Trent Williams, CeeDee Lamb among top 10 OU alums in NFL
An exercise that is getting harder and harder in trying to determine who are the top former OU players in the NFL right now.
The Sooners have become such a strong program for sending guys to the next level and watching them succeed.
The goal for Oklahoma will be to start adding more defensive names, something head coach Brent Venables is hoping to do. Until then, though, this is a strong group that is getting ready for the 2023 season.
(Listed in alphabetical order)
TE Mark Andrews
Andrews has quickly become one of the best tight ends in the league. He had 73 catches for 847 yards and five touchdowns last season. For his career, Andrews has 336 receptions for 4,313 yards and 34 touchdowns.
OT Orlando Brown
Brown’s NFL story always starts with his lackluster NFL Draft Combine. But he has turned that story around with an outstanding beginning to his career. Brown is now with the Cincinnati Bengals after beginning his career with the Kansas City Chiefs.
C Creed Humphrey
It was a gift for Humphrey to fall to the Kansas City Chiefs after a solid OU career. He has been as good as advertised and then some during his initial two seasons. He already has a Super Bowl ring and is well on his way toward becoming the best center in the game.
QB Jalen Hurts
Not sure everybody could have been more wrong about Hurts. He has surpassed every expectation and helped lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl last season, where accounted for four touchdowns in the loss. He threw for 3,701 yards and 22 touchdowns last year.
OT Lane Johnson
One reason Hurts has been able to put up those kind of numbers is because Johnson has been paving the way. Johnson remains one of the best offensive tackles in the league and doesn’t seem like he’s slowing down.
WR CeeDee Lamb
Is Lamb officially a No. 1 wide receiver? He put up the numbers to suggest it last season for the Dallas Cowboys. Lamb had 107 receptions for 1,359 yards with nine touchdowns. His stock should continue to soar this season.
RB Joe Mixon
A pivotal year coming up for Mixon with the Bengals. Coming off a disappointing 814-yard season, Mixon will need to show he can still bring it in his seventh season. He accounted for nine touchdowns and added 60 receptions for 441 yards.
QB Kyler Murray
Pressure is incredibly high for a couple of OU alums, and Murray is absolutely one of them. It comes with the territory of being the No. 1 overall pick. It will be very interesting to see how quickly Murray can recover and get on the field in 2023.
P Tress Way
More than 10 seasons in the NFL, and Way is still trucking along. He showed zero signs of slipping last season, averaging 46.8 yards per punt. Included in that were 37 punts downed inside the 20 yard line and a 43-yard net average.
Was there a scarier sight than seeing Williams come in pre-snap motion ready to take out some defender? Williams has been as legit as they get in recent years. The only question right now is how long Williams can keep doing this?
Honorable mention: QB Baker Mayfield, RB Samaje Perine, RB Rhamondre Stevenson, WR Marquise Brown, WR Sterling Shepard, OL Ben Powers, DL Jordan Phillips.
