Riley, Forsyth Selected In Seventh Round
04/29/23 | Football
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A total of six Oregon football players were selected in the 2023 NFL Draft after defensive lineman Jordon Riley and offensive lineman Alex Forsyth got picked in the seventh round on Saturday afternoon.
Riley went to the New York Giants with the No. 243 overall pick, and the Denver Broncos took Forsyth with the No. 257 overall selection.
Linebacker Noah Sewell (No. 148, Chicago Bears) and offensive lineman Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu (No. 199, Baltimore Ravens) were selected earlier in the day on Saturday, the third and final day of the draft. Cornerback Christian Gonzalez went No. 17 overall to the New England Patriots on Thursday, and edge rusher DJ Johnson was the No. 80 overall pick by the Carolina Panthers in the third round on Friday.
The six draftees are the most for the Oregon football program since six Ducks were selected in 2009.
Riley started all 13 games for the Ducks in 2022, his lone season at Oregon after spending two seasons at Nebraska, one at Garden City Community College, and two at North Carolina. Riley finished 2022 with 21 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, half a sack and one pass breakup.
Riley earned an 82.4 tackling grade from Pro Football Focus as a Duck, third-best among Oregon defenders. As a junior at Nebraska in 2021, he finished with seven tackles and one TFL while earning academic all-Big-Ten honors.
Forsyth was a three-year starter at center for the Ducks and played 1,983 total snaps across five seasons for the Ducks, including 1,892 at center. He was an all-Pac-12 second-team selection in both 2020 and 2021 before earning first-team honors in 2022, and he was also a FWAA second-team all-American and a finalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year award in his final season.
Forsyth started 12 of Oregon's 13 games at center in 2022, leading UO's starters with an 85.8 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus. He allowed just one pressure and zero sacks in 384 pass-blocking opportunities, and had a pass-block grade of 80.0 or better in eight of 12 games.
The Oregon native was the leader of an Oregon offensive line that led the nation with just five sacks allowed, the fewest allowed by a non-triple option team in a full season since 2015. UO finished as the only team in the nation in the top 20 for both rushing offense and passing offense, and tied for 12th nationally with just 52.0 tackles for loss allowed.
After learning behind an experienced offensive line for three seasons, Forsyth took over as the starting center in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He led the team with 440 total offensive snaps and allowed just one sack and four total pressures. In 2021, Forsyth surrendered just two sacks and seven pressures while playing in 10 of Oregon's 14 games.
Oregon 2023 NFL Draft Picks
DB Christian Gonzalez – Round 1, Pick 17 (New England Patriots)
OLB DJ Johnson – Round 3, Pick 80 (Carolina Panthers)
ILB Noah Sewell – Round 5, Pick 148 (Chicago Bears)
OL Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu – Round 6, Pick 199 (Baltimore Ravens)
DL Jordon Riley – Round 7, No. 243 (New York Giants)
OL Alex Forsyth – Round 7, No. 257 (Denver Broncos)
Riley went to the New York Giants with the No. 243 overall pick, and the Denver Broncos took Forsyth with the No. 257 overall selection.
Linebacker Noah Sewell (No. 148, Chicago Bears) and offensive lineman Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu (No. 199, Baltimore Ravens) were selected earlier in the day on Saturday, the third and final day of the draft. Cornerback Christian Gonzalez went No. 17 overall to the New England Patriots on Thursday, and edge rusher DJ Johnson was the No. 80 overall pick by the Carolina Panthers in the third round on Friday.
The six draftees are the most for the Oregon football program since six Ducks were selected in 2009.
Riley started all 13 games for the Ducks in 2022, his lone season at Oregon after spending two seasons at Nebraska, one at Garden City Community College, and two at North Carolina. Riley finished 2022 with 21 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, half a sack and one pass breakup.
Riley earned an 82.4 tackling grade from Pro Football Focus as a Duck, third-best among Oregon defenders. As a junior at Nebraska in 2021, he finished with seven tackles and one TFL while earning academic all-Big-Ten honors.
Forsyth was a three-year starter at center for the Ducks and played 1,983 total snaps across five seasons for the Ducks, including 1,892 at center. He was an all-Pac-12 second-team selection in both 2020 and 2021 before earning first-team honors in 2022, and he was also a FWAA second-team all-American and a finalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year award in his final season.
Forsyth started 12 of Oregon's 13 games at center in 2022, leading UO's starters with an 85.8 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus. He allowed just one pressure and zero sacks in 384 pass-blocking opportunities, and had a pass-block grade of 80.0 or better in eight of 12 games.
The Oregon native was the leader of an Oregon offensive line that led the nation with just five sacks allowed, the fewest allowed by a non-triple option team in a full season since 2015. UO finished as the only team in the nation in the top 20 for both rushing offense and passing offense, and tied for 12th nationally with just 52.0 tackles for loss allowed.
After learning behind an experienced offensive line for three seasons, Forsyth took over as the starting center in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He led the team with 440 total offensive snaps and allowed just one sack and four total pressures. In 2021, Forsyth surrendered just two sacks and seven pressures while playing in 10 of Oregon's 14 games.
Oregon 2023 NFL Draft Picks
DB Christian Gonzalez – Round 1, Pick 17 (New England Patriots)
OLB DJ Johnson – Round 3, Pick 80 (Carolina Panthers)
ILB Noah Sewell – Round 5, Pick 148 (Chicago Bears)
OL Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu – Round 6, Pick 199 (Baltimore Ravens)
DL Jordon Riley – Round 7, No. 243 (New York Giants)
OL Alex Forsyth – Round 7, No. 257 (Denver Broncos)
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