top 100 player nationally in the 2020 class, according to On3’s Consensus Recruiting Database. In his class, the speedy 5-foot-10 receiver from Swanee, GA, ranked 68 in the nation, 11 at wide receiver, and was rated the ninth-best player from the state of Georgia. And from early on, his talent was on full display at North Carolina.

Downs himself confirmed the decision, posting this tweet with a long message saying goodbye to Carolina.

In his freshman year, Downs played in just four games but quickly proved to be a threat when on the field. In those four games, he recorded just seven catches for 119 yards. But three of his seven catches were taken to the house for six. Downs would follow his freshman performance with a breakout season the following year. In his sophomore season, he played in 13 games, recording 101 catches for 1335 yards and eight touchdowns. This season he has (insert 2022 stats).

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With Downs heading to the 2023 NFL Draft, that means star quarterback Drake Maye will have to find another top target for 2023. And while this may be a bittersweet ending for Tar Heel fans, for Downs, an opportunity to play at the next level was something he could not pass up.

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More on the 2023 NFL Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft is set to take place from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri. The event will be held at the plaza just outside of Union Station.

Round 1 of the NFL Draft is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Apr. 27. Rounds 2-3 will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 28, and Rounds 4-7 will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Apr. 29. The draft will be broadcasted throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.

To be eligible for the NFL Draft, players must be at least three years removed from their final year of high school while having used up their collegiate eligibility. Underclassmen are able to request league approval to become eligible for the draft, as are players who have graduated prior to using up all of their collegiate eligibility. 100 underclassmen were approved for last year’s draft. 73 of those 100 underclassmen were granted special eligibility while 27 of them were underclassmen who had completed their college degrees.

The 2023 NFL scouting combine will take place from Feb. 28 through March 6 in Indianapolis.