Cats Illustrated Mock UK Football Draft: Rounds 13 & 14

"Flax was going to be in contention for a starting offensive tackle spot at Auburn, had he committed there. That shows you the talent level that this kid possesses. He’ll be the left tackle on my team, even though he can play either. He’s great in pass protection as well as run blocking. Team Graf now has 4 of the 6 most talented offensive linemen on Kentucky’s roster."

Justin Rowland (Pick 38): AUSTIN DOTSON

"Dotson has to make up ground on Kenneth Horsey if he's going to have a shot at winning the left guard position but he's been in the program for a long time and is a strong kid. With Landon Young and Naasir Watkins as my tackles, I need a big, physical kid inside who can get some push in the run game. Also, I want to avoid being stuck with young offensive linemen at all costs. A couple of years in an SEC strength and conditioning program creates a huge difference between true freshmen and guys who have been around a little while."

Jeff Drummond (Pick 39): SAWYER SMITH

"It's time to grab my quarterback. After Justin took Terry Wilson with the No. 1 overall pick, there was no reason for either me or Travis to rush into taking one, but I think the time has arrived. When healthy, Sawyer Smith has shown himself to be a very capable signal-caller. He's the guy who played well against teams like Nebraska and Boise State during his final year at Troy, and he was having a fantastic game against Florida in Game 3 last season before suffering the first of numerous injuries trying to make a tackle. My coaching staff will be stressing better ball security and decision-making, but he's got the physical tools to lead the Cats if called upon."

ROUND 14

Drummond (Pick 40): XAVIER PETERS

"I'm rolling the dice on this one. Based on raw talent, the 6-foot-4, 240-pound Peters is too good to still be available at Pick No. 40. We all assumed the Florida State transfer would make an impact on last year's team after winning his eligibility waiver appeal from the NCAA, but things never materialized as UK's other outside backers played well and Peters ran into some disciplinary issues with Mark Stoops. We assumed those revolved around taking care of business off the field. If the former Top 100 recruit has straightened that out, he is a good sleeper pick here. The Cats need another pass-rusher opposite Boogie Watson to make what should be a formidable defense even better."

Rowland (Pick 41): KEATON UPSHAW

"This pick is about diversifying my offense and making it even more explosive. Upshaw is Kentucky's No. 2 tight end but the top hybrid and potential mismatch in the passing game that the team has. He was on pace for a fairly prolific season for a redshirt freshman before the shake-up at quarterback. With Terry Wilson, two of UK's top three tackles, Kavosiey Smoke, and now Upshaw, this offense is balanced and create plenty of big plays."

Graf (Pick 42): JARED CASEY

"Casey's got the build to put on weight and be more of a thumper, but he also has some wiggle to his game. Casey will join the rotation this season and will play with much more confidence coming out of his redshirt season. Casey will add even more speed to my linebacker corps, alongside Watson and Weaver."

ROSTER CHECKS

Team Graf

OL Drake Jackson

DB Davonte Robinson

LB Boogie Watson

OL Luke Fortner

WR Josh Ali

DL Phil Hoskins

DL Marquan McCall

DB Cedrick Dort

OL Kenneth Horsey

LB JJ Weaver

DL Kordell Looney

WR Michael Drennen

OL Jeremy Flax

LB Jared Casey

Team Rowland

QB Terry Wilson

OL Landon Young

DL/LB Josh Paschal

LB Jamin Davis

DB Brandin Echols

RB Kavosiey Smoke

LB Jordan Wright

OL Naasir Watkins

DB Yusuf Corker

DB Quandre Mosely

DL Davoan Hawkins

DL Abule Abadi-Fitzgerald

OL Austin Dotson

TE Keaton Upshaw

Team Drummond

OL Darian Kinnard

DL Quinton Bohanna

LB DeAndre Square

LB Chris Oats

RB AJ Rose

RB Chris Rodriguez

DB Kelvin Joseph

DL Justin Rogers

TE Justin Rigg

OL Quintin Wilson

DB Jamari Brown

DB Moses Douglass

QB Sawyer Smith

LB Xavier Peters