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A pair of Razorbacks are among the best NFL Draft prospects at their respective positions, according to ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.
Although Arkansas was not represented on Kiper’s top-25 big board, Ricky Stromberg and Jalen Catalon made his top-10 lists at center and safety, respectively.
Entering his senior season, Stromberg is the No. 7 overall center prospect for the 2023 NFL Draft and the second-best in the SEC behind Georgia’s Sedrick Van Pran (No. 3 overall), who was recruited by and committed to Sam Pittman when he was the Bulldogs’ offensive line coach.
Now listed at 6-foot-4, 318 pounds, the Tulsa, Okla., native has started 32 games for the Razorbacks over the last three seasons. He’s seen his Pro Football Focus grade increase from 65.0 as a freshman to 66.5 as a sophomore and finally to 76.3 as a junior last year.
Part of the same 2019 signing class, Catalon is a redshirt junior and checks in at No. 4 on Kiper’s list of the top 10 safeties. He’s behind a pair of SEC prospects — Texas A&M’s Antonio Johnson (No. 1) and Alabama’s Jordan Battle (No. 3) — and Notre Dame’s Brandon Joseph (No. 2).
A shoulder injury that required surgery ended Catalon’s 2021 campaign after six games. He was coming off a sensational redshirt freshman season in 2020, when he racked up 99 tackles, four pass breakups, three interceptions and two forced fumbles, earning him first-team All-SEC honors from the AP.
Prior to the injury, Catalon was viewed as a potential first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Stromberg was also seen as a potential draft pick and both considered leaving, but chose to return for a fourth season with the Razorbacks.
Kiper’s lists are loaded with SEC players. His top-25 big board features 10 total players from the conference, highlighted by Alabama defensive end Will Anderson and quarterback Bryce Young in the top two spots.
The individual position top-10 lists feature 53 players from the SEC, with at least two at each position except offensive tackle. With 15 positions, that means the conference accounts for more than one third of the total prospects listed by Kiper.
